BrightLocal 2026: 80% of Consumers Prefer Businesses That Reply to Every Review
What happened
BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey has confirmed what many suspected: how you respond to reviews matters almost as much as the reviews themselves.
The headline numbers on review responses are striking:
- 80% of consumers say they are more likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews — both positive and negative
- 42% of consumers say they are unlikely to use a business that never responds to reviews
- 41% of consumers now "always" read reviews when browsing for local businesses, up from 29% last year
- 97% of consumers still use reviews to guide purchasing decisions
The survey also found that star rating expectations have jumped sharply. 31% of consumers now require a 4.5-star rating or higher before they'll consider a business — nearly double last year's 17%. And 68% require at least 4 stars, up from 55%.
These numbers come from a representative panel of 1,002 US adult consumers. While the survey is US-based, BrightLocal's UK data historically tracks similar patterns with a 6–12 month lag.
What this means for tradespeople
Most tradespeople never reply to their Google reviews. The data says that's costing them work.
If a homeowner is comparing two electricians — both with 4.5 stars, both with 30+ reviews — but one responds to every review with a personal thank-you and the other has zero replies, 80% of consumers will lean towards the one who replies.
It's not just about positive reviews either. How you handle a negative review matters more than whether you have one. A professional, measured response to a complaint actually builds trust — it shows you care about your customers and take accountability.
The star rating finding is equally important. At 4.5 stars, you're safe. At 4.2, nearly a third of potential customers are already filtering you out. Every one-star review you don't respond to (and potentially resolve) is pushing your average down and shrinking your audience.
What to do about it
Reply to every Google review — positive and negative. It doesn't need to be long. A quick "Thanks Dave, glad the boiler install went smoothly" is enough for positive reviews. For negative ones, acknowledge the issue, explain what happened, and offer to make it right.
If you're struggling to keep up, set a weekly reminder to check your reviews and respond. Ten minutes a week could be the difference between getting the call and losing it to the tradesperson down the road.
Source: BrightLocal