How to Overcome a A Bad Yelp Review for Contracting Business
March 30, 2021 | Read: 6 minutes
Bad Yelp reviews happen to every business at some point – so what can you do about it?
How do you get someone to delete their negative review of your company?
These and more are all questions we’ll be answering today. In addition to that, we’ve got a free downloadable answer template ready for you to use at the end of this article.
What are Yelp Business Reviews?
Yelp business reviews are user-written evaluations of businesses, including contracting services, posted on the Yelp platform.
These public reviews offer potential customers a glimpse into the quality of service, professionalism, and typical experience they can expect when working with your business.
5 Reasons Why Yelp Reviews are Important for a Contracting Business
1. Enhance Your Reputation
Did you know that 95% of customers read online reviews before buying a product or service?
Positive Yelp reviews can significantly strengthen your business’s reputation. They serve as public testimonials that vouch for the quality of your services, instilling confidence in potential customers.
2. Build Trust with Potential Customers
Trust is paramount in the contracting industry, especially when working within a customer’s home.
Yelp reviews act as social proof, assuring potential customers that they can rely on your business to make them feel safe and deliver quality results.
3. Help You Rank in Local Searches
Yelp (and Google) reviews contribute to your business’s local search ranking.
The more positive reviews you have, the higher your business is likely to appear in local search results, increasing visibility and attracting more potential clients.
4. Highlight Areas of Improvement for Your Business
Constructive criticism in Yelp reviews can be a valuable source of feedback. Use negative reviews as a tool to identify areas of improvement and refine your business practices.
Keep reading to learn the best ways to respond to criticism or a negative review…
5. Stand Out Amongst Competitors
How often do you look up the rating of the restaurants you’re interested in eating at before deciding where to go? Everyone does it, and it’s no different for contracting businesses.
Consistent stellar or five-star Yelp reviews set your business apart from competitors. Customers are more likely to choose a contractor with positive reviews over one with a lower rating or fewer reviews.
What Happens if You Receive a Bad Review?
Receiving a negative Yelp review can be disheartening, but it’s crucial to respond appropriately. Ignoring or reacting defensively can further damage your reputation.
Instead, watch the video below to learn the best way to handle and respond to a bad review:
How to Craft a Great Answer for a Negative Yelp Review
Use the eight steps below to help you craft a quick response to a negative review and resolve the situation:
1. Address the Negative Review Immediately
Promptly respond to negative reviews to show that you take customer feedback seriously. Acknowledge the issue and express your commitment to resolving it.
The longer a negative review goes unresponded to, the worse it will look for your brand. Even if you think you’re in the right, it’s not worth damaging the reputation of your company – it’ll take longer to rebuild.
2. Thank the Reviewer
No, seriously – thank them for their feedback. Regardless of the negativity, this demonstrates professionalism and a willingness to discuss the issue constructively.
When a person has a negative experience, sometimes they just want to be heard -, fighting fire with fire is almost never the answer.
3. Stay Professional and Apologize
Maintain a professional tone in your response and apologize for any dissatisfaction the customer experienced. A sincere apology can go a long way in diffusing tension.
If you lose your cool, potential customers will see that and quickly look for your services elsewhere, even if they’re at a higher cost.
4. Understand the Whole Story
Before responding, make sure you understand the full context of the situation.
Have a conversation with the technician who was assigned to the job and reach out to the customer privately if necessary to gather more details.
5. Take Responsibility
Even if the issue wasn’t entirely your fault, take responsibility for the customer’s unhappiness. After all, they’re probably thinking about how they wouldn’t have had to deal with this if they just went with one of your competitors.
Acknowledge any mistakes and express a genuine desire to make amends. If you don’t, you could get locked out of working in a specific community entirely.
6. Highlight Solutions and Resolve the Mistake
Propose concrete solutions to address the customer’s concerns.
Whether it’s a refund, a discount on future services, or additional work to rectify the issue, showcase your commitment to resolving the problem.
7. Show Your Commitment
Reassure the customer and the public that their satisfaction is your top priority. You can say something like, “We understand the problem you had and can see why that is very frustrating for you as a customer. We’re committed to promptly solving your issue and will take the time to make it right.”
Don’t forget to emphasize your dedication to continuous improvement and preventing similar issues in the future.
8. Move the Conversation Offline If Needed
If the situation requires more in-depth discussion, encourage the customer to contact you directly to resolve the matter privately.
This demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and a willingness to go above and beyond to right a wrong.
Encourage Happy Customers to Leave Positive Reviews
Proactively encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Yelp. With the right contracting software, automating this process is easy.
Consider implementing a review request strategy, such as sending follow-up emails with links to your Yelp profile and expressing gratitude for picking your business.
Download Commusoft’s Negative Yelp Review Answer Template
Everyone gets a bad review every now and then, it’s a part of running a field service business. A common mistake many make when answering these reviews, though, is not taking action–or taking action in the wrong way.
Just because a customer is unhappy now doesn’t mean they’ll boycott your business forever.
Download Commusoft’s guide and get expert tips on how to respond to negative reviews and win over some of your harshest critics.
Continually Improve the Experience of Your Customers
Since Yelp’s website can significantly impact a contracting business’s success, you can build a strong online reputation that sets your business apart in a competitive market.
The key to maintaining a positive online reputation is a commitment to continually improving the customer journey!
It’s important to rake the time to understand the importance of reviews, effectively address negative feedback, and proactively seeking positive reviews!
To help you out, download your free guide:
