I’m so excited! This is a BIG DAY!
Here I was, working away on an email newsletter for a cause-based community group I help with website development and marketing, head down and getting it done…
DING!
A Google My Business notification!
I have a new review!
Wait… What?
A 1-Star Review from Garland Berube
Who?
So I click the link to read the review. It’s 5 words long…
”lenmarshall is a scam company”
My first thought, of course, was “Huh?”
Then it hit me…
This.
Is.
AWESOME!
Look, I don’t know any Garland Berube. I’ve never done any work with anyone remotely close to that name.
It would be easy to get upset, or angry, or bitter, or all of that, because of this obviously fake or desperate negative review.
And that’s what I hear from my clients when this happens to them, too. They’re hurt or frustrated because their business is very personal to them.
No one likes rejection. Especially from a random person who’s never had a connection to the business.
But I followed my own advice that I give my clients:
Take a breath, step back and look at this as a marketing opportunity!
For whatever reason, this person decided to attack my business online.
Maybe they see me as a threatening competitor. That might only be the case if they only have one client and I’ve been talking to them.
Not likely.
Maybe he’s having a run of bad luck and can’t handle seeing other people doing well.
Hey, we’re all having bad days and good.
Whatever the reason (I’m not going to waste much more time trying to figure it out) “Garland” has presented me with a gift.
A gift?
Oh, yes. a beautiful gift to my business and future clients.
Now, when someone finds my Google profile and reads my reviews, that 1-star review is going to stand out like a sore thumb.
People have enough sense to spot a fake review, which subconsciously adds validity and support to all of my 5-star reviews.
In addition to that, they’ll all read my response to “Garland,” which is a golden opportunity to cast my marketing message directly to people that are looking for help.
It gives me an opportunity to show my personality, integrity and authority in my industry.
It would be easy to push back and attack “Garland” for leaving an unjustified, fake review, but that would reflect poorly on the way I conduct myself and my business.
Thank you, Garland Berube!
THANK YOU!
—
Bad reviews are part of the game when it comes to having a successful business.
Building up your reviews and star rating can make a huge difference to if your potential customers contact you, or your competitor – especially for urgent purchase decisions like #plumbing, #restaurants, and #dental.
If you have happy customers but aren’t leaving the online reviews you’d like, I have a great solution for you.
REVU4 is a simple tool that takes care of asking your customers for feedback – automatically!
If your customer indicates they are happy, REVU4 asks them to leave a review online – anywhere from Google to Facebook to HomeStars to TripAdvisor.
But if your customer isn’t happy, REVU4 gives them a chance to send their feedback or complaints directly and privately to you via email, instead of posting a bad review online for everyone to see.
Contact me to see a customized demonstration for your business. No cost and no obligation!
Len is the owner and Creative Director of Quiet City Design, a full-stack media marketing company based in Toronto, Canada. He is passionate about helping his clients leverage the internet to improve business online and offline. Those methods include website development and digital marketing as well as online review reputation management and online scheduling and appointment booking platforms for local business owners.
