Most owners read a review as a verdict on something that already happened. The person it actually matters to has not walked in yet.

Someone deciding between two Missoula businesses in December is reading the reviews and the replies. An unanswered page tells them nothing. A page where the owner turns up, thanks people by name and deals with complaints without flinching tells them quite a lot.

Do it in November, not December

This is a job that needs a clear head, and December does not have one. Setting aside an hour now to work through the backlog is far easier than trying to compose a careful reply to an angry review during your busiest week.

What a good reply looks like

• Short. Two or three sentences. Nobody reads a paragraph of thanks.
• Specific. Name the thing they mentioned. “Glad Marco sorted the fit for you” reads as a person; “Thank you for your feedback” reads as a form.
• Not a sales pitch. The reply is not the place for your hours, your website and a discount code.
• Signed. A first name beats “The Management.”

And the bad ones

Answer them, and answer them first. A critical review with a calm, specific reply underneath often does less damage than a glowing page that looks curated. Acknowledge what went wrong, say what you have changed if you changed something, and offer to take it off the public page — a phone number or an email address, then stop. Arguing in public is read by everyone who comes later.

One thing to resist: replying while annoyed. A reply written at 11 p.m. is still there in March.

While you are in there

Two related jobs take about ten minutes each: setting your holiday hours in Google so nobody drives across town to a locked door, and refreshing your profile photos so the first image a customer sees is from this year.

Brought to you by Missoula Business Hub — practical advice for Missoula business owners.