What to Do When You Get a One-Star Review: A Guide for Service Businesses

We’re diving into a topic that every business owner dreads—getting that one-star review. You work hard to build a positive reputation, so receiving negative feedback can be frustrating. But don’t worry, all hope is not lost! In this post, we’ll cover how to report a review to potentially have it removed, how to respond effectively, and some strategies to minimize the impact of a negative review.

Step 1: Reporting the Review

Sometimes, one-star reviews aren’t even legitimate—they might not be related to your business or could be from a competitor. Here’s how to handle these situations:

1. Log in to Google My Business: Open a new tab, go to google.com/business, and sign in.
2. Access the Reviews Section: On the left sidebar, click on “Reviews” to view all the reviews your business has received.
3. Flag the Inappropriate Review: If the one-star review is from a disgruntled competitor or doesn’t pertain to your business, click on the review and select “Flag as inappropriate.”
4. Report Why It’s Inappropriate: Google will give you options to explain why the review is invalid, such as “off-topic” or “spam.” Once submitted, Google will review the case, which typically takes 72 hours. If deemed inappropriate, it will be removed.

Step 2: Responding to Legitimate Negative Reviews

What if the review is legitimate, and maybe your business didn’t deliver the service as expected? It’s crucial to respond professionally and promptly. Here’s why:

When potential customers browse through reviews, they often check the lowest ones to see how a business handles problems. Your response to negative feedback tells a lot about your customer service and willingness to resolve issues.

Here’s how to respond tactfully to two common types of one-star reviews:

1. When the Review Isn’t About Your Business:

Sometimes, a review might be mistakenly posted for your business. In this case, here’s how to respond:

“Hi [Reviewer’s Name], we don’t have a customer in our records matching your name, and we believe this review was meant for a different business. Could you kindly remove this review, as it negatively affects our rating? If this was meant for our business, please give us a call so we can resolve the issue.”

By stating that the reviewer isn’t in your records, you create doubt about the legitimacy of the review, which may discourage future readers from taking it seriously.

2. When the Review Is Legitimate:

If you genuinely provided a service that didn’t meet the customer’s expectations, own up to it and offer a solution. For example:

“Hi [Reviewer’s Name], we apologize for your experience, and this is not the standard we strive for. We’ve left you a voicemail to address the issue and find a solution. We’ll follow up again within 24 hours to ensure this is resolved.”

A response like this shows future customers that you take feedback seriously and are committed to making things right.

Step 3: Minimizing the Impact of One-Star Reviews

One negative review can pull down your overall rating, which is why you should always be working on generating more positive reviews. Here’s how you can boost your ratings:

1. Review Generation Cards: Arm your technicians with a QR code card they can hand to customers. Have them ask for reviews in a personalized way: “If you had a great experience with me today, would you mind leaving a review to let my boss know I’m doing a good job?”
2. Follow-Up Calls: Conduct next-day follow-up calls to check in with customers. After ensuring they’re satisfied, ask for a review. Offering to send them a text link to leave a review simplifies the process for them, increasing the likelihood that they’ll follow through.

Why Review Management Is Key to Your Business

Your overall Google rating is an average of all the reviews you’ve received. Even one one-star review can significantly drop that average. This is why it’s crucial to continually gather more positive reviews to outweigh the occasional negative one. Many of our clients have seen incredible success using these strategies, growing from just 30 reviews to over 2,000 in a few years.

If you’re serious about growing your service business and managing your online reputation, implementing these tactics can make all the difference!