Google Places:SMBs can now Respond to Reviews!
Yup, just announced yesterday, Google now allows a SMB biz owner to respond to reviews from customers or clients in the Google Places milieu! Which of course is great news, sort of….for one and all, eh!
First the official notice on this is found here at the Google LatLong blog and you should make sure that you read same.
Next, that article has links to here, the Google Places Help area, where they show you exactly how Google thinks you should respond to reviews on your Places pages….using these simple items –
- • Be nice!
• Don’t get personal!
• Feedback is important!
They go on there, to point out a couple of other items like offering up Ground Rules for your postings and Example Responses too, to show the not-so-social SMB owner that a rant here is not good for business!
Of course, you must be the verified SMB business owner and you must be logged in to even “see” the link on your own company Google Places page….else you see what everyone else sees, just the Reviews as posted by customers and clients.
Here’s a quick screen shot of our own Google Places Reviews area, that shows the new link that says — “Respond publicly as the owner…”
Your response will be published right here. The entire world will be able to read it.
And yes, there’s a link there too that offers up more info on Google’s Comment Posting Policy…you should click it too, eh to take a look/see to find out exactly what you can and can’t say in response to a review.
So…that’s the technical items to enable any SMB owner who has a verified site to login and answer customer and client review. Point to consider tho would be, should you?
Think about what it is you say. A rant against a Review is always a bad idea, IMHO! You must respond and offer up solid logical explanations and remorse if needed on that customer’s or client’s Review points. Online friends have said this better than I can and I’ve placed their own comments here fyi….but remember. If you defend an ‘indefensible’ position, you’ll find that such a position is useless…and will affect your revenue stream while infecting your online reputation too! So think before you respond, eh!
Truck Driving Jobs
We're in the Globe!
We're in a recent Canadian Dealer News Magazine!
Absolutely great blog piece by Andy Beal is here — http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2010/08/respond-negative-yelp-review.html — on what one SMB owner said in response to a poor review that was Yelped in his town….
You need to read this — and understand that what you say IS who you are….
But me? I love the guy’s repsonse…I would’a said much the same….
Jim