Review Management for Multi-Location Businesses

The Unique Challenge of Multi-Location Reviews

Managing reviews for a single business location is straightforward. Managing reviews across 5, 50, or 500 locations is an entirely different challenge. Each location has its own Google Business Profile, its own review stream, its own local reputation, and its own operational quirks.

Multi-location businesses, including franchises, restaurant chains, healthcare networks, retail chains, and service companies, face challenges that single-location businesses never encounter:

• Inconsistent review quality across locations
• Difficulty monitoring reviews across dozens or hundreds of listings
• Varying response times depending on who manages each location
• Uneven review volume where some locations thrive and others are invisible
• Brand reputation risk where one poorly managed location can damage the entire brand

This guide covers the strategies, systems, and tools that multi-location businesses need to manage reviews effectively at scale.

Centralized vs. Distributed Review Management

The first strategic decision is whether to manage reviews centrally (from a corporate or headquarters team) or distribute responsibility to individual location managers.

Centralized Management

A corporate team handles all review monitoring and responses across every location.

Advantages:

• Consistent brand voice and response quality
• Faster identification of cross-location trends
• Easier to enforce response time standards
• Reduced training burden on location managers

Disadvantages:

• Corporate team may lack context about location-specific issues
• Responses can feel generic or impersonal
• Slower response times if the team is managing many locations
• Location managers may feel disconnected from customer feedback

Distributed Management

Each location manager is responsible for monitoring and responding to their own reviews.

Advantages:

• Location managers have context to write specific, authentic responses
• Faster response times since the responsible person is on-site
• Location managers are more invested in their review performance
• Easier to address location-specific operational issues quickly

Disadvantages:

• Response quality varies between locations
• Inconsistent brand voice
• Some managers may neglect reviews or respond poorly
• Harder to identify company-wide trends

The Hybrid Approach (Recommended)

Most successful multi-location businesses use a hybrid model:

1. Corporate sets the standards: Response guidelines, templates, tone of voice, and maximum response time targets
2. Location managers handle day-to-day responses: They respond to reviews using the guidelines and templates, with the freedom to personalize
3. Corporate monitors and audits: A central team tracks performance metrics, reviews flagged responses, and steps in for escalated situations
4. Regular feedback loops: Monthly or quarterly review performance discussions between corporate and location managers

Setting Up Per-Location Review Collection

Each location needs its own review collection infrastructure. This includes:

Separate Google Business Profiles

Each physical location must have its own Google Business Profile. This is not optional. Google requires separate listings for each location, and having distinct profiles allows each location to:

• Appear in local search results for its specific area
• Build its own review count and average rating
• Display location-specific photos, hours, and information

Location-Specific QR Codes and Links

Each location should have its own:

• QR code printed on location-specific materials (receipts, table tents, business cards, signage)
• Review request link configured to route to that location's Google Business Profile
• Feedback landing page branded with the location name or address for clarity

With Opineko, each location gets its own unique QR code and feedback link, all manageable from a single dashboard.

Standardized Physical Materials

Create templates for review collection materials that can be customized per location:

• Table tents with the location's QR code and name
• Receipt inserts or stickers
• Counter cards or signage
• Business cards with the review link
• Follow-up cards handed to customers after service

Standardized templates ensure brand consistency while allowing each location to have its own unique review link.

Monitoring Reviews Across Locations

Effective monitoring requires visibility into every location's review activity without requiring location managers to report up manually.

Key Metrics to Track Per Location

• Average star rating (overall and trailing 90-day average)
• Review volume (total count and monthly new reviews)
• Review velocity (new reviews per week or month)
• Response rate (percentage of reviews responded to)
• Average response time (time between review posting and business response)
• Sentiment trends (are reviews getting better or worse over time?)

Centralized Dashboard

Use a review management tool that provides a single dashboard showing all locations. This allows corporate teams to:

• See at-a-glance performance for every location
• Identify locations that are falling behind
• Compare locations against each other and against company benchmarks
• Spot emerging issues before they become widespread

Alerting and Escalation

Set up a tiered alert system:

• All new reviews: Notification to the location manager
• Negative reviews (1-2 stars): Notification to the location manager AND a regional or corporate contact
• Review response overdue (24+ hours): Escalation notification to the regional manager
• Rating drop below threshold: Alert to corporate team for investigation

Response Guidelines for Multi-Location Teams

Consistency in review responses protects the brand while allowing authenticity.

Create a Response Playbook

Document response guidelines that all location managers follow:

For positive reviews (4-5 stars):

• Thank the customer by name
• Reference something specific from their review
• Invite them to return
• Keep it genuine and brief

For negative reviews (1-2 stars):

• Respond within 24 hours
• Thank them for the feedback
• Acknowledge the issue without being defensive
• Apologize sincerely
• Offer a specific next step (contact information, invitation to return)
• Take the conversation offline for resolution

For neutral reviews (3 stars):

• Thank them for the feedback
• Acknowledge what went well
• Address the areas for improvement
• Invite them to give you another chance

Provide Templates, Not Scripts

Give location managers response templates as starting points, not rigid scripts. Templated responses that are copied verbatim across dozens of reviews look robotic and can damage trust. Encourage managers to personalize each response while maintaining the overall structure and tone.

Train on What Not to Do

Common mistakes that multi-location teams make:

• Copy-pasting the same response to every review
• Being defensive or argumentative in response to negative feedback
• Ignoring negative reviews hoping they will be buried
• Disclosing private customer information in public responses
• Making promises they cannot keep (refunds, free services)
• Blaming staff members by name in responses

Comparing Location Performance

Regular performance comparison drives improvement across all locations.

Monthly Review Scorecard

Create a monthly scorecard that ranks locations on key metrics:

• New reviews collected
• Average rating (overall and monthly)
• Response rate
• Average response time
• Improvement trend (better or worse than previous month)

Share this scorecard with all location managers. Recognition for top performers and coaching for underperformers creates healthy competition and accountability.

Identify and Replicate Best Practices

When one location consistently outperforms others, investigate why:

• What are they doing differently in their review collection process?
• How do they handle negative feedback?
• What does their customer experience look like?
• Are they using any specific tactics that could be replicated?

Document these findings and share them as best practices across all locations.

Using Opineko for Multi-Location Management

Opineko is built to handle the complexity of multi-location review management:

1. Add all locations under a single Opineko account
2. Generate unique QR codes for each location, each linked to that location's review platforms
3. Configure review routing per location (e.g., Location A routes to Google and Yelp, Location B routes to Google and TripAdvisor)
4. Monitor all feedback from a single dashboard with location-level filtering
5. Receive real-time notifications for new reviews and feedback across all locations

This centralized approach gives corporate teams visibility while empowering location managers with the tools they need to collect and respond to reviews effectively.

Key Takeaways

• Each location needs its own review infrastructure: separate Google Business Profile, unique QR codes, and location-specific review links.
• Use a hybrid management approach: corporate sets standards and monitors, location managers handle day-to-day responses.
• Track key metrics per location and compare performance regularly to identify gaps and share best practices.
• Create response guidelines, not rigid scripts. Consistency in tone and standards, with room for personalization.
• Use centralized tools like Opineko to manage multiple locations from a single dashboard without losing location-level control.