Synovate: Under-deliver at your own risk

• Findings from new Synovate survey on hotel industry out
• Shows 79% of Malaysians will share a negative hotel experience with others
• 91% will tell others if the experience is good

Malaysia - Marketers in the hotel industry should be wary of over-promising on marketing communications and services according to a recently released Synovate report which that showed 79% of Malaysians will share a negative experience of a hotel with others.

The survey also found 91% of the 1,017 Malaysians polled agreed they would tell others if they had a good hotel experience.

As such, negative reviews and comments can be damaging to a hotel's brand name, not to mention its bottom line, said Steve Murphy, managing director, Synovate Malaysia.

"Our survey indicates that Malaysians are adventurous and are willing to stay at different hotels each time they travel (62%) but they are prohibited by cost factors and what's more is that they are spoilt for choice," he says, adding that 26% compare hotels before deciding on which suits them better.

Some 13% of those polled said they read about hotels on travel review websites, blogs and travel magazines while some said they chose their accommodation based on other criteria like technology and recreational services.

However, 83% of the surveyed audience also admitted they would put up at less expensive establishments given the current economic situation.