How To Manage Your Google Reviews- Even The Negative Ones!
How Important Are Google Reviews For Your Business?
Google Reviews can make or break your business- plain and simple. If you want to survive on the web, you'd better keep an eye on your online reputation, or else!
An example of this would be a restaurant that gets several one-star reviews, basically stating that the place is unfriendly, the service is slow, or it doesn't seem clean. Well, you get the point. That restaurant is, for lack of a better term, cooked. It might lose business to the extent it has to close its doors - permanently.
On the other hand, what about a restaurant that has 50 5 Star Reviews? Aren't you dying to try it?
How Do You Remove Negative Reviews From Your Google Business Page?
In order to remove a negative review from your Google My Business Page, it will have to fall under their guidelines for removal. The problem here is, Google’s guidelines are very narrow.
In order to get a review removed, you will have to contact support and point out how you think the review violates Google's removal guidelines. Was it written by a competitor to bring down your business? Was it written by a disgruntled employee posing as a customer? Can you prove these allegations? Google won't just take your word for it- you'd better have proof to show them.
What's really amazing is that Google won't remove a review from someone who was not your customer! Your neighbor, who doesn't like you, can slam your business! Yes, it's true!
They'll definitely remove a review which contains profanities, probably because it makes them look bad to display such language. A review from a competitor - most likely they'll remove it, if you can prove it.
Basically, if you have a negative review from someone who didn’t like your service, for any reason, you're stuck. You'll have to eat it. But...the way you reply to the review, publicly- on Google, can make all the difference in the public eye.
Keep in mind, people who may use your business in the future will be reading your reviews, and your responses to them. Make sure you take the high road, even if it seems like you're eating crow!
You can respond to the review in a civilized manner by saying something to the effect:
“Dear John, I'm sorry you felt this way about our service. As an owner who takes pride in his business, I am personally looking into the service you had at our restaurant. I have already set up a meeting with your waitress to find out what happened. I will be happy to make this right for you. Please call the restaurant and ask for me, Tony Soprano. Thank you.”
Or, you could write something to the effect that the customer may have mistaken yours for another business- that you have searched your records and have no record for the transaction they mentioned, if indeed this is the case.
You Could Try And Bury The Review - It May Work
The idea here is that if you get a lot of positive reviews, the bad one will be diluted or moved down to a point where people won’t notice it right away.
The problem with Google is they don’t use any discretion when it comes to posting reviews about your business. There is no moderator who can actually check if the review is from a legitimate customer. For example, if someone applies for a job with your company, and you don't hire them, they can slam you with a negative review - even though they were never a customer! Google won't remove it- you're on your own!
What Do I Do If I Get A Negative Review And Google Refuses To Remove It?
Well, getting the reviewer to remove it would be the ideal way to do it. But how? You could write them a decent, civil request to take down their review. This might work, if the person who wrote the review is normal, but what if it's some nut job, out for revenge for a perceived sleight?
Basically, if that's the case, you're out of luck! You'll have to eat it. But...the way you reply to the review, publicly- on Google, can make all the difference in the public eye.
Keep in mind, people who may use your business in the future will be reading your reviews, and your responses to them. Make sure you take the high road, even if it seems you're eating crow!
Get So Many Great Reviews That The Negative Ones Lose Weight
Send out an email to every customer you know that likes your services or establishment. Include the link to your review page right in the email. Ask them politely to leave you and great review, if they've enjoyed whatever it is you provide.
The more positive reviews you get, the more it will diminish the effect of the negative one. Hey, there are always going to be bad apples out there. It's not something you can do anything about.
What counts is your response. You have a chance to show your true professionalism when someone leaves a negative review on your Google Business Page, so make your response count!
If you would like help with improving your online reputation, search engine optimization or web design, please visit iDesignYours for more information and a free review of your situation. Thank you!
