It’s difficult to beat the convenience of being able to view a company’s location, hours of operation, phone number, and reviews in one convenient location. That is most likely why Google reviews are one of the most popular and dependable sources of customer feedback on the internet. We are all familiar with the procedure because we are likely to go through the steps on a weekly, if not daily, basis: search Google, scroll through listings, look at star ratings, and read the top reviews, all before making even the most insignificant of decisions, such as which ice cream shop to visit. Unless they have excellent reviews, you’re more likely to move on and try to find something else that meets your needs. Because of Google reviews, businesses can gain a competitive advantage.
Now, apply the same process to your own company and to your own customers to see what happens. Receiving positive feedback establishes your credibility in the eyes of your customers. Consumers place as much trust in online reviews as they do in personal recommendations from family and friends, according to research. Positive reviews do more than just boost your credibility; they also help you outrank competitors in Google search and Google Maps, allowing more customers to find you and convert into new satisfied customers.
Step-by-step instructions for leaving a Google review
Step-by-step instructions for leaving a Google review. We want you to succeed and receive as many positive reviews as possible, so we’ve created these step-by-step instructions. I recommend that you copy and save the infographic so that you can share it with your customers when you ask for feedback. I guarantee you that the easier you make it, the more reviews you’ll get. The more positive reviews you have, the higher your website will rank and your business will grow faster!
Using a Mobile Device to Leave a Google Review
On any mobile device, launch the Google Maps app.
Enter the name of the company you want to review. You can select “current location” if you are physically present at the business location when leaving the review.
When the business name appears, click on it.
Scroll down to the review section and choose the number of stars you want to give, with 1 being the most negative and 5 being the most positive.
You will then be able to leave a written review as well as upload any photos you wish to share.
Leaving a Google Review on a PC or Mac
Go to Google Maps and ensure that you are logged in to your Google account. For the majority of people, the Google account login is the same as the one used to access Gmail.
In the Google Maps search bar, type the name of the business you want to review.
Scroll down and click Write a Review after selecting the business from the list of search results.
A new window will open, allowing you to choose the number of stars you want to give, with 1 being the most negative and 5 being the most positive.
You will then be able to leave a written review as well as upload any photos you wish to share.
It is possible to flag a review for removal with Google, but they will not be a mediator between you and your customers.
For those who own a business and are dealing with a false or spammy review, you can flag it to Google for removal. However, keep in mind that a negative (but accurate) review is not subject to removal under Google’s policies.
Contents
How to delete a Google Review as a business owner
The rise of fake reviews – in the press
How to delete a Google Review as a business owner
How to delete a negative google review (left by your unhappy customers)
How to delete a google review (Step by Step Instructions) as business owner (flagging a review)
The rise of fake reviews – in the press
Amazon.com Inc. and Google are facing formal probes into possible violations of U.K. consumer protection rules over a failure to shield their users from an onslaught of fake reviews.
– Fake / Spammy reviews are a real problem. Reuters highlight the growing issue and the authorities are working with the larger companies to resolve it. Fake reviews are bad for shoppers and the competition market authority are warning customers to look out for fake reviews
How to delete a Google Review as a business owner
As a business owner, I’m proud of the service we offer to our customers and enthusiastically direct enquiries to our review page on review sites.
There is a great feeling of excitement when you receive an email from your Google My Business account – expectations are of high praise for your company and your services/product that you offer.
Your feeling of excitement that you will soon be reading about another happy customer who has left a positive review.
Google My Business 1 star review The stomach-churning despair when you open the email to find the infamous 1-star review
You click through to read more and rush-read the review.
At this point, you’re fully aware that potential customers can see this review. It is at the top of the reviews list on Google – so will be the first thing people see and you’re simply horrified! (Side note – this isn’t exactly true. The order that Google displays the reviews is by Relevance, not Date. Check out this article here – How does Google decide which reviews are Most Relevant? for more information
How to delete a negative google review (left by your unhappy customers)
In short, you can’t. There is no delete button next to their review. This is intentional by Google. They want to provide the world with real reviews – even if they’re terrible for your business.
Also, Google’s policy states that it only removes reviews that violates their terms
From our experience and research the best action you can perform is to follow the steps below – but first of all, respond to the negative review.
You’ll be able to respond to the bad review and provide the following:
Send Google’s review team with information to support your reasoning for the removal of the review
Demonstrate to your future customers your professionalism. Stay calm, cool and stick to the facts. Prospecting customers won’t care that you have a fake review. They will also see that the reviewer was just having a bad day.
