Among the businesses someone searching in Wheaton, IL is shown, the nail salons carry far more reviews than the hair salons. Of the 20 nail salons we read, the median listing carries 224.5 Google reviews, and the three most-reviewed carry 1,117, 970 and 586. Of the 20 hair salons we read, the median listing carries 50, with the top three at 534, 379 and 267. The barbershops fall between the two: of the 20 we read, the median listing carries 148 reviews, and the three most-reviewed carry 534, 468 and 467.
The median rating is 5 among the hair salons we read, 4.9 among the barbershops and 4.7 among the nail salons. These review counts and ratings cover the whole history of each listing. A median is one number; it says nothing about how any single listing in the trade scores.
Replies are measured over a different, shorter window: how many of a business's most recent reviews the owner answered. Among the barbershops we read, Scissors & Scotch answered 9 of its last 10 and Sheridan's Barber Shop Wheaton 7 of 10. Sheridan's also appears among the hair salons named here, alongside M&Co. Salon Wheaton, which answered 9 of its last 10. Among the nail salons, Grand Nails Spa answered 8 of its last 10, Royal Nail Spa 3 of 10 and Peony nails & spa 1 of 10. In each of these three trades, at least one business we read had answered a recent review.
For comparison, the benchmark measured here puts a typical measured business at 72 percent of its recent reviews answered, across 54 businesses measured. That figure is a share of recent reviews across the catchment; the names above are counted one business at a time, over each one's last 10.
What to do about it
Go to your listing and count your replies under your last 10 reviews. Scissors & Scotch and M&Co. Salon Wheaton each answered 9 of their last 10, and Grand Nails Spa answered 8. The benchmark measured here puts a typical measured business at 72 percent of its recent reviews. Those are the figures to hold your own count against.
A reply is the one part of a review you write. Answer the review in front of you, then the next one as it comes in, and keep the count of your last 10 somewhere you will see it. Thank each person for what they actually said rather than with a line you paste everywhere. When a review is critical, reply calmly, keep it short, and say what you did about it.
Barbershops
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scissors & Scotch | 9 of 10 | 446 | 4.8 |
| 2 | Sheridan's Barber Shop Wheaton | 7 of 10 | 534 | 4.9 |
Hair salons
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M&Co. Salon Wheaton | 9 of 10 | 116 | 4.9 |
| 2 | Sheridan's Barber Shop Wheaton | 7 of 10 | 534 | 4.9 |
Nail salons
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Nails Spa | 8 of 10 | 1117 | 4.8 |
| 2 | Royal Nail Spa | 3 of 10 | 411 | 4.6 |
| 3 | Peony nails & spa | 1 of 10 | 586 | 4.8 |