Customer Reviews (500)

Ro New • 2025-03-28T19:29:21-07:00

I’m trying to find flights and this app keeps asking me everything but what I’m looking for. It’s confusing and I’m done

Austell from Mt. Pleasant • 2025-03-28T18:18:57-07:00

Had dinner there last night & it is excellent! Family owned & operated, it offers some of the best Italian food in SC. Great food, service & not expensive. Try it!

Anotherstupidperson • 2025-03-28T17:57:00-07:00

I’ve been having a frequent, frustrating issue with the UX of the app. For example, I try to search ‘pepian’ because I want to try this amazing, Guatemalan dish, but I click restaurants and it redirects me to a place called Pepin. So then I search Pepian near me and it gives me a bunch of options in other cities, miles away from me. TripAdvisor has my location, and I can google quite easily to see that there are restaurants nearby that have this dish. I should be able to search locally automatically. I am not looking for Pepian miles away. I am looking here. This is just an example, as it has happened frequently in other places as well. It’s not intuitive at all

Summary of Key Insights

The Tripadvisor app generally receives positive feedback, with a significant majority of users awarding it 5-star ratings. Users appreciate its utility in planning trips, discovering new places, and accessing traveler reviews. However, there are recurring issues related to app functionality, search accuracy, and customer support that detract from the overall user experience. The AI trip builder is a valued feature. The app is well-regarded for providing useful information, but technical glitches and a perceived push towards paid activities are points of concern.

Key Strengths:

  • Extensive database of reviews and information.
  • Useful for discovering new places and planning trips.
  • AI trip builder functionality is appreciated.

Key Weaknesses:

  • Technical issues (freezing, crashing, search problems, password resets).
  • Accuracy of search results and relevance of recommendations.
  • Customer support responsiveness and issue resolution.
  • Perceived bias towards promoting paid activities.
  • iPad app functionality is lacking compared to the iPhone app.

Overall Sentiment: Positive, with a significant number of users expressing satisfaction with the app's usefulness. However, negative reviews highlight frustrating technical issues and service concerns.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (estimated based on distribution): High (4.5 stars based on the provided distribution).
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 77.2%
    • 4-star: 4.4%
    • 3-star: 3%
    • 2-star: 2.8%
    • 1-star: 12.6%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not specified but assumed to be recent based on review content (mentions of version numbers and recent experiences).
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Manual assessment of review text to determine overall sentiment (positive, negative, neutral).
    • Keyword Extraction: Identification of frequently used words and phrases related to app features, bugs, and user experiences.
    • Thematic Analysis: Grouping of reviews based on common themes and issues.

Key User Pain Points

  • Technical Issues:
    • App freezing and crashing.
    • Password reset problems.
    • Laggy map performance (especially on older devices).
    • "Something went wrong" errors when trying to view rooms.
    • App won't open or closes immediately.
    • Image counter sync issues in point of interest pages. These issues prevent users from effectively using the app and lead to frustration.
  • Search and Recommendation Accuracy:
    • Inaccurate search results (e.g., showing results from distant locations, redirecting searches).
    • Irrelevant recommendations.
    • Outdated information (e.g., listing closed restaurants as open). This reduces the app's credibility and usefulness for finding relevant local information.
  • Customer Support Issues:
    • Unresponsive customer service.
    • Difficulty obtaining refunds for cancelled tours.
    • Lack of assistance with booking problems. This creates a negative experience and erodes user trust.
  • User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) Issues:
    • Difficulty navigating the app.
    • Constant resetting to the top of the screen when scrolling back.
    • Inability to sort saved trips alphabetically.
    • Tedious "search this area" prompts on maps.
    • Poor iPad app functionality compared to the iPhone app. These issues reduce the app's ease of use and efficiency.
  • Booking Issues:
    • Fake or unavailable hotel listings.
    • Inaccurate booking details transferred to hotels.
    • Tour operators not showing up. This can cause significant disruption to travel plans.
  • Push towards Paid Activities:
    • Perceived bias towards promoting paid tours and activities over free attractions.
    • Difficulty finding information about parks and nature reserves. This makes the app feel less like a helpful resource and more like an advertising platform.
  • Login Issues:
    • App now forces account creation to use.
    • Privacy concerns about data sharing.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved search filtering and sorting options.
  • Better offline functionality (saving information locally).
  • A more user-friendly way to report harassment.
  • More accurate availability updates for hotels and tours.
  • A way to filter reviews by date.
  • Improved image uploading functionality.
  • A way to highlight and copy text.
  • Option to use Chrome as the default browser.
  • Vrbo and Airbnb integration into lodge search.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Comprehensive Travel Information: Users value the app's extensive database of hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
  • User Reviews: The large number of traveler reviews is considered a valuable resource for making informed decisions.
  • Trip Planning Tools: The itinerary feature and AI trip builder are appreciated for organizing travel plans.
  • Ease of Use: Some users find the app easy to navigate and browse (though this is contradicted by other reviews).
  • Discovery: Users enjoy discovering new places and experiences through the app.
  • Personalized Recommendations: The app's ability to provide personalized recommendations is seen as a positive.
  • App-only Deals: Users appreciate access to exclusive deals.
  • Staff Praises: Many reviews highlighted excellent service from specific staff members at hotels, restaurants, and tour companies, reflecting positively on the establishments listed in TripAdvisor.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix Technical Issues: Address app crashing, freezing, password reset problems, and laggy map performance immediately. Impact: Critical for usability and user satisfaction.
  • Improve Search Accuracy: Enhance search algorithms to provide more relevant and accurate results. Impact: Essential for finding desired information and maintaining credibility.
  • Enhance Customer Support: Improve responsiveness and provide better assistance with booking problems and refunds. Impact: Crucial for building user trust and loyalty.

