How to handle a bad or fake online review
Every business that has customers eventually gets a review it does not deserve, or one it does. The first thing to know is that the next customer reading it is judging you less on the complaint than on how you answered it. A calm, specific reply often does more for your reputation than a page of five-star ratings.
First, decide which kind of review it is
The response is different depending on the answer, so sort it before you write a word.
- A fair complaint. A real customer, a real problem. You may disagree with the tone, but something went wrong from their side of the counter.
- A misunderstanding. A real customer who has the facts wrong, such as a price, a policy, or what was included.
- A review that is not from a customer. A competitor, a former employee, someone who never used you, or the wrong business entirely.
- A review that breaks the platform's rules. Spam, abuse, off-topic rants, or content the platform does not allow.
Be honest with yourself about the first one. Many reviews that feel unfair are simply unwelcome.
How to respond to a fair complaint
- Reply promptly, so it does not sit unanswered. Silence reads as not caring.
- Stay calm, and never argue in public. You are writing for the people reading it later, not for the reviewer.
- Acknowledge the concern and apologise where an apology is fair. It costs nothing and is rarely wrong.
- Keep it short and specific, and offer to fix it. Take the detail offline: give a direct email or number so the conversation moves out of public view.
- Do not name the customer, quote their order, or disclose anything that would make a private matter public.
How to respond to a misunderstanding
Correct the facts once, politely, without implying the customer is lying. State what actually applies, and invite them to contact you so it can be put right. Then stop. A long public rebuttal makes you look defensive even when you are correct.
What you can and cannot get removed
Platforms remove reviews that break their policies, not reviews that are negative, harsh, or unfair. That distinction is the most important thing to understand, and it is why most removal attempts fail.
- You can flag a review that is clearly fake, from someone with no genuine experience of your business, off-topic, abusive, or otherwise against the platform's rules. On Google, this is done from the review itself or through your Business Profile.
- Removal is not guaranteed and not fast. Reporting does not mean the review will come down, and you should not wait for it before responding.
- A negative review from a real customer about a real experience will generally stay, however much you disagree with it. Respond instead.
If a review makes a serious false statement of fact about you, that is a different question and may need professional advice rather than a reply.
What you should never do
- Never write fake positive reviews to bury a bad one, or ask staff and friends to. It breaks the rules of the platforms, and it tends to be found out.
- Never offer a customer something in exchange for removing or changing a review.
- Never attack the reviewer, however unfair the review.
The long game matters more than any single review
A steady flow of genuine positive reviews outweighs the occasional bad one, and a profile with nothing but perfect scores can look less believable, not more. Ask happy customers consistently, respond to everyone, and treat a bad review as information about something to fix. Our guide on getting more Google reviews covers how to make asking a habit rather than an event.