Why We Read Every Review. Every Single One.
By Samantha Johnston, Clark's Market
There's a moment that happens in most businesses and almost nobody talks about it.
Somewhere, right now, someone is leaving us a review. Maybe they're thrilled they found a local product they love. Maybe they're frustrated that an item was out of stock. Maybe they're telling us about an employee who made their day. Perhaps they are upset because the store closed the deli early and it ruined their dinner plans. Whatever it is, they're taking time out of their lives to talk to us.
At Clark's Market, the human being who receives that review is me. Don’t get me wrong, leadership, store directors, and employees also read the reviews, but I read them like it’s my job. And I love them.
Whether you leave us a Google review, a comment on our Facebook page, or send us a note through our website, you’re giving us something valuable: a chance to learn. Reviews matter because they tell us what the numbers can’t. Sales reports can tell us what sold. Inventory reports can tell us what we ordered. But only customers can tell us how an experience felt.
When you give feedback, we get to work. The best reviews get shared. If someone takes time to praise one of our team members, I make sure that compliment reaches them and their leadership team. I often share glowing reviews on our all-store leadership calls, because it feels good to be recognized for hard work. Those moments matter just as much as the criticism. The reviews that are critical of our business are shared with and discussed by our leadership team. We look for patterns across stores, or operational issues that need to be fixed. We find coaching opportunities where they exist and we commit to doing better.
That’s the job. And honestly, it might be one of my favorite parts of it.
HR
Feedback is a gift. Even when it stings.
We respond to every review — the five-stars and the one-stars — because we believe feedback is a gift. That's not a platitude. It's how we operate.
When Bericbogan, a Local Guide with 241 reviews under his belt, stopped into our Sedona location and took the time to write about his 5-star experience, I responded the same day. Not because we have a policy that says I must, but because someone who takes that kind of care deserves to know it landed. We shared his review with our team. Those are the moments that remind people why the little things they do everyday matter so much.
When Mark left us a 2-star review because our customer service desk was already closing at 8:30 for a store that doesn't close until 9, I didn't get defensive. Because honestly? He wasn't wrong. I agreed with him directly — there are few things that feel less welcoming than employees who make a customer feel like an inconvenience. I gave him my personal email and my cell number, because I believe in accountability. I also believe that two people having a civil conversation can solve almost any problem.
The trolls are real. So is our patience.
Not every review is fair. Sometimes people are angry about things outside of our control. Sometimes they’re having a bad day. I try not to answer defensively. I try to answer with kindness, facts, and the assumption that there’s a real person on the other side of the screen.
Anyone who manages a business's online presence knows the difference between a customer who had a bad day and wants to be heard, and someone who is just looking to cause damage.
We get both. We respond to both.
For the genuine ones — even the harsh ones — we take it seriously, we investigate, and we try to make it right. For the others, we stay professional, we stay brief, and we don't take the bait. What we won't do is ignore you, because ignoring someone — even someone being unkind — sends a message we're not willing to send.
What I'd ask is this: if something went wrong during your visit, please call us, email us, or ask for a manager on duty to speak with first. Give us the chance to fix it before it becomes a 1-star review that lives on the internet forever. A phone call can solve in five minutes what a public review escalates for months and impacts our review status forever. We're not asking you to protect us. We're asking you to let us be accountable in the most direct way we know how. And I think you’ll find that we listen, and we act.
Why this matters for a business like ours
Here's something national chains have that we don't: massive advertising budgets. A Kroger or a Safeway can blanket a market with TV spots and still stay standing even after a bad news cycle. We can't do that.
What we have is our reputation — built one interaction, one transaction, one review at a time. When you write a thoughtful review of Clark's Market, you're not just giving us feedback. You're helping your neighbor find a place to shop. You're telling someone new to our communities that there's a local option worth trying. You’re supporting the employees who put their whole hearts into their jobs. You're participating in the health of this community.
Reviews are how small businesses get found. They're how we compete with the giants who have every structural advantage imaginable. A thoughtful 5-star review from a real customer carries more weight than any ad we could ever run. And a 1-star review left in frustration — especially one that could have been resolved with a conversation — can follow us for years.
We're not asking for perfect scores. We're asking for honest ones.
We're listening. Really listening.
So, if you’ve ever left us a review—thank you. Whether it was five stars or one, whether it was praise or criticism, you helped us become a little better. Independent grocery stores have always been built on relationships. Reading every review is just one more way we stay connected to the communities we serve.
We've been locally owned and operated since 1978. Our stores and these places are our home. We won’t always get things exactly right, but we will always listen. And I will always respond.
Find your nearest Clark's Market on Google and leave us a review. We'd love to hear from you.
Samantha Johnston is the Chief Marketing Officer at Clark's Market, a 10-store independent grocery chain serving Colorado mountain communities.