Reviews: How They Work and How to Respond

Reviews are the first thing most visitors look at, and often the only thing they read closely. This guide explains how reviews work on Buy it Local.US, how to encourage good ones, and how to respond to bad ones in a way that actually helps your business.

How Reviews Work Here

Only registered users can leave reviews. Anonymous drive by reviews are not possible, which keeps quality high
Every review is checked before it appears publicly
Reviews include a star rating as well as written comments
Verified reviews carry a badge so visitors can see which come from confirmed customers
Reviews cannot be removed on request, including by us, unless they break our guidelines

Customer reviews are available on the Growth and Brand Plus packages.

Getting More Reviews

Most happy customers will leave a review if asked, and almost none will think of it on their own. Unhappy customers need no encouragement at all, which is why asking matters.

Ask at the moment of satisfaction, right after the job is done or the meal is finished, not a week later
Ask in person. It works far better than a printed card
Make it easy. Send the direct link to your listing by text or email
Ask everyone, consistently. A steady trickle looks more credible than twenty reviews in one week
Never offer payment or discounts in exchange for a review. It is against our guidelines, it is against the law in some circumstances, and customers can usually tell

A simple script that works: I am glad you are happy with it. If you have a minute, a short review on Buy it Local.US would really help us. I can text you the link right now.

Responding to Positive Reviews

Reply to every one, briefly. It takes thirty seconds and it shows future customers that a real person is paying attention.

Thank them by name if they used one
Mention the specific thing they praised
Keep it short and human. Avoid a template that reads the same on every review

Responding to Negative Reviews

A bad review is not a disaster. A bad review with no reply, or with an angry reply, is. Future customers read your response far more carefully than the complaint itself, and they are deciding what kind of business you are.

Follow this sequence:

Wait. Do not reply while you are still annoyed. Come back a few hours later
Thank them for the feedback without sarcasm
Acknowledge the specific problem. You do not have to agree you were at fault to acknowledge that their experience was poor
Explain briefly what happened or what has changed, in one sentence, without excuses
Offer to make it right and give a way to reach you directly
Stop there. Do not argue the details in public, even when you are right

An example that works: Thank you for telling us, and I am sorry your order took so long on Saturday. We were short staffed and we should have warned people at the counter. I would like to make it up to you, so please call me at the shop and ask for the owner.

What not to do: dispute the facts point by point, question whether they were really a customer, mention their behavior, or reply with a wall of text. Every one of those reads badly to the next person considering you.

When a Review Breaks the Rules

Some reviews can be reported and removed. These include reviews that contain abusive or discriminatory language, reveal private information, are clearly about a different business, come from a competitor, or are attempts at extortion.

A review is not removable simply because it is negative, unfair in your opinion, or from a customer you found difficult. To report one, use the report option on the review, or contact the Buy it Local.US team with the details.

Using Reviews to Improve

Three reviews mentioning the same thing is not bad luck, it is a pattern. Read them as free consulting. Wait times, parking, pricing clarity, and phone answering are the four issues that come up most often for local businesses, and all four are fixable.

Testimonials

Separately from customer reviews, paid plans let you add testimonials that you control, for example quotes from long standing clients or from other platforms where you have permission to reuse them. These sit alongside reviews and are a good way to start with some social proof while your reviews build up.

Getting Help

If you need help responding to a difficult review, or you believe a review breaks our guidelines, contact the Buy it Local.US team. More guides are in the Support section.