Global feedback and authenticated review service Feefo is looking to start offering a video review service as its remarkable rise to prominence in travel continues.
The firm believes video reviews, which like its survey/text-based reviews will be requested only of genuine customers, will be ideally suited to the travel sector.
It envisages customers leaving short reviews of their hotel room and facilities given the now ubiquitous nature of video technology available to holidaymakers.
The technology to support video reviews is in development but the concept is that it will automatically format the footage into a bite-sized package for the web.
Speaking to Travolution at last week’s ITT conference in Abu Dhabi, Matt Eames, Feefo sales director, said:
“Customers will post these sorts of reviews on Facebook and this is so good for hotels because people are sharing with all their friends and spreading the message.”
Feefo’s rapid rise to prominence in travel over the last 18 months has proved to be one of its challenges.
Having struck a major deal with Expedia in November, Eames said there was a pipeline of clients it was working with to get up and running in travel and other sectors including insurance and finance.
Feefo is currently recruiting in three main areas; sales and marketing, customer services and technical with all three departments growing rapidly.
Eames said there were still a significant number of companies Feefo is targeting which do not yet have reviews on their sites but would gain substantial benefit from doing so.
Feefo is poised to move into new office space in a converted barn on the farm in Petersfield near Portsmouth where it has its headquarters.
It has also taken on a new office in Ludlow, Shropshire, where the company was originally founded having quadrupled in size in the last 12 months.
Travel is also being targeted for new ‘bricks and mortar’ reviews by which customers are encouraged to leave a review having physically visited a store by being given a unique code to enter online.
Partners already using this service include Hotel La Tour in Birmingham, TM Lewin, Phase Eight and shirt retailer Charles Tyrwhitt.
The Hotel La Tour tie-up has seen an API link developed with global travel technology specialist Micros Travel, meaning other firms using the Micros platform can easily switch on the Feefo service.
Eames said: “After the success of Expedia, we are beginning to work with other equally global major brands in the hotel and travel industry.
“With the hotel industry, we understand the need for a booking process review as well as a review of the property itself.”
Eames said a two-week trial with Feefo can generate many thousands of reviews and will give potential clients a good insight into the benefits of the service.