Medium Priority:

  • Refine UI/UX: Improve navigation, scrolling, and overall app usability, especially on iPads. Impact: Enhances user experience and reduces frustration.
  • Reduce Bias towards Paid Activities: Ensure a more balanced representation of free and paid activities. Impact: Increases user trust and provides a more comprehensive travel resource.
  • Improve Booking System: Verify hotel listings and ensure accurate booking details are transferred. Impact: Prevents travel disruptions and improves user confidence.
  • Optimize iPad App: Bring feature parity between the iPad and iPhone apps.
  • Review Login Requirements: Reconsider the requirement to create an account, or clearly communicate the benefits and address privacy concerns.

Low Priority:

  • Implement Requested Features: Consider adding features like alphabetical sorting of saved trips and improved image uploading. Impact: Enhances user experience and adds value to the app.
  • Monitor and Address Negative Reviews: Actively respond to negative reviews and address user concerns. Impact: Shows users that their feedback is valued and can improve app perception.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Trip Customization Service: A startup could leverage AI to provide highly personalized trip itineraries based on user preferences, budget, and travel style, going beyond Tripadvisor's basic AI trip builder.
  • Hyperlocal Recommendation Engine: A platform focused on providing highly accurate and up-to-date recommendations for local businesses and attractions, using real-time data and user feedback to ensure relevance. This addresses the issue of outdated information on Tripadvisor.
  • Transparent Review Platform: A review site that prioritizes transparency and verification of reviews, combating the issue of fake reviews and biased recommendations.
  • Travel Concierge App with Human Support: An app that combines automated trip planning tools with access to real human travel experts who can provide personalized assistance and resolve booking issues.
  • Offline Travel Planning Tool: A mobile app designed specifically for offline use, allowing users to access saved itineraries, maps, and reviews even without an internet connection.

Trends and Observations

  • Staff Appreciation: A significant number of reviews mention specific staff members by name, indicating that excellent service can greatly enhance the overall travel experience and influence positive reviews.
  • Technical Issues are Recurring: The same technical problems (crashing, freezing) are mentioned repeatedly, suggesting that these are persistent issues that need to be addressed.
  • User Frustration with Paid Activities: There's a clear sentiment that Tripadvisor is pushing paid tours too aggressively, leading to a perception that the app is more focused on revenue generation than providing genuine travel advice.
  • Date Sensitivity: Several reviewers mentioned the date they stayed at the hotel or went on the tour. Dates in the future, such as February or March 2025, indicate these are forward-looking statements or expectations, not historical reviews. This could be a sign of bots or inaccurate review submissions.

Conclusion

The Tripadvisor app remains a valuable tool for travel planning, but persistent technical issues, accuracy concerns, and customer service shortcomings detract from the overall user experience. Addressing these issues and focusing on providing a more balanced and user-centric experience will be crucial for maintaining its position as a leading travel resource. Prioritizing bug fixes, improving search relevance, and enhancing customer support are essential steps for improving user satisfaction and retaining users.

Overall Recommendation: Focus on improving the app's technical stability and user experience, while ensuring a more balanced representation of travel options.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tripadvisor-plan-book-trips/id284876797?uo=2