Vague image ads are barely noticed or taken seriously in the flood of advertising and information on social media. In contrast, before making a purchase, potential customers regularly search specifically for reviews of products and services and primarily check companies for negative feedback.

Dubious service providers offer to post both fake positive reviews for their clients and negative reviews against competitors, often in large numbers.

The first sign are strange reviews that do not refer to any customer and comply with their experience from direct feedback.

This fact makes the right strategic approach to handling online reviews even more important.

In our experience, however, companies unfortunately continue to make easily avoidable mistakes in this area
– some common examples:

  1. Do not accept or comment on anonymous negative reviews.

Even though Google, Bing, and other platforms often recommend it in response to a complaint, acknowledging unknown situations or even expressing “regret” for a fabricated negative review is the wrong approach for unverifiable incidents.By doing so, you validate the false claim and fail to build trust. At the very least, doubt remains, as many will tend to trust the narrative of alleged customers and their seemingly justified outrage.And false remains false. Even a well-commented or disputed portrayal retains an impact. Suspicious prospects are more likely to trust the review and may choose a competitor without negative reviews.Misunderstandings nowadays often lead to accusations of fraud. In one such case, a Google employee even used an inappropriate tone with a client, confusing a free-of-charge initial medical consultation with the subsequent, complex examination and report for the insurance company.Therefore, it is worth requesting deletion from the reviewers or platforms, even if the issue stems from a misunderstanding, as this can often involve the unfounded accusation of inadequate clarification.

2. Do not accept bad reviews without comment

Anyone who believes that negative reviews are unassailable because they lack justification is mistaken.The German Federal Court of Justice has ruled that platforms may not publish such reviews without a factual basis due to their damaging effect on reputation. They also may not be included in an overall score (average rating).If the reviewer cannot be identified or cannot substantiate the review, the platform must delete it — or else it is liable itself for an injunction and damages.

3. Deleting an affected account is another bad idea

Some try to “get rid of” negative reviews by changing the name of their listing to a fake business like “Lamp Store,” so it no longer links to their own company. Then, they create a new, “clean” account.

The major downside of this radical solution is the loss of all positive reviews as well. If a business has accumulated mostly legitimate negative reviews, it would be better to consider a thorough overhaul of its products and services.

This approach is not only labor-intensive but also rarely successful in the long run. Highly dissatisfied customers tend to post negative reviews again quickly, and many platforms prohibit such manipulation. Attempted deception may also be prohibited as unfair practice.

Additionally, the business would need to change locations. In map-based queries, such as Google Maps, the strange, “permanently closed” former business at the same address is quickly noticeable.