How to delete a google review (Step by Step Instructions) as business owner (flagging a review)
First of all, Google will not become a mediator between you and your reviewer.
However, there are steps to request Googles team to delete the review when their terms have been violated – this is in essence flagging the review as inappropriate
Step 1 – Find the review and flag it by clicking on the 3 dots at the top right of the review to reveal the “Flag as inappropriate” menu item:
Select “flag as inappropriate”. Once selected you are presented with the following list of options:
Let’s explore each option in more detail to determine how the review violates googles guidelines
This review is not relevant to this place
Customers should only post content based on their experience or questions about experiences at a specific location. So content that is political, social commentary, or personal rants should be removed by Google. This is key – the review needs to be the customer experience, not their friends or slander.
Conflict of interest
This includes comments such as:
Reviewing your own business.
Posting content about a current or former employment experience.
Posting content about a competitor to manipulate their ratings.
Sexual Content
Anything content that contains sexually explicit material.
Legal Issue
In short – this is anything that is illegal (duh!) – note is also includes copyright, terrorist, violence, drugs, etc
Privacy Concern
There is not a clear guidance from Google on what is included within the scope of Privacy Concern. Our belief it relates to details that can uniquely identify an individual that should not be within the public domain. For example Social Security number, personal phone number, etc
Let’s start with understanding
Is this a genuine customer?
You or your staff may remember the customer. Details in the review or even a photo will allow you to identify the customer. If this was a real customer and the complaint is genuine, then check out our article on how to respond to genuine negative reviews
Other times you may not recognise the name or the review at all.
If the review appears to be fake, follow these steps to kick off your investigation:
I’ve seen the tap turned on for local businesses when they’ve harnessed the power of Google Reviews. It can literally be a lifeline to your business, and is considerably cheaper than paid advertising like Google Ads.
In the event that you can not remove a review, the best form of defence is a review campaign. With Leave.Review, getting new reviews is as easy as asking over text. Soon, you’ll see your average star rating and your ranking improve all through an automated ask for a review campaign.
Remove a Google Review as a customer Step by Step and Video Instructions
Supposing you left a review for the wrong company, or you left an online review for a business in the heat of anger, which you later regret. Fortunately, you’re in control of the reviews you leave on Google.
This article gives you the tools to defuse review grenades and maybe converting shrapnel into medals of achievement for your company service.
Back in the olden days (pre-internet), the only way consumers had to determine if a business is a right fit was to read publications or by asking a friend. Today you can read a review of most products or services within seconds, filter by the number of stars, sort by recency and get immersed in tales of misfortune, joy and the occasional rant.
What’s interesting is how the business owners respond to a negative review. I’m quick to read how the owner addresses a public complaint. Their response can be one of the most telling signs of their approach to customer service.
Negative Publicity
If you take reputational management seriously, you’re actively encouraging your customers to leave reviews on sites such as Google, Tripadvisor, etc.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m choosing between 2 places to eat, if they both have 5-star reviews, I’m likely to select the one with the most reviews.
Reviews are an excellent opportunity to confirm what works (or doesn’t work) in your business. When I receive a 5-star review – where the customer is waxing lyrically about how absolutely awesome we are, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that my ego gets a power-up.
On the flip side, your customers have a free reign on the internet. At any day and any time they can open their phone and vent their fury. For business owners, their terrible experience can trigger a reputational crisis for you.
Negative feedback can come in from a complaint, personal attacks and even exposure to a particular product’s dangers. If you represent a larger organization, then there is a risk of a mob mentality – a viral effect causing others to ride the wave of momentum by piling on their views. If the speed of reviews increases rapidly, then there is a risk of catching the attention of a local or national news organization.
Customers are not alone in writing negative reviews. You may also see reviews written by:
Competitors running a digital smear campaign
Disgruntled employees and their friends
People are accidentally reviewing the wrong company.
It’s for these reasons that it’s good to be prepared.
Welcome to your ultimate negative review response guide
1 star google review email
Check the review facts
Your business is your baby, but don’t let that maternal instinct kick in like a mother protecting it’s young from a predator. Just like socks with sandals (sorry Uncle Bob), this is not going to be good for your image and is the first step towards failure in damage limitation.
We recommend the first thing that you should do is investigate the validity of their claim. It’s vital to recognize that the reviewer also may not be alone – one person may voice their views, but it can actually represent the same opinion of many others. Some people are either reluctant or too afraid to express. Therefore, dismissing a single reviewer can amount to being rude or uncaring.
If you need more time to investigate, then do this – Thank the reviewer for their feedback and promise to look into the issue before getting back to them with a detailed response
Respond to reviewers. Immediately.
