How to Write a Helpful Review of a Local Business

Most of us read reviews before we pick a plumber, a pizza place or a hair stylist, but few of us write the kind we'd want to read. A helpful review of a local business answers the questions the next customer is about to ask: what was done, how it went, what it cost compared to the quote, and whether you'd call them again. It takes about five minutes, and it does real good for the people in your town who come after you.

Here's how to write one that's fair, useful and worth the time.

Why your review matters more at a local business

A national chain has thousands of reviews, and one more barely moves the needle. A neighborhood bakery, a one-truck plumber or a two-chair salon might have twenty. Your few sentences become a big share of what a stranger reads before deciding.

Reviews also help the owner. A specific compliment tells them what to keep doing. A specific complaint, written calmly, tells them what to fix. Vague praise like "great!" and vague anger like "worst ever" don't help anybody, because nobody can tell what actually happened.

Small businesses depend on being found online, and reviews are a big part of what makes a listing trustworthy. We wrote about the owner's side of that in why every small business needs an online listing.

How to write a helpful review of a local business, step by step

1. Start with what you came for

The first line should say what you bought or hired them to do. "Replaced our water heater." "Takeout on a Friday night, two entrées." "Balayage and a trim." That one detail lets the next reader decide if your experience applies to them.

If you hired a plumbing company like Feikema Plumbing & Sanitation, which lists plumbing, sewer, septic and waterproofing work in Munster, Indiana, say which of those jobs they did for you. A great sewer repair tells a reader something different from a great faucet install.

2. Walk through the experience, start to finish

Readers want to know what it's like to deal with this business, not only how the final product turned out. Think about:

• Getting in touch. Did someone answer, or call back the same day?
• Showing up. Were they on time, or did they warn you if they were running late?
• The work or the meal. Was it done right? Was it what you ordered?
• The bill. Did the final price match the quote or the menu? If it changed, did they explain why before doing the extra work?
• Cleanup and follow-up. Did they leave the place tidy? Did they check back?

You don't need to cover every point. Two or three honest details beat a paragraph of adjectives.

3. Add the details only a real customer would know

Specifics are what make a review believable and useful. At a restaurant, name the dish. At a place like Tokyo Pot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which describes itself as a hot pot spot where guests pick their own broths, meats and seafood, a helpful review might say which broth you chose and whether the staff explained how it works to first-timers.

For a service, mention the timeline ("came out the next morning"), the size of the job ("whole first floor") or anything that surprised you, good or bad.

4. Say whether you'd go back

This is the line many readers skip to. "I'd hire them again." "We'll be back for the brunch." "I'd go elsewhere next time, and here's why." It sums up the whole review in one sentence.

5. Match the stars to the words

If you write "everything was fine, a little slow," three or four stars fits. Five stars with a complaint, or one star with mostly praise, confuses readers and makes the review easy to dismiss.

How to write a fair negative review

Sometimes things go wrong, and other customers deserve to know. A critical review is most useful, and most likely to get a response, when it's calm and factual.

• Describe what happened, not what you assume. "The tech arrived three hours after the window and didn't call" is useful. "They obviously don't care about customers" isn't.
• Say what you did about it. "I called the office, and they offered a discount on the next visit" tells readers how the business handles problems, which matters as much as the problem itself.
• Give the business a chance first, when it's reasonable. A quick call or message often fixes things. If it does, your review can say so. That's one of the most reassuring things a future customer can read.
• Leave out insults and names of employees you're unhappy with. Describe the role ("the person at the front desk") rather than the person.

If the owner replies and makes it right, consider updating your review. Most review sites let you edit what you wrote.

What to leave out of any review

A few things don't belong in a public review, even a glowing one:

• Your own phone number, address or account details.
• Health details about you or anyone else.
• Guesses about things you didn't experience, like "I heard they overcharge."
• Anything you'd be uncomfortable seeing read aloud to the owner in person.

And if a business gave you something in return for the review, such as a discount, a freebie or entry into a drawing, say so in the review. Many review sites don't allow rewarded reviews at all, so it's worth checking their rules first.

Where to leave your review

The best place is wherever other people in your area look when they choose that kind of business. For most local shops that means Google and one or two directories. On Listings Junkie, customers can leave reviews that are confirmed by email, so readers know a real person wrote them. You can find businesses by type, such as restaurants, plumbers or home services, or browse all businesses.

Choosing a contractor soon? Reviews pair well with a few simple checks. How to choose a plumber you can trust walks through them.

A quick before-and-after

Here's a review that doesn't help much:

Here's the same experience, written to help:

The second one takes an extra minute. It answers every question the next homeowner has.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a review be?

Three to six sentences is plenty. Say what you bought, how it went, one or two specific details and whether you'd go back.

Should I review a business I only called and didn't hire?

Yes, if the call itself is useful to others. "Called for a quote, got a call back within an hour and a clear price" or "left two messages and never heard back" both help the next person.

Can I change my review later?

On most sites, yes. If an owner fixes a problem after you posted, updating your review is fair to them and helpful to readers.

Is it okay to leave a review if the owner is a friend?

It's better not to. Even an honest review from a friend can look like a favor, and many review sites discourage it.