To get Yandex Maps reviews honestly, ask happy clients for them straight after their visit and send a direct link to the review form — that way leaving one takes a couple of taps. Reply to every review, including the bad ones. And don't buy reviews: Yandex's rules prohibit it, and fakes are often obvious even without any checks.
Below: why reviews matter so much for a salon, when and how to ask, where to get the link and QR code, and how to respond to criticism.
Why reviews decide which salon people choose on the map
Someone looking for a salon nearby sees several pins on the map. They have almost no other information about an unfamiliar place, so they compare by rating, photos and reviews.
People read not just the rating but the text: what the client liked, which professional she saw, how she was spoken to. They also look at whether the salon replies: a calm response to criticism says as much about you as five-star ratings do.
Recency matters too. Imagine two salons on the same street: one has a couple of year-old reviews, the other has reviews from the last few weeks, with the professionals' names and replies from the receptionist. Even with the same rating, the second is easier to trust.
How to get Yandex Maps reviews: when and how to ask
The best moment is straight after the visit, while the client is happy and still admiring the result. There are three ways to ask, and none of them requires being pushy:
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In person, at the end of the visit. The professional says: "If you liked it, please leave us a review on Yandex Maps — it really does help us. I'll send you the link on Telegram." A request from a professional who has just been thanked sounds more natural than a notice on the wall.
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By message after the visit. The same day or the next — a short "thanks for coming in" and the review link. If bookings go through a bot, it can send this message itself, just like the reminder about the next visit — more on this in our article on the Telegram booking bot.
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At reception. A sign with a QR code at the reception desk or by the mirror: while the client waits or pays, she can scan the code.
Ask all your happy clients, not just the most enthusiastic ones. Reviews that come in steadily, every week, look more genuine than a dozen five-star ratings in a single day.
How to get a Yandex Maps review link and QR code
A direct link takes a client straight to the review form for your salon: she doesn't need to find you on the map and scroll through your listing. You can get the link and a QR code for it in your Yandex Business account. The account interface changes from time to time, so if you can't find the right section, check the service's help pages.
If your salon hasn't been added to Yandex Business yet, or you haven't verified that it's yours, start there: the steps are in the article "How to add a beauty salon to Yandex Maps and 2GIS" and in our Yandex Business listing checklist.
Where to put the link and the code:
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In the message after the visit. As a link she can tap.
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On the professional's business card. As a QR code on the back — the client can scan it at home.
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On an aftercare card. If you hand these out after colouring or treatments.
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On your website and Instagram profile. As a "Leave a review" button.
How to reply to a bad review
Every salon gets a bad review sooner or later. Your reply will be read not only by the client who wrote it but by everyone choosing a salon after her. So write your reply first and foremost for them:
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Don't reply in the heat of the moment. First find out from the professional what happened.
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Thank the client and acknowledge the problem, if there was one. No excuses like "all our clients are happy".
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Offer a solution. Redoing the work, a conversation with the manager — something specific.
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Move the conversation to private messages. The details of a visit aren't discussed in public.
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Don't disclose the client's details. No surname, and no details she hasn't mentioned herself.
An example reply: "Thank you for letting us know. We're sorry the colour didn't turn out the way you wanted. Let's put it right — please message our receptionist on Telegram and we'll find a convenient time and colourist for you."
If a review clearly isn't about you or breaks the platform's rules — for example, it contains insults — you can appeal it through Yandex Business. The service's rules set out which reviews get removed.
Why you shouldn't buy reviews
If you've been searching for how to write Yandex Maps reviews yourself, the short answer is: don't write them on your clients' behalf. Yandex Business rules prohibit manipulating reviews — reviews must be left by real clients about their own experience. The platform can remove fake reviews, and manipulation can also have consequences for the listing itself — the service's current rules explain exactly what.
Even if the reviews aren't removed, they do damage on their own:
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Fakes are easy to spot. Identical five-star reviews with no details, all left on the same day, make careful readers suspicious.
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Expectations won't match reality. A client comes for what she read about. If the reality is different, instead of a bought five-star review you get a genuine one-star one.
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A discount for a review is a risk too. A gift in exchange for a review can easily be taken for buying ratings. Before introducing any reward, read the Yandex Business rules.
Checklist
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Save the direct review link. The receptionist and every professional should have it.
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Put the QR code where clients wait or pay. At the reception desk or by the mirror.
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Check that the post-visit message goes out. With the review link — sent by hand or by a bot.
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Open the last month's reviews. Every one should have a reply, including the bad ones.
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Reread your replies. They shouldn't contain clients' surnames or details of their visits.
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Agree on this with your team. Nobody at the salon writes reviews on clients' behalf or buys them.
If you want clients to find you in search and book without having to message you first, we can help with a website for your salon, booking and your map listing. For example, we can set up booking so that a client automatically receives a review link after her visit. An example of our work is the website for colourist Elvina Master: one-tap booking on Telegram, sections for diplomas and reviews, and three languages.