Not all Businesses go smoothly. Sometimes, even when you follow best practices as a Business owner, an issue may arise that prompts a customer to leave a negative review.
The customer has different expectations about Services, times and costs, and even how a Business owner communicates with them. A small lapse can quickly equate to negative Reviews that may be permanent if you don’t do something about it.
Receiving negative reviews on Google may feel like the end of a transaction for many Business owners, but it’s not. Your total Reviews affect your reputation on the platform, and that is why it’s important for you to know there’s hope yet, even with all those negative marks.
In general, once a dissatisfied Customer leaves a negative review, the negative score remains. In most cases, the only thing you can do is respond to the Review to explain your side of the story.
However, in some cases, the Customer could have simply mistaken your listing for another business. There are also other situations when you can ask Google to remove negative Reviews because of a Content violation.
Here we tackle the ins and outs of Google Review and the methods you can employ to change or remove the negative ones.
Can you remove negative Feedback on Google?
The short answer is “It depends.” There are two different situations in which a negative review is left.
The first is when the customer posts negative Reviews by mistake. The Review given is either negative or neutral, but the Review comment is positive and the customer even shares how happy he or she is with the service, with something like “Will definitely use from this business again!” Or the customer may have mistaken you for another business with whom a service went bad.
The second situation is when the customer leaves the negative Review on purpose. This will be a bit harder to remove, but it’s often worth trying. Here are the two ways in which you can have negative Reviews changed or removed.
When a customer posts negative Reviews accidentally, you can ask them to change it using the Request Review Revision page. If there is no response from the customer, you can go to the Report Review page and explain the situation directly to Google so they can handle the negative Review removal.
If the customer left negative Reviews intentionally, then when you contact the customer, be polite and apologize for any inconvenience experienced as a result of the Service. Ask them what you can do to amend the situation. Most of the time, a refund or replacement will do the trick. If the customer agrees and you are able to address the issue, ask if they would be willing to revise the Review.
This method places you at the mercy of the customer, but if your request is sound, who knows? The customer may acquiesce and you will have made what could have been a bad customer relationship into a good one.
How do you respond to negative reviews on Google?
In all cases—whether negative Review was left by accident or on purpose—respond to it in a calm, professional manner. Even if the Review didn’t give you the chance to resolve the issue and rectify the situation, keep a level head and respond with class. Do not retaliate with a negative comment of your own.
If you have tried contacting the customer but can’t reach an agreement to resolve the issue, you can still provide an explanation for others to see.
Monitor the Review thread until the customer responds. Depending on how things go, the customer may agree to change the Review. If they do not and the Review remains in your profile, take comfort in the fact that the Review comment thread can show the future customers that you did your part as a responsible business owner and that the customer left the negative Review unfairly.
Remember to avoid responding to a negative Review comment when you’re upset. Wait a day or two, and strive to keep the tone of your comment professional—that way, others who see it won’t think of you as a total monster (and the customer will probably come across as whiny or simply unfair).
In your Service descriptions, let the potential customers know that you do your best to make sure every Business goes smoothly. After each booking, communicate with the customer immediately to request a positive review and that they let you know if there are any problems.
Fix the problem and improve your business
If all the negative reviews you’re getting is actually your fault, then step up and do what you must to put things right.
Getting negative reviews removed from your Google My Business profile can be a frustrating process, but be patient. It may all work out in the end. And even if it doesn’t, think of it as a learning experience. It will help you come up with a strategy to improve your performance, earn positive.
Hopefully, these tips and step-by-step guides on how to remove negative reviews can put your mind at ease.
Should you consider Negative content removal services?
You are worried about negative reviews? If you’ve noticed some negative content about your business or you, then don’t want another minute. Get in touch with a Reputation Management Specialist today so that you can start repairing any damage before it’s too late.
Removal Media is a service for those who want to solve reputation problems legally and without a headache.