Contractors always ask us…
“What’s the best way to deal with negative reviews on Google?”
They’re often looking for some kind of magic button that will delete their negative reviews.
And while appeals can happen, they’re difficult to get.
(At least in my experience.)
So instead, you have 2 options when it comes to dealing with negative reviews on Google:
1) Resolution
2) Dilution
Let’s start with #1… Resolution.
The best thing you can do to remove negative reviews is to resolve the issue with your client offline.
As painful as it can be… I recommend you call them and try to work things out in a civil way (if possible).
Offer them some free stuff if you have to… Maybe give them a refund…
Do whatever you believe it’s worth to get them to edit/remove their review… so you can move on with your business.
Now, this is certainly the best option you have, but in reality… It’s not always possible.
Sometimes people will not be willing to come to a resolution.
Or maybe they’re not even a client of yours.
Maybe you’re being wrongly targeted and your reputation damaged purposefully…
In this case, DILUTION is your answer (and a good lawyer too of course.)
The concept is simple…
Get more positive reviews from clients so you can bog down the negative ones.
The truth is, most clients don’t care if you have a couple of 1-star reviews.
They understand you can’t please everyone… and it’s true… you can’t.
That’s why you need to develop a systematic way to collect new reviews from your clients.
This could mean you send a direct link to your GMB listing after the job is complete…
You could bring an iPad to the Jobsite and just hand it to them, pre-loaded with your review platform and ready to go…
You could do a lot of things to systemize reviews from your clients…
All which I talk about in-depth in our new book, Digital Marketing Secrets for Contractors.
But the bottom line is you need a process developed in your business to capture reviews. Otherwise, you’re going to forget about it, get lazy, and fall behind.
In a world where online reputation drives so much buyer consumption… reviews matter big time.
So there you have it — Those are the two ways I recommend you go about dealing with negative reviews. And remember: In the end… As your business begins to grow, negative reviews will become more common.
It’s part of the game, unfortunately.
You can’t please everyone… and you certainly can’t control what they do.
But you can create systems and procedures to protect your reputation when you need it most.
Hope this helps!
Matt Thibeau
P.S. Our agency helps you manage and build your reputation online… along with getting you more leads and manage all your marketing campaigns FOR you. Go to www.CallSavant.com to book your 100% free, no-obligation strategy call now.