Fine wines, smelly cheese and George Clooney are examples of things that improve with age. My waistline and on online reviews definitely do not.
Most review sites have timestamps against each post that effectively starts the clock in evaluating your vigilance and to a surprising degree how much you care about your customers. Leaving it too long and the details of the occasion will have faded, momentum is lost and if anything you’ve actually made the issue worse.
Pro tip: Even if there is no answer to a question raised or concern posted, it is useful to acknowledge their problems and give a specific time to look into the issue and solution or to ask them to call you directly.
If you fail to respond to a negative review, you will by omission add enormous credibility to the critic – always, always, always respond. A comprehensive explanation can reaffirm their trust in your business and demonstrate to future customers that you care. You could even reclaim a lost customer.
What about happy customers? Engaged customers can be your best marketing team. Reviewers love it when they receive a response to their review. They’ll get an email from the reviewing platform and a simple “Thank you” can trigger a happy endorphin response. Good reviews have to be recognized. People are short of time. So when a client takes the time to leave a glowing 5-Star review please, please thank them!
Business owner response to 5 star review
Dont argue with reviewers
I don’t 100% believe that “The customer is always right” only finished half the sentence. The full version is: “The customer is always right, except when they’re delusional, stubborn and rude”. In an ideal world all customers would be rational and understanding. The reality is that the law of probability means that – at some point will be someone who will still be dissatisfied with your company. As soon as you come to terms with this, the easier it will be to deal with the general public!
It’s really easy to become emotionally consumed and it’s so easy to engage in a fierce PUBLIC exchange. Although tempting, you’re likely to pour fuel on to flames and it will very likely backfire like your first car’s motor. It’s absolutely the worst thing you can do.
I know I said in the previous section to respond immediately, but being rational takes priority. It’s way better to respond 1-2 days late than to react aggressively.
Storytime: A few years ago, my team pushed a significant software feature live. The upgrade resulted in some users receiving the annoying Google Captcha code too frequently. Within minutes one of our customers left an aggressive all caps post on our preferred review platform.
If you’re ever worked in software, you’ll know that releasing software is a stressful event and I was tired. To be honest, I was expecting the responses from our customers to be full of virtual high fives, glowing feedback and appreciation of our hard work and dedication to helping their business grow.
To say I was disappointed when I got the 1-star review is an understatement. First thing I did was curse under my breath verify the issue.
Equipped with knowledge (and a tech guy on standby) I called him and immediately apologized for the inconvenience. While talking through the details of the issue, he started to explain how his business has had a tough time recently. Apart from the problem he found in the upgrade, he was dealing with two major customer issues of his own. In reflection, the software bug was at worse an irritation, but it was the tipping point of his stress levels. Writing a negative review was an easy way to vent his frustration.
Fortunately, we were able to resolve the issue while I was on the call. Within 10 minutes of the call ending the negative review had been deleted and replaced with super positive 5-star one – highlighting our excellent customer service.
5 star capterra review
Personalize Your Response
Advertising companies have been hyper personalizing adverts for years. When a message is 100% directed to you, including exact details of your experience, it has far greater traction than a generic response.
Start with the customer’s name and introduce yourself with your organizational title and name.
e.g.
“Hello Sam, I am Stan Smith, PR Manager at Acme Corporation…”
If you can identify the customer – who they were served by, what they bought, when they received the product or service, etc. All of these details within your response demonstrate your attention to detail and how seriously you take their complaint.
It’s a Marketing Opportunity!
A response to a client’s negative feedback should offer an opportunity to market an organization and reinforce its core values.
Companies mission statement / pledge
There is a company in the UK called John Lewis who claim that they are “Never Knowingly Undersold” – this means if you can find the same product for less money, they will reimburse you the difference. They actively monitor their competition to ensure that you’re getting the best value. John Lewis’ price matching and their excellent customer service are core to their success.
Having a dependable guarantee to their customers allows John Lewis’ customer service team to promote this message in their review responses as well as provide refunds (if the occasion occurs).
It is also helpful to mention customer service procedures or standards.
These standards should explain that the organization takes customer complaints seriously and that every complaint will be thoroughly investigated and addressed.
Finally – I’ve seen this done well – A business owner can respond to a customer about their complaint informing that they can have a full refund as well as full payment for them to receive the same service at one of their competitors. This response is mind-blowing. This company seriously believes that their business is so good that they’re happy to pay for you to go somewhere else if you’re not 100% satisfied. A potential customer reading will feel their trust growing with this company – especially as it out there for the world to see!
