How much does a bad review cost your business?
See the estimated revenue drag of one new 1-star review, and exactly how many 5-stars it takes to erase it. Enter your numbers below.
Frequently asked questions
How can one review cost real money?
Reviews move your average rating, and your average rating measurably affects revenue. Harvard Business School research found that a one-star change in rating shifts revenue by 5 to 9% for independent businesses. We take how much a single new 1-star actually moves your average, then apply that range. It's an estimate, not a promise.
Why is the damage smaller if I have lots of reviews?
Because one review is a smaller slice of a bigger pile. A single 1-star among 3,000 reviews barely nudges your average, while the same review among 20 reviews drags it down noticeably. That's exactly why the healthiest defense is a steady flow of genuine reviews.
Why does 'reviews needed to erase it' not depend on my review count?
It's a quirk of the math. To pull your average back up to where it was, the number of new 5-stars needed works out to depend only on your current average, not your total count. So the recovery target is the same whether you have 50 reviews or 5,000, though a higher volume means the 1-star hurt you less to begin with.
Should I panic about a bad review?
No. The better move is to reply calmly and publicly, then keep asking happy customers for reviews so the average recovers. Many upset reviewers soften when they get a genuine response, and consistent new reviews outweigh the occasional bad one over time.