Here’s a real-life lesson on why it’s important for a business to reply to Google reviews.

I’ve talked before about the importance of having a profile on Google and how to make one. One of the benefits is customers can comment, hopefully favorably, about the experiences they’ve had with your business.

Often these days, it’s the primary information on which a a potential customer bases the decision to spend money with you.

Google reviews to the rescue

Not long ago, my daughter, who goes to school two hours away, was involved in a car wreck. Don’t worry; it was pretty minor and fortunately she was unhurt. The car, however, wasn’t so lucky. It had front-end and radiator damage, and the collision had been just hard enough to set off the airbag.

Before heading there I Googled “collision repair” and read the reviews about several businesses. Most were very positive but I’m that weird person who wants to see why someone gives a business a 1 or 2 instead of a 4 or 5. To me, it gives a clearer picture.

My choice came down to a couple of places with almost equally good scores. What tipped the balance was one of the repair centers had responded to customers who had left comments about not-so-positive experiences, and tried to make good.

Gaining an advantage

That shows the people running it are concerned about customer service. It also shows attention to detail. In today’s business world every edge matters.

I called and explained the situation with the car. The business owner reluctantly explained that due to its age and since the airbag deployed, it was uneconomical to repair.

He was very friendly and helpful, and I appreciated his candor. He could have stuck me with a tow bill to the shop and then explained all this, but he didn’t.

Change of plans

The repair turned into a salvage operation and I found a pull-a-part place that buys wrecked cars. It also has good Google ratings and photos of a business that looks well-kept. Someone there also answers questions: “Q: does this junk yard accept boats? A: Sadly no, we do not accept boats. We exclusively deal in automobiles. Thanks for checking in!”

I visited, we had a pleasant and smooth transaction, and the place is well deserving of its positive score.

The takeaway here is it’s worth the time to keep up with your Google profile. I know, we all have businesses to run, but this is one of the most effective tools out there for grabbing new customers. All it costs you is a little time. It’s also easy to do; you should receive an email alert whenever there’s activity on it. Having some decent-quality images of your place on there helps, too.

Let us know if you need help dealing with your Google profile.