The Connect Live series looks to celebrate how Local Guides all over the world are having a positive impact on their communities. At our most recent event in Tokyo, we sat down with Hideaki Okamoto, owner of Obscura Coffee Roasters, to learn how his business has been directly affected by the reviews, photos, and ratings of Local Guides.
Okamoto started the business 10 years ago with a few of his fellow schoolmates and it has grown to have three locations in Tokyo, two locations in Hiroshima, and a flourishing online business that sells wholesale coffee beans. Okamoto sources his coffee beans from around 10 different countries and makes it his mission to visit farms all over the world to ensure the highest quality product.
The business relies heavily on word-of-mouth and Okamoto explained that Google Maps serves as an extension of this, allowing Local Guides recommendations, ratings, and photos to be shared with visitors and tourists who may not otherwise know about Obscura. This has had a tremendous impact in recent years as he has seen an uptick in business from both locals and foreigners.
Okamoto finds tremendous value in reviews, as he sees these accounts from Local Guides as the best way to judge what the customer experience truly is at the moment- not what he believes it to be or even wants it to be. This is especially helpful since he has multiple store locations and must split his time among the different stores. He views Local Guides as his eyes and ears to help report on the conditions of the locations when he is not able to physically be there. He stressed the importance of receiving both good and bad feedback as both are helpful for making positive changes to how the stores are operated and the customer experience they can deliver.
When asked what types of contributions will help Obscura and other local businesses, Okamoto suggested the following:
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When you rate a business, provide an explanation. When Local Guides provide a 1 or 2-star rating, there is often negative feedback that accompanies the rating and when a 5-star rating is given there is generally some praise. These ratings are extremely helpful. However, with 3 or 4-star ratings, there is typically not any additional elaboration as to why this rating was given and what the experience may have been lacking. This makes it challenging for businesses to understand how they can improve. Please provide an explanation to help us help you!
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Add menu photos. Photos of the menu help customers know what to expect when making the decision to visit the shop. It is also helpful if you are able to take photos of the food and drinks and caption them with the name of the item as it appears on the menu so they can make informed ordering decisions.
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Include descriptive keywords. When you provide detailed descriptions in your reviews, these become key words that are associated with the business. For example, if you indicate that there is “outdoor seating” or the atmosphere is “cozy,” the business is more likely to pop up in a future search if someone is looking to find a location with these elements. This helps attract future business.
A big thank you to Obscura Coffee for supporting the Connect Live Tokyo 2019 event and sharing these valuable insights with Local Guides.
How have Local Guides made an impact for the businesses in your community? Tell us in the comments below.
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