Advice on being threatened by 1 star reviews

[LiE]

So recently we've had a disgruntled customer who despite being given all the information about a specific treatment, is now asking for a refund. They are claiming that it wasn't explained to them what the treatment was and that they were mislead. So after having done our due diligence we have found the customer was completely aware of all the facts and the service was done perfectly. They are effectively trying it on.

So we get a 1 star review, not the end of the world we can respond politely and move on, it happens. They then follow up on social media messages, threatening to leave multiple 1 star reviews from their other 5 accounts if we do no give them a partial refund. 2 more 1 stars later and 2 open Google review appeals, I'm wondering what we do next.

Has anyone had experience with this? I'll be speaking to the FSB legal team later to see if this is actually allowed (misinformation/fake reviews and threats via social media messages).

 

[LiE]

Have they posted the review as fact or as an opinion?

I would be sending a strongly worded letter that if they persist with leaving defamatory reviews in light of the evidence that what theyre saying is full of crap, that you will look at taking them to court.

They are effectively saying "You didn't explain the treatment properly" yet I've watched the CCTV and it can be clearly heard that it was explained and the customer was asked if they still wanted to go ahead and they can be heard saying yes.

if you have Google One then you get access to live-chat agents who can help you remove the fake reviews without having to jump through hoops and typical rejections.

Thanks will give that ago.

 

[LiE]

I was wondering what the Russian intelligence/security services had to do with it until I googled it. That might have been an overreaction

edit: What "treatments" are we talking about. Was their happy ending not so happy?

Well the 1 stars suggest no happy ending

To be clear this is effectively what the customer is doing:

Customer: "I've booked this service, does it come with a happy ending? The website didn't say it doesn't, so I assume it does."
Business: "No sorry it doesn't come with a happy ending, do you still want the service?"
Customer: "Oh ok, yes please proceed."

2 days later...
Customer Review: "Shocking service, they didn't explain that it doesn't come with a happy ending and wouldn't refund"

 

[LiE]

It might be construed as blackmail

There is one specific message that essentially says "If you don't give me a partial refund I will leave more 1 star reviews from my other accounts, and worse."

 

[LiE]

Usually with review sites the business owner can create an account and reply to said reviews.

It's Google and we did respond to the initial 1 star review. I've got an appeal open against the other 2 which I've not replied to yet.

We have 79 reviews and prior to this only had 2 1 star reviews, 1 of them being valid.

 

[LiE]

Just read your above reply, individual sounds like a tool.

This is a big part of the problem, they aren't reasonable and we can't engage with them like a normal customer.

 

[LiE]

You have messages saying they will use 5 other accounts to 1 star bomb you? Make a safety copy of them.

Yep, I'll be hopefully using this in the appeal process.

Keep it strictly factual.

Absolutely, we are always professional with our responses and stick to facts.



Update:
So I was able to get through to Google business support on chat and since I have appeals already against the 2 reviews they can't do anything yet, but it does give me hope that if the appeals fail I still have some options via this team.

FSB did give us a defamation template letter but honestly this person isn't the type to really be motivated by such a response. So currently the best route is to wait for the appeals to be processed and if that doesn't work go back to the business team and provide our evidence.

 

[LiE]

How are they communicating with you?
Any option to reply and say send in writing only and then block number etc?

The customer has been blocked on social media now so they don't have an option to directly contact us now.

 

[LiE]

Definitely don't do this, it just seems like an over-reaction. You'll probably end up in the Daily Mail.

Out of interest do 1 star reviews really make that much of a difference? If you've got a lot of positives I would imagine it won't make much difference. Agree with @Haggisman about just putting in a professional, factual response to any reviews. As a customer you can tell when some mentalist has left a daft 1 star review.

I recently went somewhere to eat and it has positive reviews but the thing that was mentioned in the poor reviews happened to me. I wouldn't leave the business a 1 star review but I definitely won't be going back there (shame as the food was lovely).