1 Star review great response
Example negative review response templates
Hi Jane,
I’m Bob from Acme Inc – I’m sorry to hear about your issue with us, and I’m personally responsible for helping resolve this.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a phone number or contact email for you, so please contact us at XXXX when convenient.
Hi Jane,
I’m Bob from Acme Inc – I’m the manager/owner at here. We try to maintain the highest standards of service, but clearly, that’s not what happened here. I am sorry to hear about your bad experience yesterday.
Unfortunately, I was not in at the time. Please give me a call at XXX at your convenience. I want to find out what I can do to help.
Dear Jane,
We want to sincerely apologize for your negative experience on at . However, we’d like to learn more about your situation and what exactly happened with .
We want to make things right. So, please give us a call on [phone number]. You can also email us at [email id], and we will get back to you promptly.
We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Bob – Customer Sevices Manager
Acme Inc
Example positive review response templates
Hi Jane,
I’m Bob from Acme Inc – Thank you for the 5-stars! We appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. Hopefully, see you again soon.
Hi Jane,
I’m Bob from Acme Inc – We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us this review. Our company values put customer satisfaction as the top priority, and we are committed to our customers. Its customers like you that make our job fulfilling.
We look forward to serving you again.
Bob
OK – You’re at the end. You should be slightly older, but a whole lot wiser.
If you have any questions, or suggestion please ping an email to hello@leave.review
Your business will likely benefit from being on more than one review site. The big players such as TripAdvisor and Google Business / Maps are known to all and are the obvious choices (and should be used).
But what if, what if……..there is a review site that is MUCH better for your business, that will compliment your Google Business listing or even (dare I say it out loud) be better. (By the way Google, if you’re listening with your robot ears you’re still my favourite).
Here are some examples – our local beauty salon pushes it’s clients to review on salon spy, and as of 11th May 2022 has 423 reviews, but on Google Business, only 43. There reasoning is that people are more likely to find them via Salonspy rather than Google Maps.
They do need and should be asking to get reviews on both review sites to maximise their online exposure and social proofing.
How do you collect reviews on more than one review site?
That’s a great question, which we can answer here.
First of all, you need to find the link for your review site. We have some guides here:
So lets assume you have your review link, and I’m talking about the link that takes them STRAIGHT TO THE REVIEW page. Remember, your customers, as much as you love them (or their cash), most of them don’t have the time to go searching the internet for the exact page to leave a review. So, lets make it easy for them.
As an example follow this review link to our local bike hire store here in Winchester, UK. When you click on this link you should see the review page.
When Bespoke Biking’s customers arrive at this page they’re straight away in to review writing mode. They did not have to hunt or navigate to find the review portal.
Also, as I’m already logged in the authentication part is done too. It’s almost too easy.
So
STEP 1 – Get your Review Links for all your review sites
STEP 2 – Build a page for your review sites
Why build a leave a review landing page?
Using the example of the salon – they’re sending their customers a link every time they visit their salon. On a positive note, that link is the WRITE A REVIEW link. On the less positive side it is the only review site they’re directing people to.
A better idea is to send the visitor to a webpage that has all your review sites listed.
You can see from this example, that we have a distraction-free, very focused Call To Action in regards to Leaving a Review. The visitor can choose from any of the review sites, and when they click on the button to leave a review. This is simple, efficient, and flexible.
PRO TIP:
If you have access to a web developer we would recommend implementing some Javascript that triggers after the write a review button has been pressed. The sequence of events that we would like to see is:
Customer clicks on review button
A new window opens displaying the review writing page
The current page redirects to your latest promotion, start a new booking, refer a friend page
There is an old adage – ABC – Always Be Selling. I’m not talking about aggressive sales tactics here, I’m talking about reminding your customers of the great services or products you offer. So, at every opportunity you need to MAKE IT EASY for your customers to buy more from you, and redirecting the review page to your next sales page is a quick win.
Think of this article as the kama Sutra of reputation growth. Within a day you should have lost your review virginity and soon will be the strutting around like a T-Bird or Pink Lady (sorry kids if the Greece movie reference is lost on you)
Let’s start with a story
On our family vacation, we tried a horse riding experience and had an amazing adventure. Afterwards, we talked excitedly about our favourite parts of the trip with our tour guide. During the conversation she politely asked us to leave a review on Trip Advisor. Without hesitation we assured her we would.
By the time we returned to our hotel, showered, changed, made supper (and started drinking wine) – we were tired and simply forgot.
In short the review did not get written.
The next day was a new day (obviously) and a new adventure began. We didn’t write the review the next day either.
