It can be nightmare for a business owner- you dedicate your time, blood and sweat to build a company from scratch, and one day, GONE! Your well-deserved reputation is tarnished by one bad google reviews by a person who is just having a bad day. Other than that, positive reviews are an integral part of Google’s search algorithm, and it affects not just Google reviews, but Facebook, Yelp, and other review platforms. This means one annoyed person- irrespective of how many reviews you have- can affect your rankings.
BUT WAIT!
If it comes to your company’s credibility and your website’s SEO- there are ways to minimize the damage and help ensure customer satisfaction. Whenever any of our clients receive a negative review, I always recommend them to go through these 5 simpler steps. You can also take the help of the best Digital Marketing Services in Kolkata to get rid of bad Google reviews.
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Don’t Panic (or lash out) on getting a negative review
A bad or fraudulent Google or Yelp review can make you go berserk and you would like to give that person a piece of your mind or better, grab the nearest sharp object and go for a short drive. It’s highly recommended that you do neither of those things. It’s not the end of the world for your business or company- every company out there had got at least one.
According to some researchers bad reviews increase sales, and then there is this time-tested belief that no publicity is bad publicity. So, just calm down and take a deep breath, we are going to step two.
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Evaluate the Situation
The first thing you need to identify is if the review is real. Bad google reviews are sometimes the result of competition and even random people you’ve never met. After receiving a bad review, verify from your records to see if the person is really your customer. As it turns out, in many situations they are not.
In the case they turn out to be previous customer, look at what they bought. Look at the time frame of service and listen to the customer service calls. The more you gather information about the situation, the better you are equipped to handle it, make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.
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Quick response to negative or bad reviews
You need to respond quickly even if you know that the negative review was fake. Remember that you are not trying to outdo the reviewer; you are setting an example on how you respond to customer dissatisfaction. Prompt action sends out a message to your prospects that you’re committed to the customer service.
Most of the people who read your reviews are those who are interested in what you’ve got to sell. It must be one stone two bird’s scenario. On one hand you have to address the complaining customer, and on the other you have to assure future customers that the same issue won’t happen to them.
If someone left a fraudulent review without being your customer:
- Address the complaint and apologize for the dissatisfaction
- State you can’t seem to find any previous transaction they did with your company.
- Offer to fix their situation and give them contact information
- Flag or report the review as fraudulent
If someone is/was your customer and not satisfied with your product/service:
- Address their complaint; realize your mistake, even if their allegation is half or 1% true.
- Never ever try to make excuses
- If they have a legitimate reason for rendering your product sub-par, be honest about it and assure that it won’t happen in the future.
- Offer a solution to the problem.
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In case of bad Google reviews, Flag or Dispute it
Google allows you to flag the fake reviews so that they can remove them. Follow these steps:
- Open Google Maps and search for your business.
- Click to see all your reviews, and find the one you want to flag
- Click on the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of the review, then click “Flag as inappropriate.”
The process doesn’t stop there. You have got a couple of more options to escalate the issue:
- Get in touch with Google and follow up on your flagged review status. Just open your Google my business home page. Click on the support option at the bottom of the menu on the left hand side.
- Get legal. You can fill out a Google form for a legal removal request, if you find out the review to be slander and false. It’s a pretty complicated process, so take help of your nearest legal professional before you go this route.
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Solve the Situation at all costs
When a business owner is told to shift the way they do things, it’s usually not the most welcoming statement. Changing anything related to the way you do business can be stressful- but in view of the situation, it’s worth it. If bad google reviews keep on pouring, then it’s all your fault. There can be instances where a bad review has nothing to do with you or the company- maybe the customer was having a bad day.
You need to make a solid effort to fix any loop holes in your service or failed products. Even if it means firing an employee, customer service representative training, rewarding offers on your website- you must do whatever it takes to satisfy your customer. You can go for digital marketing companies in Kolkata that will show you the best practices to get good reviews on your website.
Negative reviews are often overshadowed by positive ones, so get as many reviews as you can. Take necessary steps to make sure that you do not get more negative reviews while addressing the previous ones.