Tag Archives: Yelp Coach

Uh Oh… Dealing with Negative feedback on Yelp

Posted by Christina on March 12, 2012 4 comments

Having a business account on Yelp opens you up to communication with your reviewers. Keeping in touch with your following shows that you care as an owner and that you are paying attention to what your customers are saying.

Hopefully, your reviews remain positive, but every business has off days and it is likely you will receive the occasional negative review. As long as you learn how to handle these incidents you can defer bad vibes and negativity toward your business.

Always remember to remain positive when responding to any negative feedback. There are different forms of negative feedback. Some reviewers will simply write out what was wrong with your product or service. This is the easiest to fix and most important to respond to. Usually, what they are saying is not only true, but something you really do need to pay attention to. Even though it’s negative feedback your business will be better off when the problem is addressed. Once you have made the correction then respond to that reviewer with what you did and thank them for their feedback. This will show the customer that you are listening and actually care about their satisfaction. Most of the time they will be appreciative, but even more importantly it will show future customers that you are willing to face your mistakes and do something about it. Other times someone is just plain mad. If you have get a review that seems to attack you and your business on a personal level remember to keep your cool. Everyone has bad days when the smallest things set you off. If you are dealing with this kind of review DO NOT argue back. The most important Yelp rule is to NEVER under ANY circumstance respond to negativity with negativity. It goes back to that golden rule… the customer is always right. Even if the review is horribly mean and just bashes your business it is better to say nothing at all then to start an online argument. If others see that you are reacting in a negative way it will turn them off to your business even more. Instead respond with a short apology and assure them that you have heard them and are working on correcting the problem.

Yelp campaigns are always a good way to start racking up positive reviews. Getting your customers to take that extra two minutes is the hardest step, but once you break that barrier you will see your rank rising. If you want to learn more about yelp, how to use it and even how to start your own campaign, I would be more than happy to come out to your business and show you.

Unlocking Yelp

Posted by Christina on March 12, 2012 None comments

If you keep up with the stock market (and probably even if you don’t), then you’ve heard about Yelp.com going public and their massive 64% gain on opening day. Although they haven’t made a penny, Yelp has become an essential website for many people. If you own a business, managing your Yelp account is important and can have an influence on your company’s growth.

Yelp is a consumer review site that is constantly growing. Customers can review and grade your business openly and honestly. For some, this can be a real gift, for others it can be an eye opener. Potential customers will look up your business and see how others graded you. Many use Yelp consistently and will base their shopping locations, dining choices, and service providers after carefully reviewing a business’ Yelp standing. Because Yelp reviews are from real people from the community it is more powerful then even testimonials on your website.

You need to take control of your Yelp destiny. First and foremost make sure you have control of your business page. Search for your business in the search tool bar. If your business shows up then a customer has already created an account for you. In this situation go to your page and click the “is this your business” button located under the phone number. Yelp will ask you for your information and also verify your phone number. I didn’t know that at first so when I entered my business number from home I obviously wasn’t able to answer right away, so make sure you’re near the phone when you click the “call me now” button. When they call you it’s just an automated system and you will enter a code that pops up on your computer. Once that’s completed you are able to get into the business tools part of your Yelp account.

If you don’t have a Yelp account already set up for you then you can create one yourself. Scroll down to the bottom of the yelp page and click on “business support center” under HELP. You will fill out your business information and then yelp will need to verify your email. After clicking on the link in your email you will have to wait 24-48 hours for yelp to approve your listing. They’ll email you with your approval and a link to your business account where you can log in and start exploring.

If a Yelp component was never included in your communication plan, then ask for it to added. It’s one of the most important sites that your business can be on. It positively or negatively influences your overall web presence which ultimately can boost or drain any social media marketing campaign.