Hotel Responses to Negative Reviews: A Study of Chinese and British Hotels
Author Information
Author(s): Huang Jingjing, Xiao Wei
Primary Institution: School of Foreign Languages, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, China
Hypothesis
How do Chinese and British hotels use interactional metadiscourse in responses to negative reviews?
Conclusion
The study found significant differences in how Chinese and British hotels construct identities and use metadiscourse in their responses to negative reviews.
Supporting Evidence
- Chinese hotel responders use more collective language to build solidarity.
- British hotel responders emphasize individual accountability and directness.
- Both groups use engagement markers to involve guests in the conversation.
- Positive attitude markers are more frequently used by Chinese responders to foster harmony.
Takeaway
Hotels in China and the UK respond to negative reviews differently, using different words and styles to connect with guests and fix problems.
Methodology
A corpus-based study analyzing 100 responses to negative reviews from hotels in Beijing and London.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the selection of hotels and responses analyzed.
Limitations
The study is limited to responses from hotels in only one city in China and one in the UK, which may not represent broader trends.
Participant Demographics
Responses analyzed were from hotels in Beijing, China, and London, UK, with guests including both domestic and international visitors.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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