More than ever, sites are popping up that let customers review everything from restaurants to daycares.  And while many small businesses cringe at the thought of receiving a bad review, here's a few reasons why even a negative opinion from a customer can be a good thing!

First and foremost, customer reviews, especially on a third-party site, are wonderful ways to collect feedback from customers.  It's a great way to not only see where your problem spots are, but to also see what you're doing that's really resonating with customers.  It could be that you're offering customers a service that you didn't realize how much your customers appreciate!

Secondly, negative reviews actually help validate the positive ones!  I am constantly reading product reviews at Amazon.  If I see that 10 people have reviewed a product and they all give it 5 stars, I might wonder how accurate the reviews really are.  But if 8 people gave the product 5 stars, and two gave it 2 stars, then suddenly the rating seems more accurate to me.  I am more likely to think that maybe the 2 people that only gave the product 2 stars, didn't understand how to use it properly.  Maybe it wasn't the product's fault?

Finally, a negative review from a customer is a wonderful opportunity to convert that customer into a fan, if you can reach out to them.  Often, a negative review is prompted, at least in part, because the customer had a problem that they didn't feel the business helped them resolve.  If you can work with this customer to help them after the fact, you greatly increase your chances of converting that person into an evangelist! 

So don't feel a need to 'fear' online sites such as Yelp (restaurants) that rate local businesses.   In fact if you have a blog or are active on social media sites, why not point to these review sites?  This is also an excellent way to establish trust with your customers, as they see that you are encouraging them to leave feedback and to see what others have had to say about you!