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How I Made Peace with Those Dreaded Google Reviews
The Business Journals Leadership Trust
By Barry Raber, Founder at Carefree RV Storage
Barry Raber, founder of Carefree RV Storage, is a member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization and an EO Portland's Entrepreneur of the Year.
“You don’t ever want to rent from these people. They never answer the phone or are in the office and just doubled my rent. Oh, and I have rats in my unit!”
When customer reviews first showed up online ten years ago, I just hated them. I bet you did, too. Initially, I saw some really horrific reviews posted about my company. It used to infuriate me that one customer had the ability to rake a business over the coals in front of everyone — and you had no power over it. I also noticed that often, bad reviews came from tenants who were late on their rent. Whenever a bad review was posted, I would get a sinking feeling in my stomach that we would never have a new customer again and were completely finished as a company.
Fast forward to today, and my feelings have changed. I can now say that I like online reviews, though I still don’t love them. When I view the concept of online reviews objectively, an amazing number of good things have come out of that immediate online feedback system. There are benefits to the online reviewing system, both for our customers and our company.
How online reviews help customers
For our customers, online reviews have:
• Produced much better and consistent service/treatment
• Improved our product offering and lowered pricing
• Created a new feedback loop that prompted our team to address a poor experience and work with the customer to improve it
• Made it easy for customers to compare us to others
How online reviews help companies
Once my company embraced the opportunity for increased competition, we got a lot out of online reviews as well, as we focused on improving our products and services — and therefore our score — to compare favorably. We got:
• Higher sales and revenue
• A new form of public recognition for our teammates, which boosted their morale and confidence as well as redoubled their efforts to produce more 5-star reviews from customers
How online reviews have changed
Over a decade ago, when online reviews first launched, the customer had too much power. For example, when a customer posted a bad Yelp review of your business, you could contact them to try and improve things. But unfortunately, I found that sometimes these consumers would demand money to remove the review since they were not really seeking better service — they were seeking payment. At the time, Yelp also received criticism from small-business owners who claimed that the service threatened to feature negative reviews or even remove positive reviews unless they paid for advertising. These practices seem to have stopped in the years since a class-action lawsuit against Yelp was dismissed, but in the meantime, other review sites like Google have become more relevant.
Google, for its part, will listen to the business’s side of the story and remove reviews where appropriate. I also believe that consumers have evolved from those early days of Wild West reviews and extortion and now write better, more accurate reviews, too.
Final thoughts
So, I have come full circle from “Oh my word, what will giving all this power to the consumer do to my business?” to kind of liking consumer reviews. They have improved the overall consistency and quality of our product and service, improved front-line team morale and allowed customers to compare us to our competitors.
And because we now compare pretty well at a 4.9 average rating, we have improved our topline in a way that we couldn’t have before. So, I am even willing to say: Thank you, Google!
Barry Raber, is an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Member, CEO of Business Property Trust, a Portland, Oregon, company that owns and manages RV storage through Carefree Covered RV Storage and self-storage through Bargain Storage. He is also a thought leader who shares experiences for businesses at Real Simple Business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Reviews and Reputation Management
Why are Google reviews important for businesses?
Google reviews help build trust, improve local SEO visibility, and influence customer buying decisions. Positive reviews can strengthen a business’s online reputation and help attract new customers through Google Search and Google Maps.
Do Google reviews affect local SEO rankings?
Yes. Google reviews are an important local SEO factor. Review quantity, review quality, response activity, and keyword relevance can all influence how businesses appear in local search results.
Should businesses respond to every Google review?
In most cases, yes. Responding to reviews shows customers that a business values feedback and customer service. Thoughtful review responses can also strengthen online credibility and improve customer trust.
How should businesses handle negative Google reviews?
Businesses should respond professionally, remain calm, acknowledge the customer’s concerns, and avoid becoming defensive. Negative reviews can often become opportunities to demonstrate strong customer service and accountability.
Can negative reviews hurt a business?
Negative reviews can affect customer perception, especially if they go unanswered. However, a few negative reviews are normal and can actually make a business appear more authentic. How a company responds often matters more than the review itself.
What is reputation management?
Reputation management is the process of monitoring, responding to, and improving how a business is perceived online. This includes managing Google reviews, customer feedback, social media mentions, and public interactions.
Why do online reviews matter so much today?
Many consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Reviews influence purchasing decisions, customer trust, and local search visibility, making them a critical part of modern business marketing.
How can businesses encourage more positive reviews?
Businesses can encourage reviews by providing excellent customer service, asking customers for feedback at the right time, simplifying the review process, and maintaining consistent communication with customers.
Should businesses worry about every bad review?
No. Even excellent businesses receive occasional criticism. Business owners who focus too heavily on individual negative reviews can lose sight of the bigger picture. Long-term consistency and customer experience matter more than perfection.
What should you avoid when responding to reviews?
Businesses should avoid arguing with customers, revealing private information, using emotional language, or posting generic copy-and-paste responses repeatedly. Authentic and professional responses are usually most effective.
Can responding to reviews improve customer trust?
Yes. Customers often read review responses before making decisions. Businesses that respond professionally and thoughtfully demonstrate transparency, accountability, and strong customer service values.
How do reviews impact customer decisions?
Online reviews help customers evaluate trustworthiness, service quality, professionalism, and overall customer experience. Many consumers read reviews before visiting a business or making a purchase.
Why do business owners struggle emotionally with reviews?
Public feedback can feel personal, especially for entrepreneurs who invest significant time and energy into their businesses. Many owners eventually learn to view reviews as valuable feedback and part of operating a modern business.
What is the best mindset for handling online reviews?
The healthiest approach is to treat reviews as opportunities for growth rather than personal attacks. Businesses that focus on learning, improving customer experience, and maintaining perspective often manage online reputation more effectively over time.
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