To help you best handle these situations, we've compiled some information below. Please keep in mind, as frustrating as it may be, there is no guarantee that Google (or any other review site) will remove any reviews that you attempt to have taken down. If it was too simple to have reviews removed, this process could easily be abused by those looking to suppress legitimate negative feedback. With that being said, please follow the suggestions below to address any fake or fraudulent reviews received.
HOW TO RESPOND TO A FAKE REVIEW:
1. Ensure the review violates the site's Contributed Content Policy. Here are some guidelines for the top review sites: Google, Facebook, Yelp.
2. Make certain the review received is indeed FAKE. Here are some common characteristics of fake reviews:
The reviewer’s name does not appear anywhere in your customer/patient database.
The reviewer has left a string of similar reviews for other businesses.
The reviewer mentioned services or products that you do not offer.
The reviewer offers no comment or elaboration about their experience.
The review contains false information.
3. Acknowledge the review. Respond to the review to address any issues raised and reassure others that you care:
Example Review Response 1: “Thank you for leaving a review. We take feedback very seriously; however, I’m afraid we cannot find any record matching your name or details. We strive to provide 5-star service, if you feel you have received anything less, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to amend it. Please contact us at 555-555-5555. Thank you.”
Example Review Response 2: “Thank you for leaving a rating. We’re sorry to hear you had a poor experience. Please contact us at 555-555-5555 to offer further details, so we can address your concerns and do our best to help resolve them. Thank you.”
4. Report the review to the review site. For Google, you'll need to flag the review as inappropriate. To do this, locate the review and click the small flag icon next to the star rating. For Facebook, you'll need to give feedback on the Recommendation. To do this, locate the Recommendation and click the 3-dot menu button in the top-right. For Yelp, you'll need to report the review. To do this, locate the review, click the flag icon, and select Report Review.
Remember to be patient, it can take several days for a review to be assessed by the review site. Google has recently launched a way to track the reviews you report. CLICK HERE for more information. And keep in mind, there is no guarantee the review will be removed.
HOW TO ADDRESS A NEGATIVE ONLINE REVIEW:
In the case that the review is NOT fake or fraudulent, but a negative review from a patient, you can CLICK HERE to view an article on addressing a negative review online.