I’m a fan of Best Western’s hotels. They’re unpretentious, reasonably priced and comfortable. But its Web site is dreadful, according to the latest Online Customer Respect Study which will be released next week by the Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm.
Just how bad is Best Western’s site? It ranked dead last among major sites rated by customers on site usability, communication and trust, earning a score of 4.7 out of a possible 10. (Hyatt, Marriott and InterContinental led the pack, in case you were wondering. They racked up scores of 7.3, 7.1 and 6, respectively.)
The news wasn’t all bad for Best Western. According to the report, it had “clearly upgraded responsiveness” since the previous study. The site also scored high marks — a 6.9 — in the “simplicity” category.
But here’s the thing. This report is no reason for the top-ranked sites to gloat — or for the bottom-feeders to grovel.
I mean, 73 percent is barely a passing grade by most academic measures, suggesting that even Hyatt has a lot of work to do. And even though Best Western gets a big “F” for its site, it doesn’t have that far to go to catch up to the crowd and should in no way be embarrassed by its score.
Overall, hotel sites remain difficult to use, the report also said. “Hotel sites failed to impress on a number of key usability factors that may well create frustration for users, especially those infrequent travelers tempted by the ‘best rate’ offers,” it noted. “Although all sites provided a room booking search engine, only 29 percent provide a keyword search function that allow users to search the site’s content. Overall, self-service features and navigation aids were lacking in hotel sites, which might leave a user unable to locate key information.”
I’ve read the full report issued by the Customer Respect Group, and although it singles out Best Western as the worst site, I think the study is bad news for all hotel sites. It says that customers continue to be frustrated by the sites, and that they deserve better.
Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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