In March 2024 a Chicago bar called Hubbard Inn found itself at the centre of a TikTok storm. A customer's video accusing the venue's security staff of rough treatment drew over 100,000 views. The bar posted its own security footage in reply, and that video passed 3 million. The bar later said it had lost around $30,000 in revenue and 12 group bookings, and had been flooded with negative reviews and threatening messages. It then took the customer to court.
Whatever you make of the case, the lesson is plain. For a growing number of UK customers, the first place they judge your business is not a review site. It is a comment section.
1. Why TikTok comments now matter to local businesses
Around 26.8 million people in the UK use TikTok, according to Limelight Digital's July 2026 figures. In December 2025 TikTok also launched a Local Feed in the UK, an opt-in tab that surfaces nearby content to users aged 18 and over. Industry reporting cites a figure that 46% of UK users have visited a local business they found on TikTok. Treat that number with some caution, as it traces back to TikTok-linked research, but the direction is clear.
There is a second effect. Reporting suggests TikTok video titles and captions are now appearing in Google Search results. Comments are not the same as captions, but they sit on the same page, and anyone who lands there sees the conversation underneath.
2. Comments are not reviews, but customers treat them like reviews
A star rating on Google sits in a structured box. A TikTok comment is loose, fast and public. One sharp line, such as “went here last week, never again”, can collect hundreds of likes in hours. It then sits above everything else under your video.
Unlike a Google review, there is no rating to dilute it and no owner response label. If you do not reply, nobody else will speak up for you.
3. Set up your filters before you need them
TikTok gives you more control than most owners realise. In Settings, under Privacy and then Comments, you can set keyword filters so chosen words never appear. You can switch on the filter for unwanted comments, which uses automatic detection and holds anything suspicious in a Review tab. For a stricter approach, filtering all comments means nothing appears until you approve it.
You can also delete or hide individual comments, pin one comment to the top, and turn comments off per video. One limitation to know about: native bulk deletion is limited, so clearing a pile-on by hand is slow.
4. Decide what to reply to and what to leave
| Type of comment | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Genuine complaint | Specific, about a real visit or product | Reply calmly and publicly, then offer to resolve it offline |
| Misunderstanding | Wrong price, wrong hours, wrong service | Correct it politely with one clear fact, and pin the answer if it keeps recurring |
| Spam or abuse | Slurs, scam links, repeat posts from new accounts | Hide or delete, report it, and add the terms to your keyword filter |
| Pile-on | Dozens of comments after one viral video | Do not argue. Post one factual response, then keep monitoring daily |
A caution on deletion. Removing abuse and spam is sensible housekeeping. Deleting honest criticism because it stings is a different matter, and customers notice when a thread looks scrubbed. Reply instead.
5. Build a ten-minute routine
- Check comments on your last five videos once a day, ideally at the same time.
- Reply to every genuine complaint within 24 hours, keeping it short and human.
- Move anything detailed to a direct message or phone call, and say so in the reply.
- Screenshot anything threatening or defamatory before it is removed.
- Review your keyword list monthly and add new terms as they appear.
Conclusion
Your reputation is no longer confined to the sites you check on a Monday morning. It lives wherever customers talk, and right now a great deal of that talk is happening under short videos. You do not need to be a TikTok star. You just need to know what is being said, and to answer it before someone else decides the story for you.
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