Handling Fake Reviews and Complaints - Strategies and Tips
Learn how to identify and manage fake reviews and complaints effectively. Discover ways to spot fake reviews, respond to them, and take action on popular online platforms like Google. Understand the importance of reviews in consumer decision-making and how to safeguard your reputation.
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Presentation Transcript
How to Handle Fake Reviews and Complaints
How important are reviews for decision making consumers? In its annual survey on reviews, Brightlocal found that 77% of consumers always or regularly read online reviews when researching businesses. Only 2% never do.
How to Spot a Fake Review 1. Few details- describing an experience with a product is difficult if it never happened, and one of the key giveaways of a fake review is a notable lack of details in the description of an experience. 2. Far more verbs than nouns- Genuine customer experiences usually rely more on nouns to give details, while fake reviews lean heavily on verbs and action to create the illusion of authenticity. 3. More first-person pronouns- fake reviews will tend to lean heavily on I and me, again to lend authenticity to the review, whereas actual customers will focus more on details with less orientation on themselves. 4. 1-star - Giving the lowest one possible is often a sign of a fake review- most actual customers have more nuanced opinions and are eager to make that clear if they re going through the trouble of leaving of a review. 5. Sketchy review history- A reviewer with no other reviews or many reviews using very similar language are often signs of a fake account. Most vendor sites allow you to search reviewer histories.
Why should I respond or take action? Principle. Expectation. Image
For Google: Hover your mouse of the suspected fake review, and a flag icon will appear 1. Click on the flag, and you will be redirected to a policy violation page 2. Enter your company s email address and the violation type, and press send 3. Wait for a response from Google- this can take a few days in some instances 4. If a review contains extreme or abusive language, you may wish to also contact Google Small Business Support and explain why you suspect a review is fake and any Google policies it may be in violation of 5. If Google determines the review has violated its policies, you will be emailed with a confirmation that it s been removed 6
Cont. Having a fake review removed can be difficult, depending on the platform. Google, for example, allows anonymous user names that are difficult to verify as belonging to an actual person, and they won t necessarily accept a business simply claiming a reviewer never shopped with them as reason enough to remove the review. When this happens, the next step is to engage with the reviewer directly.
Example We take customer feedback very seriously and would like to address your frustrations and hopefully find a positive resolution. Unfortunately, we can t currently find a record of any transaction or purchase with us. In order to help you further, we d appreciate it if you could contact (email address/name of service rep) with your full name and email so that we could go forward with a resolution. Thank you for your feedback, we hope to hear from you soon. If you don t receive a response in a fairly timely manner, you can contact the platform again to report a non-response, which will often be enough to remove the offending review. 8
Key Takeaways Most platforms, such as Google, have an easy-to-use review flagging system for businesses to initiate an investigation into a potential fake online review. Studies have shown that up to 30% of all online reviews are fake. Responding directly to fake reviews should be done concisely and politely and include a call to action to contact your business directly to resolve an issue and confirm a transaction record. 9
What can you do if another business leaves a fake review? It s not uncommon for competitors to hire a subcontractor in another country to leave a fake negative review. With many larger platforms, such as Google, you may not have to take any action, and the platform will be able to detect the fake review itself and have it removed. Otherwise, you may have to take action, such as flagging the review and contacting the platform s small business support team. 10
How can I spot a fake review? Common signs of a fake review are verb instead of noun- heavy text, reliance on personal pronouns instead of detailed descriptions, and a spotty review history on the reviewer s part. 11
How can I remove a fake review? It depends on the platform, but most platforms have a review-flagging system in addition to a small business support system for escalating issues with reviews suspected to be violating the platform s policies. 12
How to respond to bad reviews Respond in a timely manner. Stay professional and courteous. Understand your customer s experience with your business before responding. Apologize when appropriate but don t take responsibility for things that weren t your fault. Offer to talk it over. Send personalized responses. Show that you re authentic and genuine. 13
