The Ultimate Salon Owner’s Guide To Managing Online Reviews (updated 2023)
- Track your reviews
- How to get better reviews
- Respond to all reviews
- How to respond to negative reviews
- How to remove fake negative reviews
In a published survey, 99.9% of people read reviews when researching and shopping online. And 98% of online consumers view them as an essential resource when making purchase decisions.
That’s huge! We’re talking about basically everyone… especially considering reviews are often the first thing someone sees on Google. It’s all the more important now for business owners to take notice of their online reputation. It is becoming easier and easier for people to share their opinions publicly. And this is most likely to happen when someone is either very satisfied or very unsatisfied.
So the questions is, what is the proper way for a small salon or spa to manage their reviews?
Let’s dig in…
Track your reviews
First, be sure you have claimed your accounts with Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and any other relevant sources. With Administrative access to these accounts, you will be able to read and respond to reviews.
To look even further, you can setup a tool called Google Alerts. This tool will send you a notification if your business name is mentioned online. It checks websites, blogs, videos and other discussions around the web.
How to get better reviews
If you don’t have any or many reviews, kindly ask for them. Sounds simple, right? Then why aren’t you doing it?
The next time you have a satisfied client leave your chair, ask them. You are more likely to get a positive review on the day of service rather than later.
If you don’t get that review, you may consider following up with some of your most loyal clients. These are the people who are most likely to help you out. Send out a personalized email or text message, kindly asking for an honest review. Don’t ask for a 5 star review. These need to be believable to the public.
And lastly, don’t incentivize with an offer for a “free” anything. If someone is getting paid with something, their review may not be honest. If you do decide to give an incentive, follow the rules. You may setup a drawing, where writing an honest review will get them an entry. That’s as far as we would advise going.
Respond to all reviews
First, decide who will handle your reviews. This person needs to be:
- Level headed and reasonable
- Not someone with a short temper
- Someone well-written and friendly
- Someone that can maintain a level of professionalism
- Someone who knows your clients and can be genuine in their response
Be sure to respond to reviews as quickly as possible. Thank them for their honesty and for helping to support your business. Be genuine, be kind, be gracious.
And the next time that client comes in for an appointment, thank them again in person. Write it down on your calendar, do what you have to do to remember. It will go a long way.
How to respond to negative reviews
If this has happened to you, don’t lose hope. Negative reviews or experiences can even happen to a great business. The difference is all in how you respond to it. And Yes… You. Should. Respond.
If possible, have a manager reach out to the client offline first by phone or email. This shows your customer you care and you are engaged. Ask them to elaborate on their experience and the issues that came up. Don’t interrupt, listen respectfully to them. Also, ask what you could have done for them to have had a different experience.
Never argue with them. Remain calm. Be kind. Be understanding.
Your hope is that they will change their mind about your business and possibly even change their online review (although don’t ask them to). Assure them that their experience is important to your business and you want to learn from this. Offer to add-on an upgraded service if they were to let you try again with another stylist.
If that doesn’t work or you are unable to reach the client, respond to the negative comment online. Provide as much detail as possible about the event or issue. Don’t blame, don’t go on the defense, don’t act crazy. It will only look bad on your business.
Assure them that your establishment strives to make clients look and feel great. Thank them for their opinion and let them know that you would love the opportunity to have them back to the salon.
How to remove fake negative reviews
It can be infuriating when someone leaves a fake review. Sometimes this can come from the hands of a competitor, an ex-employee, or just a jerk. Regardless of who created the fake review, be sure it is in fact, fake.
Check the name in your customer database, verify with your employees, etc. If you are sure it’s fake, here’s what to do:
1. Report the review (Google’s Instructions)
Open your reviews and click the three dots to the right of the problem review (as shown below). When the drop-down appears, click ‘Report Review’ and you will be sent to a page where you can select one of the violations of Google’s policies. These violations include reviews that can be categorized as one of the following: ‘Off topic, Spam, Conflict of interest, Profanity, Bullying or harassment, Discrimination or hate speech, or Personal information’ You will need to submit your email address.
It can take up to a week for Google to respond, so be patient. Google will only use your email address to request further information if necessary. Your name and email address will not be disclosed to the reviewer or the business/organization associated with the review in question.
2. Respond to the fake review
If you have already flagged a review on Google and it’s still visible after seven days, respond to it and let people know it’s fake. This way, you are being proactive and ensuring your business is represented accurately and positively online.
3. Go the legal route
If all else fails, complete the legal removal request form on Google’s website. Continue to follow up; hopefully, that negative review will be removed soon.
In this day and age, it really is worth the time and investment to stay on top of your reviews. Handling them professionally will also help to maintain a better Google ranking and presence. I genuinely hope this post has given you some guidance on what to do in all review situations.
Till next time…
Tara
