What does a Yelp user look for when choosing a service provider on Yelp?
Hear from a 14-year Yelp Elite and a service provider about both sides of their Yelp journey—from quote to completion.
If you’re a service provider on Yelp, how you show up on the platform—including how you respond to requests—sets you apart from the competition. Your response time, level of detail in your responses, and overall customer service practices can be the deciding factor for a consumer looking for a helping hand.
Take it from Holly K., a 14-time Yelp Elite who recently booked Speno’s Lawn Care for a landscaping job: “The reviews and [owner Sam Speno’s] responses from Request a Quote… were 100% why we went with Speno’s,” she said.
As part of Yelp’s Community team, Holly trains community managers, who go on to help connect customers with great local businesses on Yelp. But in her daily life—and as a member of the Yelp Elite Squad since 2012—Holly uses Yelp to find the best service providers for her home. Below, she highlights four key things that stood out in her search for a landscaper.
Hear from Holly and Sam about both sides of their Yelp journey, from quote to completion, and dive into the thought process of a consumer using Request a Quote to book a service provider on Yelp.
1. A quick response time via Request a Quote
Customers who use Request a Quote often have a time-sensitive need, whether it’s a toilet that needs repairing or a pet that needs care. For Holly, it was getting her lawn in shape in time to put her house on the market.
“I just started searching on Yelp and I noticed [Speno’s Lawn Care] had a really robust, filled-out profile, a ton of great reviews, and that they had the Request a Quote option turned on with a quick response rate,” she said. “I thought, ‘You know what? I am in a rush. I don’t have a lot of time. We need to find someone fast. So let me just start here and get the ball rolling.’”
Yelp users can see your response time and rate on your Yelp Page, so the faster you respond, the more attractive you look to users like Holly—in fact, customers are two times more likely to respond when a service provider replies within an hour and addresses project details and questions, instead of just suggesting a call or linking to another form.*
When it comes to turning leads into customers, responsiveness is also one of Speno Lawn Care’s top priorities. Sometimes Sam needs to view the property himself to provide a detailed price estimate, but for the most part, he aims to send Yelp users a quote within one hour. “My biggest thing is responding quickly… and sending quotes quickly,” he said. “I think that means a lot. I’ve noticed in the past couple of years, people really do appreciate that.”
2. A robust, up-to-date Yelp Page
It wasn’t just the response time that sold Holly on Speno’s Lawn Care: The longtime Yelp Elite said other elements of Speno’s Yelp Page—especially the 5-star reviews—encouraged her to reach out to Sam.
“For me, there’s truly no better way to check out your contractor than seeing what other people have had to say about them,” she said. “Hearing from real people—real reviews—goes so far. I want to see what other people have to say, and I want to see their photos and what their experience was.”
If you’re a new business owner who’s still building your online reputation, there’s still plenty you can do to make your Yelp Page stand out and build trust with potential customers like Holly. Speno’s Lawn Care also appealed to Holly with free and paid features, including:
Remember: Request a Quote is a key part of your online reputation, but don’t forget about the other parts of your Yelp Page. Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date business page will help customers feel more confident reaching out to you for a quote—and if you list crucial information such as your services offered, it’s also more likely you’ll be able to meet their needs. Check out these resources to get more Yelp reviews organically and make sure your page is well maintained.
3. Transparent communication on and off Yelp
Providing a detailed, personalized response goes a long way in converting leads. Holly loved that Sam not only responded quickly, but he also followed up with clear next steps. First, he set expectations—letting Holly know that he’d need to see the property in order to provide an accurate price estimate—and then he sent his availability for a time to meet the next day.
Once you’ve answered a Yelp user’s request, consistent communication will help you secure the job. The thing that sold Holly was simple: Sam followed through on his word. “He showed up at the time that he promised he would show up, and we walked through the property,” she said. “Most importantly, Sam delivered what he said he was going to deliver.”
As a business owner, Sam said transparency is key to providing a good customer experience. He’s straightforward when making recommendations to a customer and doesn’t believe in upselling for the sake of making a profit.
“In any field, not just lawn care, everybody appreciates honesty. That is what helps people trust you as a business, where I’m not going out trying to force people to spend all the money they can just to make money for me and my company. I just want to do what’s right and be completely honest.”
Pro tip: Customers using Request a Quote are looking for a detailed price estimate. If you can’t provide a quote based on the information they sent, be transparent and ask for more details. See how Sam navigated this situation below:
4. A willingness to go above and beyond to finish the job
With any service, there’s always a possibility for a miscommunication or error. How you respond is what matters most. For example, Holly wasn’t satisfied with the final tree placement, so she sent Sam a direct message on Yelp asking if he could come back and move a few plantings—and his reaction ended up renewing her confidence in the business.
“I thought: ‘You know what? The worst thing Sam can say is no. But I had seen some of the reviews before and how he seemed very dedicated to making the client happy and ensuring that he was 100% with the job that he did,” Holly said. “He didn’t even hesitate. He responded right away to fit us back on the schedule and was able to fix it without an issue.”
Sam’s commitment to customer service left such a positive impression on Holly that she ended up mentioning it in her Yelp review—and even booked Sam for a second project:
According to Sam, an extra 30 minutes of work is well worth it to boost customers’ confidence in the brand—especially if it leads to repeat business. But that’s not why he does it. “My biggest thing is the job’s not done till the customers are happy,” Sam said. “At the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do: Make the customer happy. It’s only gonna take maybe a couple of minutes. If it’s something small you could do to just make customers happy, go ahead and get it done.”
More about Yelp’s Community team
If you’re a business interested in hosting a Yelp event for Yelp Elites and would like to connect with your local community manager, simply submit an inquiry. Plus, check out www.yelp.com/events to see local events happening in your area.
These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Holly and Sam, or visit the show homepage to learn about the show and find more episodes.