Andrew Gruel, chef and owner of the Slapfish restaurant chain, responds to about 50 online reviews a day, positive or negative. Credit Emily Berl for The New York Times
How far would you go to correct a handful of bad reviews on Yelp?
In California, restaurateur Andrew Gruel told The New York Times how he recently pulled out all the stops to combat some less-than-glowing posts on the popular review site: He changed portion sizes, tweaked menu items and prices, and sent a flurry of emails to personally acknowledge the changes to disgruntled customers.
“You can get buried by bad reviews,” said Mr. Gruel, whose Slapfish restaurants serve food like fish tacos and lobster burgers. “So it’s a race to stop the bleeding.”
In his case, the effort paid off. Gruel has seen one-star reviews morph into five star raves and (hopefully) loyal customers. In fact, Gruel now routinely responds to about 50 posts a day —both positive and negative. While he sometimes tasks a staff member with the job, more often than not, he tackles it himself, because he wants to be sure the response sounds authentic, not “canned.” (And because responding to posts throughout the day is easier than ever, thanks to smartphones and tablets.)
Think his approach is overkill? Think again, say many experts, who recommend checking and responding to reviews at least every day, if not more frequently. Their tips include:
Prioritize. While 44 percent of consumers use Yelp, making it the market leader, people also post reviews to TripAdvisor, Angie’s List, Facebook and Google, among other places. Determine where your customers are most active and allocate your attention there, said Barbara Findlay Schenck, author of “Small Business Marketing Kit for Dummies.” Set up alerts and respond to complaints and compliments ASAP.
Be Open. No one likes a bad review but before you get defensive, look for constructive criticism in even the pettiest complaint. “The minute you see a bad review, look for a shard of truth,” Schenck said. “Is this something you can improve? Look for what you can fix.” (And remember, never get into a battle of words with a reviewer. If things get heated, take the conversation offline by offering your direct number or, if possible, calling the reviewer.)
Share the Good. Earned a bunch of four- and five-star reviews? Don’t just sit on them, share the news with current and potential customers. “You can blast them out by putting Yelp badges with the number of five-star reviews on your website,” said Darnell Holloway, director of local business outreach at Yelp.
