Police and private investigators are not the only people monitoring your tweets etc.
You might think that the only ones following your online musings are your mom and college pals. But if they include a gripe about a hotel, the front-desk clerk at the offending property may be listening, too.
Hotels and resorts are amassing a growing army of sleuths whose job it is to monitor what is said about them online—and protect the hotels' reputations. These employees search social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter for unhappy guests and address complaints. They write groveling apologies in response to negative reviews on TripAdvisor. And they keep tabs on future guests who post about upcoming stays—and sometimes offer them extra perks or personalized attention at check in.
During a recent technology conference at the hotel, an attendee who moderates and edits an influential website about BlackBerry news mused about his desire for a cold beer over Twitter. Already identified by Mr. Long and Ms. Pribila as an active blogger with more than 1,000 Twitter followers, the hotel responded over Twitter, "Can I buy you a beer? Stop by the "actual" Front Desk and ask for Sarah!"
Some hotels are hiring outside consultants like StepChange Group, a division of Powered Inc.. The Portland, Ore., company develops social media strategies for companies, and will also help staff watching online commentary and respond. More hotels are employing new services like those offered by Revinate LLC that track online comments and reviews and send out electronic reports for corporate mangers, front-desk staff and even housekeeping to gauge a property's online reputation. Hotels are also increasingly using social media to market their properties, too, by, for example, sending out special discounts via Twitter.
Link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704256304575320730977161348.html?mod=WSJ_myyahoo_module