Google My Business’ ratings, reviews or comments, are vital to attract new customers. All of us, as buyers, seek experiences shared by other users before moving forward in the buying process. But when we read negative reviews, do we buy anyway? It is exactly this line of thinking, that makes us freeze and automatically think "how am I going to delete these negative comments on Google?"
In this article we will show you in which situations you can ask to remove a negative review from your company's Google My Business profile and, if that is not possible, how to answer it.
So, in what situations can I remove reviews from my company's Google profile?
Google claims that all reviews, both positive and negative, help maintain authenticity (as if that bad review wasn’t enough…!). We hear you, but to be on Google you have to accept the rules of the game, which in this case means abiding by Google’s Content Policy.
In your Google My Business account, go to the Reviews tab, featured on the left-hand side menu in the fifth position, click on the three little dots on the right-hand side of the review you want to report, and you will see ‘Report as inappropriate’. Clicking here will bring up the available options to report that negative comment. Let's see what they are, and if there is one that fits your specific case:
1. Off topic – review doesn’t pertain to an experience at or with this business;
2. Spam – review is from a bot, fake account, or contains ads and promotions;
3. Conflict of interest – review is from someone affiliated with the business or a competitor’s business;
4. Profanity – review contains swear words, has sexually explicit language, or details graphic violence or other illegal activity;
5. Bullying or harassment – review personally attacks a specific individual;
6. Discrimination or hate speech – review has harmful language about an individual or group based on identity;
7. Personal information – review contains personal information such address or phone number
At the end, after choosing the option that matches your situation, note that Google states once again that “Only reviews that violate Google's Content Policy can be reported. Reviews that are negative or that you disagree with, but adhere to the content policy, won't be removed”.
That said, is there an option that you can select to report that content as inappropriate and be able to delete negative comments in your Google My Business company profile? Don't forget that these reports can take up to three days to be reviewed.
OK, sadly nothing fits and that godforsaken comment or review will have to stay there. So how can you respond to a negative review?
Don't be discouraged, take a deep breath and take advantage of this opportunity to ‘turn’ this negative review in your favour. We've told you before that all these comments, ratings and reviews are essential to your business.
According to Reviewr, 45% of consumers say they are more likely to visit a business if it responds to negative reviews, and 94% guarantee that they have already avoided a business because of a negative review they read. It's interesting to see that less-than-perfect reviews and especially their responses are an important element in the consumer’s research and decision-making process, as they make all other reviews more trustworthy and don't appear to have been 'bought'.
To help you answer these negative reviews, we leave you these 6 suggestions:
1. Mention the name of the customer who gave you the review;
2. Thank him/her for the review;
3. Acknowledge that there was a problem and apologise;
4. Make yourself available to help solve the problem;
5. Pull the conversation to the offline field;
6. Never take things personally.
Remember that your answer will be seen by everyone. A wrong attitude or an answer given in the heat of the moment can damage your business’ image. And if even after this ‘call for calm’ emotions are still running high, do not hesitate and ask someone you trust to do it for you.
If you need help to delete negative comments from your company’s Google My Business or, better still, to answer them in an impartial manner, talk to us – we have tons of diplomacy to go around!
For more information, bespoke strategies and efficient digital marketing solutions, just contact the Clarity’s girls through info@yourdigitalclarity.com or visit our website at yourdigitalclarity.com.
