Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and TravelAdvisor.com all have one important detail in common for those who are interesting in this blog–they have allowed consumers to control the online reputations of hotels. Admittedly, this is a problem for hotels–who can’t afford to have that sort of online reputation.

A big majority of customer feedback, 70%, is “positive,” says Maureen Dime of Avalon Report, another firm that compiles online reviews for hotels. “But,” she says, “if 30% is unhappy with you, that’s still a large percentage. We call it a tidal wave of whispers.”

Hotels have adopted different ways of responding to the tidal wave.

John Spomer, managing director of the Driskill Hotel in Austin, says negative reviews are compiled daily and forwarded to appropriate departmental leaders who are “required to respond within 24 hours.”

The hotel hired a communications director this month, whose duties will include handling reviews. “We’re not doing the best job talking to the masses,” he says. “It really takes commitment.”

It certainly does take commitment, as satisfying customers should, but any hotel that tackles this issue so proactively should be commended.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2010-03-23-businesstravel23_ST_N.htm

A man was charged with extortion for reportedly promising to attack a New York-based insurance company’s online reputation if they didn’t pay him $200,000. This seems to have backfired in a major way for this man…

The 52-year-old defendant was charged with one count of extortion through interstate communications. Authorities say he threatened to send millions of emails to drag the company’s name and reputation “through the muddiest waters imaginable” in retaliation for the company denying his claim.

Anthony Digati, the accused, is going to suffer some pretty hefty punishments. However, none will be more serious than the damage done to his reputation. His internet reputation will suffer from this press whether he is guilty or not.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/threats-to-attack-insurers-online-reputation-net-extortion-charges/article1493843/

Walmart, that behemoth of a grocer that everyone loves to hate, has settled a lawsuit concerning gender discrimination for roughly $12 million.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. agreed to pay about $12 million in back wages and damages as well as hire more female applicants for warehouse jobs to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Tuesday.

Wal-Mart already suffers from a serious web libel problem. Simply plugging their name into Google will bring up a number of bad links on the first page–this is not good for a company that is international in scope.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704548604575098192684023802.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews