“People are already talking. Your only option is to join the conversation” - Andy Sernovitz (Gaspedal CEO and SmartBrief on Social Media Editor At Large) We are often asked by business owners whether or not they should respond to user reviews on sites such as Yelp, Urban Spoon, etc. Randall PR researched this topic and came up with a few guidelines below.
Sites that identify a business owner response: Yelp, Trip advisor, Twitter
Clients may also post responses on other sites such as Urban Spoon, but they should identify themselves as the business.
NEGATIVE REVIEWS
Not all bad reviews elicit responses; everybody gets a negative comment at some point and some users tend to be more negative than others. It may be ineffective to respond to comments when there is not constructive criticism in the user complaint.
When to NOT respond:
1. If a user is complaining about something that is out of the client’s control
2. If the user comment is unreasonable or inappropriate
When to respond:1. The client needs to make amends (something was genuinely wrong)
2. The review has its facts wrong (the client can politely correct the facts)
3. The review develops legs: other users are agreeing and engaging in the post (a client does not want this to happen, so they should get in conversation and try to smooth things over)
How:1. Listen, find the root of the problem and address it specifically
2. Thank the user for bringing the concern to your attention
3. Be honest and sincere
4. Remain calm and DON’T make excuses or get defensive – A “no response” is better than an angry response
5. Speak like a real person and not too formal or robot-like
6. Offer a solution if possible - Give a sign that you understood them and tell how you are fixing/changing the area of concern
7. Invite them to come in again and try the food or taste the wine and guarantee an improved experience (see examples below on whether or not to host them and whether they should be invited privately or publicly)
Business studies:1. Yelp reviews often bring attention to things businesses don’t realize they are doing wrong and give productive criticism. In this case, clients can sincerely apologize and thank the user for taking the time to bring this to their attention. The client can tell them how they looked into their complaint and what they did to fix it.
2. One business owner responded privately to legitimate complaints, often giving out her personal contact info and times she would be working, asking the user to come back and see her. Some users gave this business a second chance, while others commented on Yelp that the owner was “sending messages to all people not giving stellar reviews…shady business.” It seems more effective to respond to negative comments publicly. This shows other users that the client cares and exhibits how they deal with concerns.
3. When posting a response to a negative comment, clients may give out personal contact information, adding that the client would like to personally make sure that they have a better experience. If the user takes the time to contact the client, the client can decide the best way to proceed (hosted or not) so that they have a better experience.
4. We advise to not invite a negative comment reviewer in for a hosted meal or tasting publicly. This is because other reviewers may see this and comment negatively without having a negative experience thinking they too can get free meals or wine. If the client decides to host the reviewer, they should let the reviewer know privately through e-mail or Twitter direct message.
POSITIVE REVIEWSDo’s1. Listen and learn from positive comments to generate new ideas and programs.
2. Clients should take the opportunity to connect with the users who take the time to comment positively about them, perhaps by notifying them personally about upcoming events and programs.
3. Often a short “Hi _____! Thanks for the great comment. By the way next week we are offering (such and such a deal). See you soon at______” can be effective. Suggestions about menu items or wines to taste for the next visit can also be an effective way to reach out to a user.
Ex: “I’m glad you loved the soup! Another one of my favorite dishes is here is the ____”
“If you loved our Cabernet, I recommend you taste the Merlot as well! It received 92 points in Wine Spectators and pairs great with Chocolate”Don’ts1. Yelp’s Luther Lowe discourages a company from attaching tangible “rewards” in response to good reviews. If someone writes an unsolicited 5-star review, it can rub some people the wrong way to get a “thank you” note from a business owner saying, “Thank you for your review of our restaurant/winery. We would like to offer you a complimentary dinner/wine tasting for two.”
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