Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Maybe you don't need 5 stars on Yelp...



I bet most of us have heard the expression “any press is good press” (perhaps the story of Kim Kardashian’s life?), and this article directly speaks to that in the context of Yelp. Yelp is probably my  “go-to” sites when choosing a restaurant, bar, or service, and like many, I always assumed the key was high Yelp reviews.

This article, however, suggests that a “negative review” might not be the “be-all and end-all.” The author explains four reasons that negative Yelp reviews can actually be good, including a) they create a feeling of authenticity b) they can help you refine your digital strategy c) they can help you improve your customer service d) they give a company a chance to look good based on how they respond.

The first and second points addressed by the author especially ring true for me. Sometimes when I see TOO many amazing reviews, I get skeptical that someone is deleting the bad reviews, like this author suggests. Also, I think it’s just a good sign that a company is even on Yelp, regardless of the number of stars it has – to me that suggests it’s a legitimate business with legitimate consumers. Also, with regards to the author’s last point, if I read something bad but then see that the company responded (for example, I often see this on TripAdvisor), this shows me that they care and are trying to make things better, which goes a long way in my book.

All in all, I think it’s definitely worth a read, especially in light of our discussion last week about how social media and consumers’ reviews are such a critical aspect of marketing these days.


- Allison Kuncik

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great read! I also give credit to businesses that respond to negative comments on Yelp. At least the management cares enough to monitor their social reputation.