Well, well, well, sometimes you just can’t shake off a bad review from a website. That sucks. I know. But don’t you worry there are still a few tricks up our sleeves to lessen the blow.

Let me tell you, it’s not the end of the world. Here’s what you can do: first, respond to the review in a polite and understanding manner. Show them you care. Second, encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews to balance things out. And lastly, keep providing excellent service and products.

That way, the good will always outweigh the bad. It shows customers, current and future, your true colors in handling legitimate problems that arise, how to prevent them, how to keep customers happy, and how to deal with people who are truly unreasonable.

Respond to the review

Can’t delete the review? No worries, you can still hit back with a response. This way, you can steer the conversation and let folks know you’re not taking the beef lightly. Take care in actually solving and fixing the customer’s problem. Right the wrong! That can turn a 1-star into a 5-Star almost immediately.

“The Customer is Always Right” has been abused for years. Not surprisingly, sometimes, they’re not. HOW you respond to unreasonable customers shows prospects the real side of things.

Ask the reviewer to remove the review

Just reach out to the reviewer and ask them to take it down once you’ve fixed the issue. If they’re cool with it, make sure to give them a big ol’ thank you for being understanding.

Get more positive reviews

Oh yes. The best defense is a GOOD OFFENSE! Get more positive reviews. This will help improve your overall reputation and make the negative review less noticeable.

What about a review from someone who never visited my business?

Report – Respond – Report! Report for “Fake Engagement”. Respond to the review – ask them to contact you – since clearly there is a mistake. Escalate the Report!

Familiarize yourself with Google Maps User-Generated Content Policy