The reality of platforms like Yelp is that people generally leave reviews on experiences that they perceive as either really good or really bad. Most likely, you’ll never see a review reporting that their experience was perfectly average, nothing good, and nothing bad. So, businesses are left with raving reviews and raging reviews, both of which are equally important. If the review is left open-ended, the customer’s experience will never differ from how they originally perceived it.
In other words, you have the opportunity to change the narrative. You have the chance to extend an olive branch to an unhappy customer and change their perspective of your brand. If done successfully, you could turn them into a returning customer.
On the flip side, if a customer had a great enough experience to leave a Yelp review, you would be doing your due diligence as a business owner to acknowledge them and thank them. This could turn a customer who might be a fan of your food or service into a customer who is a fan of you as a business. Building trust with happy customers is just as important as remediating relationships with unhappy customers!
Why are Reviews so Important?
According to a survey done by Nielsen, 88% of customers claim that they are more likely to use a business that responds to reviews. With over 8 million Yelp users monthly, many people might see your page, and your responses (or lack thereof) may make or break your leads. Small businesses, more so than larger ones, are fueled by reputation. Your potential customers WILL check your reviews, so it is worth it to put in the work. One way you can create a stellar Yelp while running your business is by hiring a marketing agency to do the dirty work while you sit back and watch the leads roll in. In fact, iCatch was chosen as Yelp’s Agency Partner of the Year!
How Should I Respond to Yelp Reviews?
Include personal details
Always thank the customer, but if you have the same robotic response to every good review, potential customers are going to see this, and it will do the opposite of your intended effect. Personalizing responses can show that there is, in fact, a person on the other side of the screen who truly values the praise. Especially for small businesses, good reviews help you out a ton. The least you can do is address the customer by name.
Say Your Intention to Take Action
This step isn’t applicable to a positive review because there isn’t any critique. For a negative review, generally, they will let you know why they weren’t happy with their experience. Turn this into an action item and let them know that you will be working on it. Promising an immediate fix can be dangerous, but acknowledgment that their review is valid goes a long way.
Respond Quickly
Customers won’t wait days after an experience to comment on it, and neither should you. People’s minds are hard to change as time goes on, mostly because the bad taste in their mouths trumped whatever was mediocre or good about the experience. Their dominating perception will win. Catch them before your reputation is set in stone by replying quickly. It will show your customer
How Can it Help my Business?
54% of Yelp users said that customer service is the most important factor when choosing a business. Engaging with your customers is an easy way to show your clientele that you value their experiences. A response might even change an unhappy customer’s mind! A study by Yelp found that 87% of users say they are more likely to look past a critical review if they see that the business has responded.
Remember that your customers are taking time out of their day to give you feedback on your performance. If these are real people who have experienced your services firsthand, don’t you want to listen to what they have to say? Don’t get downtrodden from a scathing review. As long as you’re able to respond, the only thing you can do about them is grow and adjust.
If you have any questions about how Yelp and Yelp reviews work, schedule a meeting with us. We would love to help you improve your business’s Yelp experience!
