Google reviews.

[ChrisR]

Hi guys.

I’ve had a nasty and totally untrue review left by a customer.
His remarks are boardering on slander.

I’ve tried to contact Google but there doesn’t seem to be any contact details for this particular problem.

Has anybody had a similar problem and if so what action did you take?.

I’ve replied very strongly to his accusations but I want Google to remove the review but can’t seem to make contact.

Best.

Chris.

[Martin]

Re: Google reviews.

I have to say Chris, having read the Nick Francis review, his complaint appears rational. It’s accuracy as to the events and his description over your response may well be argued and you do have a right to reply. I assume you have registered with Google and are therefore free to reply of course. As far Google removing his review, I think that unlikely TBH. You’ll just have to take that on the chin mate. 🙁

[ChrisR]

Re: Google reviews.

How can his review be rational?.

He’s blaming me for not repairing a leak around his kitchen sink.

I’m not a plumber or a kitchen fitter,I was asked to attend to repair a dishwasher and oven and when on site was asked to look at a leak from the waste plumbing which I did.
I did what I was asked to do no more no less and now I’ve got this review.

The kitchen sink was never mentioned and had he asked I would have told him it wasn’t my expertise.
I have replied in detail to his review.

[Martin]

Re: Google reviews.

ChrisR wrote:How can his review be rational?.

I said it “appears” rational. I was reading it the way it was written not knowing the case or what you did or said. Reviews are like that, always one-sided, always written in favour of the author. The pen mightier than the sword and can so easily wound.

You choose to reply and that’s your choice. I’d sooner refund his money and walk away without comment.

We in the trade have plenty to fear from customers reviews. Rare indeed for someone to give a good review regarding service calls. Only those miffed at the outcome will bother and yours is a typical case in point. 🙁

[ChrisR]

Re: Google reviews.

He appears invisible at the moment,not answering his phone.

The job wasn’t local so I’m in no rush to refund his money as I did what I was asked.

In 40 years I’ve never had a complaint so nasty and misleading as this and the only other one was easily sorted.
Thanks for your view Martin.

[kwatt]

Re: Google reviews.

Martin wrote:We in the trade have plenty to fear from customers reviews. Rare indeed for someone to give a good review regarding service calls. Only those miffed at the outcome will bother and yours is a typical case in point. 🙁

That does not mean that you have to like it or indeed accept it.

Just because you may feel that complacency is the best option doesn’t mean that others have to and, like Chris, I think these types of “customers” need at best a shot back or reality or a kick up the a$$.

The trouble is Martin that it would appear that the general rule of thumb for many customers these days is that, “all companies are rip off merchants that will steal the sugar from our tea”.

Meanwhile the somewhat antiquated view of business is that, “the customer is always right”, until a certain point is passed. By which time, it’s too late all too often to think otherwise or have the mechanisms in place to protect you from the sh1tstorm that they whip up.

So I think Chris is perfectly right IMO to shoot the guy down as much as he possibly can and as hard as possible.

You don’t need or want customers like that.

K.

[Lawrence]

Re: Google reviews.

The trouble is Chris what we seem to be up against are people that see what they want to see regardless of the facts put in front of them.
Last week I went to a call,diagnosed a part required and told the cust that I would order the part that afternoon and it would be 3-5 days.
I left them a slip explaining that with all our info on.
Lo and behold cust is on the phone that afternoon asking the office what time I would be back that afternoon ,he then proceeded to have a 20 minute argument and was then asked if the engineer left a slip.
His reply was yes but I threw it in the bin when he left.
How do you deal with that …
The other thing is the amount of people that pass on second hand info stating it as fact, I must have 3 people a week phone up about plumbing related stuff because a friend saw one of our vans and jotted down the number and passed it on.

If you can get to Coventry in Feb we are covering some of this kind of stuff
Lawrence

[Martin]

Re: Google reviews.

kwatt wrote:That does not mean that you have to like it or indeed accept it.

Google allows the right to reply and I believe Chris has. I look forward to reading that when Google decide to publish it.

kwatt wrote:I think these types of “customers” need at best a shot back or reality or a kick up the a$$.

You have led by example with ISE “customers” so I take your point. I’ll stick meanwhile to being complacent and strive to avoid folks making negative and spiteful comments in the first place. Google reviews will always be a caution and I hope, in this instance, Chris’ reply will cancel out the guys gripe, fingers crossed. 😀

[ChrisR]

Re: Google reviews.

Thanks for the replys.
My reply is on my Goggle My Business site.
He left his review beginning of December but I didn’t see it till last weekend.
If you put my name(Chris Ready) into Google My Business,it should come up.

[stratfordgirl]

Re: Google reviews.

Hi Chris, I feel for you, and think you have done exactly the right thing. Your response is measured and I think the intelligent Google user will believe your version of events. Luckily, as you only have the one review Google doesn’t highlight the rating in search results.

The identical review on Yell.com is possibly more damaging as it shows up in the star rating. Have you noticed that there is a second, apparently anonymous, 1 star review on Yell.com, which could I guess be from the same customer?

[ChrisR]

Re: Google reviews.

Thanks for that stratfordgirl.

[simonb]

Re: Google reviews.

yes this is a serious problem for a business that takes care in its customer service, you should see how paranoid my dentisit is about his reviews, its the best dentist iv ever used and you could not fault them they go above and beyond the call of duty and they still get stupid reviews from moaning customers about a load of cr@p

i have one negative review from a customer who telephoned and i could not take his call and said i would ring him back soon and as i forgot to return his call next he’s online sticking the boot in calling me a incompetant engineer etc etc.

I agree with Ken the customer is always right until they take the pi@@ and are belhent on causing trouble

if your a busy local repair service you will get them! no matter how hard you try their is always some nut who will find some fault, dont take them personally.

ok here’s a top tip guys its preventative measures you need to take its no use after the dreaded review goes on, you must encourage customers to place reviews especially gets their email address on completion and send them a link, the reason is obvious it will drown out the bad review and give a balanced viewpoint, also the bad review will go a few pages down eventually.

[Cras]

Re: Google reviews.

Chris, have you tried getting the review on yell removed ? I

[funkyboogy]

Re: Google reviews.

yip reviews are a double edged sword

can be used all to easy by the key board terrorists , we just set gregor on them lol .

agree with simon if you can get customer to try leave a review – the only thing with google is the need a gmail to do so.

chris i wouldn’t reply when angry etc as you can come over the wrong way , possibly even better if you pay someone to reply who is good with words etc ,

there are a few service who can blog/review this guy of the page – just saying

ally

[ChrisR]

Re: Google reviews.

Thanks for advice, much appreciated.
I spoke to a Google rep and after reading the review she said Google
wouldn’t remove it as she felt the reviewer was giving an opinion.
The fact that he was giving an opinion on something I hadn’t done or was qualified to do or
had anything to do with the business advertised didn’t seem to matter.

I haven’t contacted Yell yet as I’ve been to busy but hope to next week.
Thanks again Guys

[Author]

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