Managing negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM) from the perspective of luxury hotel managers

In the 21st century, social networking is becoming a global phenomenon. The existing literature addresses the powerful influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM). However, few of these prior studies attempt to investigate how service providers harness these unsolicited customer comments. To narrow down the knowledge gap and understand the latest development of the topic, the present qualitative research explores how hotels handle and respond to customer criticisms posted on various eWOM channels. Based on different considerations, results reveal that hotels adopt three approaches: (1) publicly responding to both positive and negative eWOM, (2) privately contacting complainers, and (3) taking no response.