How customized managerial responses influence subsequent consumer ratings: The language style matching perspective

In previous studies, customized managerial responses have been viewed as an effective tool for sellers to intervene in online consumer opinions. However, formulating a customized response warrants strategic use of language. To explore this further, this study draws on communication accommodation theory to examine the effect of language style matching between managerial responses and online customer reviews on subsequent consumer ratings. Using an exhaustive dataset from TripAdvisor that includes 315,948 reviews and 199,926 managerial responses from 461 hotels spanning from 2011 to 2019, we found that a high level of language style matching between responses and reviews leads to an increase in subsequent online consumer ratings. Notably, the effect of language style matching on future ratings is more pronounced for hotels with poor online review ratings and inferior classes. These empirical findings can be valuable for hotels seeking to develop effective strategies for communicating online.