Reviews & Reputation Management

I found a sick review response on a plumbing company’s page last month. One star. Customer raging about a flooded basement, missed appointments, the whole disaster. Most business owners would either ignore it or go full defensive mode. This guy? He just wrote: “John, that sounds like absolute hell. Nobody should deal with a flooded […]

Most local businesses go anxious when they get a bad review. I watched it happen last week. Restaurant owner I know spent three hours crafting the perfect response to some jackass who complained about cold fries. Three. Hours. Meanwhile, seventeen potential customers read that review and decided to eat somewhere else because it looked like

I’m sitting in my regular Tuesday meeting spot, this dive bar that somehow has the best Wi-Fi in town, when the contractor next to me starts bitching about his competitor. Same quality work, same prices, but the other guy’s phone won’t stop ringing while his sits silent. “Must be spending a fortune on ads,” he

Fake reviews are killing local businesses. Not slowly. Not subtly. Right now, today, while you’re reading this. I spent last Tuesday watching a flower shop owner cry actual tears because some jackass competitor bought 50 five-star reviews and knocked her off the first page of search results. Twenty-three years she’s been arranging flowers for weddings

I’m sitting in a coffee shop listening to this contractor lose his cool about fake reviews. Some asshole posted that his crew “destroyed their lawn” and “left nails everywhere.” Problem is, this guy’s been doing kitchens exclusively for three years. No outdoor work. No lawn access. Just kitchens. But guess what potential customers see when

I watched a buddy of mine lose his restaurant last year. Great food, perfect location, reasonable prices. But when I looked him up online? Six reviews total. Two of them complaining about cold fries from three years ago. Meanwhile, the mediocre taco place next door stays packed. Why? They’ve got 347 reviews and actively respond

I’m sick of hearing local businesses whine about their review situation. “We provide amazing service but nobody leaves reviews!” Yeah, really! Because you never ask. You just stand there hoping the review fairy will bless your Google listing while your competitor down the street actively builds their reputation. Last week I watched a plumbing company

7 our of 10 local businesses think reviews just happen to them. Like they’re some magical fairy dust that occasionally sprinkles down from satisfied customers. Meanwhile, their competitors are treating reviews like the ranking weapon they are, stealing all their customers. I know this because I watch business owners panic about SEO backlinks and meta

I’ve been watching local businesses get their asses kicked online for years. Not by competitors, but by their own terrible reputations they didn’t even know existed. The worst part? Most of them think they’re doing fine. “We get plenty of customers,” they tell me. “Word of mouth is strong.” Meanwhile, half their potential customers are

Most often than not, local businesses handle reviews like they’re defusing a bomb. Careful, nervous, afraid the whole thing might blow up in their face. Meanwhile, their competitors are collecting reviews like baseball cards and dominating local search results. I’ve watched too many solid businesses get buried online because they treat review marketing like it’s