Inc. Magazine’s February issue included an article, “You’ve Been Yelped,” that chronicled small business owners’ experiences with positive and negative reviews on the popular business critique site, Yelp. As small business owners, it’s hard not to take criticism personally, but the article has a few points we all need to be aware of when managing our company’s online image (whether on Yelp or another public review site).
- Ignoring Yelp Won’t Make It Go Away. Lauren Hart, owner of the Root (a salon in downtown Phoenix) wisely stated in the article, “When you’re in a trend-driven business, if you’re not keeping up with the trends, you’re just going to get old with your clientele and die.” Brad Keeling, the owner of a chain of dry cleaners, agreed stating, “Ignoring Yelp gets you nothing…You can’t hate the future.”
- Use Yelp to Your Advantage. Offer discounts on your Yelp page to attract new clients. This has been extremely successful for the Root. When a new customer calls in to make an appointment and mentions Yelp, they receive a free conditioning treatment. Hart also hops online to see if the person has a profile. If she sees they’ve written bad reviews, she makes sure she personally cuts the client’s hair to give her more control over the situation than she would have if one of her employees cut the customer’s hair instead.
- Respond to Every Review. Even if it’s just to say thank you, taking the time to acknowledge each reviewer’s time and energy can go a long way.
- Keep Your Head. If someone gives you a negative review, make sure you keep your head and respond in a helpful way. After Hart received a negative review, “she composed an apologetic reply, and, using her Yelp account, sent a private message to the dissatisfied customer. Hart suggested a competing salon and offered to pay for a second haircut there. The result? The two-star review became a four-star review.”
- Use the Criticism Constructively. When your business does receive a negative review, really listen to what the reviewer didn’t like and make appropriate improvements to your company. As said by Julian Wright, the owner of La Bocca, a restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, “…the reviews help us get better faster.”