How to Use Yelp (Without Being a Jerk)

Yesterday, I talked about how important consumer review sites are to small businesses. There’s simply no denying the fact that people are using the internet more than ever before for research. Whether you’re looking for a new restaurant or a new dentist, the odds are good that one of the first places you look is on Google. From here, the odds are also good that one of the first results you’ll find is Yelp, one of the world’s most popular and fastest growing consumer review sites.

If you haven’t heard of Yelp, here’s a little background on the company. Based in San Francisco, Yelp was founded in 2004 as an “online urban city guide that helps people find cool places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play.” In five years, the site has become one of the biggest local review sites online with more than 7 million local reviews in dozens of cities across the country. Anyone can join Yelp, and there is a built in social networking component of the website, including opportunities for users to connect with one another and share blog posts, pictures, and more.

For the most part, the reviews on Yelp are positive. In fact, according to the company, 85% of the 7 million reviews have a rating of 3 stars or higher. However, that doesn’t mean that negative reviews don’t have serious consequences for businesses (whether they are accurate or not). That’s why I’m offering these Five Tips on How to Use Yelp (Without Being a Jerk).

1) Remember: Constructive Criticism

If you have something bad to say about a business, you don’t have to be mean about it (even if it does feel good to pour out your wrath through the keyboard). Constructive criticism works. Seriously. It’s a lot more useful for business owners to find out what’s specifically wrong with their business than a wild 500 word essay filled with histrionic phrases like “worst service ever” and “I’ll never come back in a million years.” Explain what didn’t work as clearly as possible with specific recommendations for improvements.

2) Thou Shalt Not Lie

Many people use Yelp as a way to share stories as well as reviews, and we all know that the best stories have drama. If you experience a problem with your service at a business, it is tempting to exaggerate the circumstances to match your sense of injustice. Try your best to resist that urge. If a business owner tries to follow up on a problem and they find out that the complaint wasn’t entirely truthful, they are less likely to improve their service.

3) Think it Over

In a world of iPhones, Androids, and Blackberries, people can publish their thoughts to the web 24 hours a day. Sometimes, this is great. If it weren’t for mobile technology, we wouldn’t have such effective and thought-provoking citizen journalism. Other times, however, being plugged in 24/7 can lead to making rushed and regretful decisions. If you go some place new and dislike it, it is not always necessary to share your opinions with the world that very minute. Take some time to reflect on the night and offer a more nuanced and practical review. You may still decide the restaurant was only worth one star, but now you’ll be able to explain why clearly and thoughtfully.

4) Don’t Let Other Reviews Influence Yours

There is a principal in psychology called group polarization. Group polarization refers to the tendency for individuals to form more extreme opinions when they are in a group versus when they are alone. In other words, if there are already a few negative or positive reviews, the odds are good that people who have neutral feelings will gravitate toward whatever has been established. To help prevent yourself from becoming influenced by preexisting reviews, think of a way to rate a business subjectively. Ask yourself what are some of the baseline things that you look for in a good business, and work from there.

5) Reach Out in Person First

Before you put your scathing review online, ask yourself if you’ve done everything you can to resolve your issue with the business owner. Often, business owners or managers don’t even know someone had a bad experience until they read about it online. If they have no way of contacting the reviewer (and in many cases they don’t), there’s nothing they can offer you to help make up for the bad situation. If you deal with the problem directly, you are more likely to see the business owner take action and correct it. Plus, they’ll appreciate that you considered talking to them before going online and they may offer you an incentive to return to their business.

Next time you sit down to write a review, consider these five tips. Something that is well-written, thoughtful, and honest can help a business owner learn from their mistakes and continue to expand what makes them successful. It can also make you a valued member of the Yelp community and inspire others to be more considerate of their reviews.