Claiming a business page on an online review platform such as Yelp may result in a sharp decline in ratings and an increase in lengthy, negative customer feedback, according to a study from Florida International University.
The study, led by Jong Youl Lee, assistant professor of information systems and business analytics at FIU's College of Business, finds that once a business claims its Yelp page, its average rating falls by more than 10%, driven largely by an influx of one-star reviews and a decrease in five-star reviews. The shift is immediate and persistent, lasting more than a year after the claim date. The study was published in Information Systems Research .
The likelihood of a one-star review rises by nearly 10% as well. These lowest-rated reviews also become substantially longer, with customers directly addressing owners or managers about service failures. An analysis of reviews shows a clear increase in negative language and a decline in positive sentiment.
The reason, the researchers say, is rooted in consumer psychology. Claiming a page signals to the public that the owner is present, paying attention and potentially available to address complaints. That shift in perception encourages dissatisfied customers – who otherwise might have stayed silent – to voice concerns, seek remedies or demand accountability through the review platforms.
"When customers see the page is claimed, they believe the owner is watching," Lee said. "That motivates very unsatisfied customers to write reviews they otherwise might not have written, and they tend to be more critical and more detailed."
Many review platforms, including Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Yellow Pages, offer business owners the option to claim their pages, which can provide features such as photo control, basic analytics and the ability to respond to reviews. But Lee's research suggests these perks may come with hidden costs, particularly for small, resource-constrained businesses.
"Claiming your business page is not costless, even if it's free of charge," Lee said. "Businesses need to be prepared to monitor reviews and respond effectively. If they're not ready to do this, claiming can actually hurt their reputation."
Drawing on a large dataset of newly opened popular restaurants in the nation's 200 largest metro areas, the team analyzed what happened to ratings before and after a business claimed its Yelp page. Instead of relying on simple comparisons, the researchers looked at what happened before and after business owners claimed their online business pages, comparing owners who did so at different times. Using technology that can analyze and interpret written text, they also examined the review texts to measure shifts in tone and topics, and they conducted an online experiment to confirm how customers interpret the "claimed" badge.
The implications extend beyond the restaurant industry. Any small business that lacks the staff to monitor online feedback may be vulnerable to the same dynamic, Lee said.
The takeaway for business owners: claim your page when you are operationally ready.
"Claiming is the very first step that allows owners to use customer management features as powerful tools for service recovery but only if owners are prepared for what comes next," Lee said.
Lee conducted the study with Mikhail Lysyakov and Huaxia Rui, both from the University of Rochester.