A few days later we remembered our promise to the tour guide, but the steps required to leave a review felt quite big in our mind. The momentum and enthusiasm was lost.
As this is your problem. Customers who are like me, suck.
Trying considering writing a review from your customers perspective: They need to:
Open their phone/computer
Search Trip Advisor
Search for your company within Trip Advisor
Check it is the correct company
Open up the company’s Trip Advisor page
Find the “leave a review” button (which is towards the bottom of the page!!)
Compose the review.
Watch the steps in this short video:
That probably ranks as one of the most dull videos you’ll see in a long time, but it illustrates the point well.
Let’s roll back to the point where we were talking excitedly to the tour guide about our experience. At this precise time, we were the happiest we will ever be with the company.
It’s at this point we were likely to have sung their praises in a 5-star review and even included a photo of ourselves with big smiling faces.
So, how could the tour guide do things have been better next time?
The secret is to plan way before you’re actually talking to your customers. It starts here. Sitting in front of your machine.
Let’s do this.
Find your review links, so they don’t have to
If the most important review site to your business is Trip Advisor – get the link to the actual review page. To do this,
Go to your TripAdvisor page
Scroll down, to find the review section
Click on Write a review button
Copy the URL / Website address in your web browser address bar
Save your review link and make it easy to share, eg
Your email signature
Create a link in the footer of your website
Create a shortened link using Bit.ly and add to your business card
Create a QR code and print a poster
Asking for a review face to face
So, back at the horse riding ranch. We’re happy, our instructor is happy.
In between “Yeehaw’s” and general over enthusiasm that seems to infect those who work with animals, she asks if we’d be happy to leave a review.
in 2019 – asking a visitor to point their phone at a QR poster to open a webpage would be like asking you’re speaking a different language.
Thankfully, due to the corona virus, QR codes are much more widely known, understood and altogether less weird.
So first of all you can get your link turned in to a QR code and print it out.
How do you ask your customer for a review (script)?
"Hey I hope you enjoyed your at (Company name)"
If the customer responds positively, then, respond:
"We do try and deliver a great service, and we're pleased you enjoyed it. You know, those kinds of comments help other people looking for (Service or product) to feel more confident in choosing us. If you didn’t mind writing what you just said in a quick review on (platform of your choice), that would be awesome."
At this point, GET THE REVIEW!
The customer may “promise” to write the review when they get home or back to their hotel – but the likelihood of that review being written has just dropped. Massively.
The following graph illustrates how the probability of a review being left diminishes considerably days after a request has been sent.
Asking for a customer review (Not face to face)
If the customer is not present, then you will have to rely on different methods. You will need to have some method of contacting them, so collecting their phone or email address is a must.
Send your review request via:
SMS / Text message
Through your website (ideally, via a dedicated testimonials/reviews page)
Social media (direct message or post)
Thank you pages
On receipts/invoices
Telephone call
Remember to send the link that takes the user directly to the leave a review page on your preferred review site.
Again, the key is to ALWAYS try and get the request to the customer as close to receiving the product/experience as possible.
Best time to ask for a review
Reducing the time between experience and review request is key, but if you must specify an actual time of day – e.g. through an SMS or Emailing scheduling system, our data shows that sending the review request between 2 pm and 8 pm is most effective.
It seems obvious – but the middle of the night doesn’t work well, especially if you’re sending an SMS Text message. Nobody will appreciate being woken up at 2 am for a review request!
Things to be aware when asking for a review
IP Address detection
It’s vital that your customers are not using your company wifi when leaving a review. The review site may incorrectly think that you’re writing multiple fake reviews (identified from your business IP Address).
When the customer uses their phone mobile data, they will have a unique IP Address. This approach will ensure that their review is not flagged as suspicious by the review site
GDPR + Permission to contact the customer
There are some countries (such as those in the EU) where it is illegal to contact a customer without their expressed permission (there can be hefty fines too). If you’re contacting your customer ensure that you are following the relevant laws in your area.
Top tips for leaving a review
Ask for the customer to share their review on Social Media
Sometimes review sites do not immediately make a review live. Sometimes they need to pass through an approval process internally. This does not stop you asking your customer to:
“Check-in” to your business on Facebook and share their experience
Share their photos on their Instagram account – with a link through to your website and / or your review page
Share your company webpage on Facebook or Twitter
Recommend you on LinkedIn
Again, asking the customer to perform this task while they’re with you ensures you maximise your reviews.
Opportunity to upsell
And finally – have you thought about upselling or requesting a share on social media? If your customer has left a 5-star review, this is an ideal time to request another sale, plan their next visit or buy some promotional merchandise such as a T-shirt
