ReviewsApp.ca

For Canadians who shop local

Love a Canadian business? Tell the world.

A good review takes two minutes and costs nothing. For a small business, it can bring in the next customer. Here's where to leave one, how to write one that helps, and what to think about before you post a bad one.

Where to leave a review How to write a great one

Word of mouth, written down.

Before they visit a shop, book a trade or order takeout, most people check the reviews. For an independent Canadian business, a few honest words from you can matter more than any ad it could afford.

Where to leave a review

  • Google

    Search the business on Google or Google Maps, open its profile and choose Write a review. It’s the one most people see first.

  • Apple Maps

    On an iPhone, open the business in the Maps app and rate the places you’ve visited.

  • Yelp

    Restaurants, shops and services. Find the business and choose Write a review.

  • Facebook

    On the business’s Page, say whether you recommend it, and why.

  • Tripadvisor

    Restaurants, hotels and attractions. The one travellers read.

  • HomeStars

    A Canadian site for contractors and home services. A review here helps a good tradesperson more than you’d think.

  • OpenTable

    Booked a table through it? You’ll be asked to review the meal afterwards. Say yes.

  • Better Business Bureau

    Customer reviews on a business’s BBB profile, often read before hiring a service.

  • Trustpilot

    For the Canadian online shops you order from.

How to leave a great review

  1. 01

    Find the right business

    Search its name on Google Maps or the site you use, and check it’s the right location. Chains and franchises have one listing per store.

  2. 02

    Choose your stars honestly

    Five stars when it earned them. Readers trust a review more when the rating and the words agree.

  3. 03

    Say what you bought or booked

    “Had the brisket sandwich” or “replaced our furnace in January” tells the next person whether your experience applies to them.

  4. 04

    Point out what stood out

    The person who helped you, the thing you’ll come back for, how they handled a problem. Specifics are what make a review useful.

  5. 05

    Add your own photo, if you like

    A picture of your meal or the finished job, taken by you. Never someone else’s photo.

  6. 06

    Post it, then tell them

    Let the owner know you left a review. It will likely make their day.

What makes a review helpful

  • Be specific

    What you ordered, who served you, what you’d tell a friend. “Great!” says less than one real detail.

  • Your own experience

    Review what happened to you, not what you heard. If you only called or browsed, say so.

  • Fair and balanced

    A small thing you’d change doesn’t cancel a great visit. Say both, and let readers weigh it.

  • When it happened

    Menus, staff and prices change. Mentioning the season or the year helps a review age well.

  • Say if you're connected

    Got something free, or know the owner? Say so. In Canada, reviews that hide a connection to the business can be misleading advertising.

  • Keep it clean

    No personal details, no insults, nothing you wouldn’t say to the owner’s face.

Before you leave a bad review

  1. 01

    Tell the business first

    Speak to a manager, call or email. Most owners would much rather fix a problem than read about it online, and many will.

  2. 02

    Give it a day

    Write once you’re calm. A review written in anger is hard to take back, and easy for readers to dismiss.

  3. 03

    Was it really their fault?

    A delivery app’s driver, a courier, a snowstorm: check that the problem was something the business controlled.

  4. 04

    Stick to what happened

    What you ordered, when, and what went wrong. Facts help the next customer; name-calling doesn’t.

  5. 05

    Rate the whole experience

    One slow afternoon at a place you’ve loved for years may deserve a comment, not a one-star rating.

  6. 06

    Leave people out of it

    No staff surnames, no personal details, no guesses about anyone’s motives.

  7. 07

    Update it if they make it right

    If the business fixes the problem, edit your review to say so. It’s the fairest thing you can do, and other customers notice.

Questions people ask

Why do reviews matter so much to a small business?
People read reviews before they choose where to eat, shop or who to hire, and map and search listings show them right beside the business’s name. An independent business can’t outspend a chain on advertising, but honest reviews from real customers tell newcomers it’s worth a try.
Can a business ask me for a review?
On most sites, yes. Asking is fine; what a business shouldn’t do is pay you, offer a discount or a prize in exchange for a review, or ask only the customers it expects to be happy. Yelp is stricter than most and asks businesses not to request reviews at all.
I got a free meal or a discount. Can I still leave a review?
Say so in the review. Canada’s Competition Bureau treats fake reviews, and reviews that hide a connection to the business, as potentially misleading, and most review sites remove reviews given in exchange for something.
Should I review a business a friend or family member owns?
Best not to. Your opinion may be honest, but readers can’t weigh it the same way, and sites like Google remove reviews from people with a conflict of interest. Tell your friends about it instead.
Can I change or delete my review later?
Yes. On Google, Yelp and most other sites you can edit or remove your own review at any time. If a business fixes a problem, updating your review is the fairest thing you can do.
The business replied to my review. Should I answer?
A reply is a good sign: the owner is listening. If they’ve offered to make things right, take them up on it, and update your review once they have.

Think of a Canadian business you love

Leave it a review today. It takes two minutes, costs nothing, and it might make someone's week.

Open Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Other places to review