PSA: Our whole review process broke down after a client gave us a 1-star on Google

Honestly, this was a mess that started about three weeks ago. We had a commercial property client in Tampa who was upset about a follow-up visit fee we charged. Instead of calling us, they just blasted a 1-star review saying we were 'scammers'. Tbh, our whole system for handling reviews was just me checking Google once a week. That bad review sat there for four full days before I saw it, and our reply looked weak and defensive. It made me realize we had no real process. What I did was set up a Google Alert for our business name and made it a rule that any review below 3 stars gets a call from me within 24 hours. We managed to talk it out with the client and they updated their review, but it was a close call. Has anyone else set up a better system for catching and dealing with bad feedback before it hurts you?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.river21d ago

You're one of the lucky ones that got a second chance, most people just get stuck with that review forever and lose a bunch of business before they even know what hit them.

angelaellis21d ago

Doesn't it feel like the whole system is built to screw you over the second you slip up? One bad review or one mistake and you're basically branded for life while the big guys get a dozen chances. I've noticed it everywhere, not just online reviews. Like how a small shop messes up an order once and people hold it against them forever, but the chain store down the street can screw up ten times and nobody even remembers. It's the same with jobs, credit scores, everything. You get one black mark and it follows you around like a ghost.