Emergency Business Defense
A bad review might seem like the end of the world but I promise it isn't. I've seen business profiles with a score of 1-star turn into 5-stars overnight. Below are just a few of your options. . . the list below is just the tip of the iceberg of what can be done to help stop the damage.
Remove It
There are reasons review websites or upset customers will remove a bad review. You don't have to accept all unfair things published about your business. Your case is unique. You're more likely to successfully get a review removed with: 1) a just cause 2) a well-written request 3) an unemotional approach. My success rate in removing qualified bad reviews is 75% to 100%, depending on the methodology used.
Reply To It
If you've yet to claim a profile with a bad review, don't do it until you speak to me, please. If you've already claimed your account and cannot resist replying, the easiest way to respond to a customer online is to recall the old adage, "The customer is always right." Understand that the customer is right because they're sharing their perception of their experience as a customer or a client. If their report is irrational in any way, your polite and professional reply can help make you look like the reasonable one. Keep your demographic in mind as you form the correct reply. Each case is unique. There are instances when it is best to not reply.
Outweigh It
Invite happy customers to write reviews wherever a bad review appears. Since people are more likely to leave a bad review, it's realistic to assume that effort to get good ones is necessary. You can actually suppress a bad review with a bunch of good ones. The amount of time it will take to recover from those most motivated to smear your business online will vary. But be confident that bad reviews loose influence among lots of good ones. I wouldn't let a review company set your online reputation policies for you. If you need to take matters into your own hands because you're about to lose your business -- who is an online consumer website to tell you to sit back and take no action at all? I therefore build safe, ethical, effective and responsible plans to help you get the good reviews your business naturally deserves.
Litigate It
If the bad review contains libel, you may win a suit. If you win, the review can be de-indexed from major search engines. But you know what's even better than litigating over a bad review? Prevention. If you are just now discovering how vulnerable your online reputation is, we can fix the problem without a lawyer and use a lawyer for something even better. . .
Ignore It
The cost of doing nothing is mild to severe. If you elect to do nothing about bad review, and you're not getting any new good reviews, be advised that the tarnishing of a business' reputation can spiral out of control on the Internet and cost you the confidence of clients and customers. The good news is that if you're getting lots of reviews, doing nothing isn't a bad move, unless the contents of the review are so outrageous and potentially harmful that you feel you must take action.
Check with Christi Studio before you decide to not do anything about a bogus business review. Protecting your online profile can be a tough job -- but it's not an impossible one--especially since there's no upfront charge for this level of support.
Please don't pay anyone but an attorney for this type of specialty work upfront. Get in touch with the studio and we'll tell you why. You can also review a few case studies, here.