Everything You Need to Know About Responding to Reviews
Main Street Hub answers your online reviews questions
At Main Street Hub, we help local businesses by taking managing their social media, online reviews, and email marketing off their plate — for good.
We respond to every review that comes in for our customers on sites like Facebook, Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor. Each one of our customers gets a dedicated team including a talented writer to craft personalized responses for every review in line with each business’ unique voice and brand.
We have a great deal of experience working with 10,000 small businesses across the country to protect their online reputation, and we travel the country educating business owners on best practices for social media, review sites, and email marketing.
We wanted to share some of the real questions we received from real business owners and give real answers. Here’s everything you need to know about responding to online reviews:
Q: Do I really need to respond to all of my reviews? Both positive and negative?
A: Responding to all of your customer reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, Facebook, and TripAdvisor is extremely important to protect your online reputation and extend your customer service online.
Think about it: Your responses to both positive and negative reviews are not only for the benefit of the person who left the review, but anyone who might be visiting your page. Nearly 80% of U.S. consumers read reviews before making a purchasing decision, so you’ll want to show these reviewers the same customer service you would in your business.
Here’s an example of a response to a positive review:
And, here’s an example of a response to a negative review:
If you are having a hard time finding your voice when responding to negative reviews, start by getting to the core of their concern — let them know that you’re looking into it and apologize if necessary. Thank them for sharing their experience and feedback. Ask questions to better understand the issue, like, “What night did you come in?” “Do you remember who was helping you that day?” You can also offer to follow up further offline, and invite them back to give you another chance, if appropriate.
Q: If the review is really negative, won’t responding draw attention to that review?
A: On Yelp, Facebook, Google, and TripAdvisor the response to a negative review will appear directly following the review where the review appears on your business’ page or listing. When you respond, it won’t draw attention to the review by letting visitors know there’s been a new response, nor will it move the negative review to the top of the list of reviews.
Adding a response to a negative review gives you the chance, as a business owner, to offer your perspective, explain the situation, and/or apologize if necessary so that anyone coming to visit your site and check out your reviews can see both sides of the story. Here, you can explain politely, provide your point of view, and thank the reviewer for taking the time to share their experience and offer feedback.
Need more tips to find your voice? Don’t miss our guide to responding to reviews.
Q: How do I deal with inaccuracies in a negative review? (I don’t want to appear defensive or combative, but at the same time I don’t want false information to be out there about my business.)
A: If a negative review on your page contains information that is false or inflammatory, the first thing you can do is flag the review for removal from the site. Many review sites provide the option for business owners to flag the review for removal based on a certain set of criteria laid out in their guidelines. Check the site’s guidelines to see if that review might go against them — and mention that when you flag the review. It will help you build a stronger case for why the review should be removed.
Here’s our guide to flagging a review on Yelp in 4 steps.
However, there is a review period as the site administrators take a look at your case, and there’s no guarantee that just because you flagged it, that it will get removed. So, in the meantime, respond publicly and point out the inaccuracies. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and your staff in a kind and explanatory way. It’s important to remember that potential customers can see your response, and the way you present your case will affect their impression of your business.
Here’s a good example of an owner responding with facts and defending the quality of their product, while being polite and understanding:
Q: How far back should I go to respond to reviews? Does it look bad if I respond to a review today from 2014, for example?
A: It’s a good idea to go back and respond to your old reviews, even if they’re from several years ago. That’s because potential customers are reading those reviews and your responses to them — then, making a judgment about your customer service and how that might apply to how your business treats its customers in-house. In fact, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. And, responding to reviews is more important than ever — 30% of consumers consider review responses essential when deciding whether or not to visit a local business, according to a consumer survey from BrightLocal. This means that what you say matters — even if the review isn’t super recent.
Q: Can you pay to remove negative reviews?
A: Consumers today choose businesses based on their authenticity. Real businesses often don’t only have positive reviews — and that’s because every customer is different, so the way he or she experiences your business and service will be different. And, it’s every individual’s prerogative to voice their opinion. Unfortunately, not all of those opinions are going to be positive.
Understanding that is key to managing your review sites — not every review that comes in for your business will be 5 stars. However, having a well-rounded and authentic presence on review sites through real reviews, with your responses following each one, is more important to build consumer trust in your business.
That said, we know that receiving negative reviews can be difficult. They can be disheartening, damage your business’ reputation, and discourage potential customers from visiting your shop, restaurant, or salon — even if they are false, misleading, or inflammatory.
You can’t pay review sites to remove reviews you don’t like, and if you go through the process of flagging reviews for removal, sometimes you will be able to get certain negative reviews removed, but it’s best to try to follow these 3 steps:
- Respond to your negative reviews — customers who write reviews want to feel heard, so let them know you’re disappointed that they had a less-than-perfect experience at your business and that you’re listening to their feedback.
- Let your customers know both in-store and via social media about your presence on Yelp and other review sites to encourage happy customers to share their experience online.
- Share positive customer testimonials on social media . Promoting your Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor reviews on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter helps get the word out about what customers are saying about your business, and it encourages them to check our your review site pages. You can simply copy and paste the words from a great review, and thank and tag the reviewer, or use an app like Canva to turn a great review into a visual Tweet, Instagram, or Facebook post.
Showing off your positive customer testimonials and keep your customers up-to-date on where to find you online is great way to invite more positive reviews and feedback.