The 1 star reviews so far haven't made much difference, gone from a 4.8 to a 4.7. We have gone out to many of our recent customers to ask for reviews and had 6 more 5 star reviews to balance things.

I guess my biggest frustration is Google's inability to remove the reviews so far. I'm hopefully they will come through considering the evidence we have.

I'm not considering going any kind of legal route now it won't help.

 

[LiE]

You can...

If said disgruntled customer then decides to factually state that you have done so all over the Internet (and they almost certainly will, since now you've given them an axe to grind), then a) it will probably do far more damage to your reputation than any review and b) there isn't really anything you can do about it since it's true!

Wasn't there a solicitor who did something like that recently, and it basically blew up in their face?

I said as much to my wife. If we went legal this customer could make a big raucous about it all over social media. Even if they are wrong and we are in the right it won't look good for us.

 

[LiE]

You make a good point


Perhaps replying to the reviews offering facts/avoiding emotion might be the best option?

Yep its the best way, and trying to have Google remove the fake reviews.

 

[LiE]

Another 1 star review just now, going to go direct to Google business support team to see if they can remove it. My other appeals haven't had a response yet.

 

[LiE]

Id just reply with a 500 explanation of how much of a moron they explained with masses of detail, links to CCTV can be provided if they further dispute but don't shame them too hard. Let it be a warning to other jokers.
I hate companies that delete negative reviews even if fake. Just looks stupid having 5 star everything.

We aren't requesting the original 1 star to be removed where they actually put effort and detail into it. We have professionally and politely responded to that one. The other 3 reviews are under 10 words each and from the same person so those I've requested to be removed. We have another couple 1 star reviews over the years but that's normal, but 4 in the space of a week is taking the ****.

 

[LiE]

Send me some freebies and I’ll give you five stars. (I kid, I kid.)

We have actually just gone out to our recent customers and asked for a Google review, so the 5 stars are starting to roll in.

It's hard getting people to leave Google reviews, so we usually offer a discount on their next visit for taking the time.

Most leave reviews on the booking platform as they already have an account and it's very easy. 375 5 starts on there!

 

[LiE]

I'd ignore them and then try to have the reviews deleted next week, they might well have moved on by then and/or already burned through their 5 accounts only to have the reviews deleted.

It's quite hard to get them removed from what I've been reading.

If we don't have them removed I'll just respond to each one saying we don't have any record of them on our system.

 

[LiE]

If you can comment on his review. Just do it. people who reads will see your comment understand the reality.

You can and I have for the initial review. I'm holding off on the other 3 as I don't want to jeopardize the appeal requests to remove them.

 

[LiE]

Oh boy apologies for proof reading skills.
I tend to read 5 star and 1 star.
I've never seen a coherent 1 star review that wasn't just irrelevant ramblings .
Real one stars get resolved before dedication in the bed.

It feels like there's very little in between, it's either 5 or 1 star. "Lovely service, but they forgot to give me a receipt, 1 star".

 

[LiE]

Response back from Google, the reviews don't break guidelines so they won't be removed. I plan to go back with the screenshot of the 1 star review threats and spell it out for them. I'm not hopeful.

 

[LiE]

Sent my response to Google, fully expect to get a copy paste "no evidence of breach of guidelines" reply.

So my plan is write a response to these reviews and use the same reply to each so that if anyone is reading them they will get a picture of what these reviews are about.

My initial thought is to mention the original reviewers name and also that we kindly ask them to remove the duplicate/fake reviews as it's in breach of Google's policy.

Something like this:

Hi Customer X,
We kindly request you do not to leave multiple negative/fake reviews from other accounts in order to hurt our business, this is against Google review policy. We have already provided a response to your original review.

By addressing each review to the same customer I think this helps with any confusion.

 

[LiE]

We've had 8 new 5 star reviews in the last week from customers we have asked, so I'll just continue this get our average back up to 4.8.