Page 3 | Ideas for a nasty customer who gave us a bad review inaccurately

maddiemookins16mum · 21/08/2020 16:46

You need to be clever. People will judge you on the tone of your response.
You almost need to super nice/apologetic but at the same time correcting him so that others will see through his incorrect review.

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 21/08/2020 17:02

Great suggestions all. I've engaged with him when he's messaged me and the review is a week old now so he's had time to reflect. He's just very nasty.

So at some point over the weekend I'll draft a reply with my exceptionally diplomatic PR lady and put it on. No mention of one star reviews. Maybe flight confusion (very slight) that he felt that way as we had been in contact, all delivered on time and he's happy with the item.

He's the kind of fucking tosser that will reply on google so trust me it will be very diplomatic.

He's done 7 one star reviews for local businesses so he must be a right piece of work!

Interesting what you say @treesandrocks I'll look at that. I'm usually logged in so will log out and see how it looks.

I've asked the team to get some more customer reviews too! We give very good service and even when things go wrong get them resolved so there must be some happy customers out there..

I've kind of been meaning to sort this out anyway, we can't be at the mercy of just our disgruntled customers (everyone has them). If you don't ask customers sadly it's them that mostly do unsolicited reviews sadly!

OP posts:

Mumoftwo1994 · 21/08/2020 17:23

@Vodkacranberryplease

Mumsnetters I'm begging asking for your help. I've got a small business and this banker type gave us a one star google review. That's a disaster and furthermore it's based on a lie. I'm confident he's not married (I hope so for her sake) or on mumsnet.

He contacted me too whining so I tore shreds off the team (well not really just said what the fuck?) and found out he ordered it weeks after he said he did, it was delivered on time, he wasn't there for the delivery so they had to go back and it was delivered by the time I responded to his message apologising offering him a credit and a refund if he wanted to cancel as he said it was going to be delivered September.

And I've looked at his reviews and they are all one star to local businesses who have often replied saying I'm what are you talking about we don't know you or there was no problem, so he has form.

He's finally replied to my second message saying my review reflects the poor service. What poor service? And he changed the review after he found out that he ordered it in June and it was delivered. So in other words tough luck I'm not taking it down even though I lied.

I'm furious! Google reviews make a big difference! And you can't get them taken down! What can I do? I actually want revenge (sorry but I do) but nothing he can pin on me. He has a financial business so I could get reviews for that done (not straight away though!) but what else?

Gutted and annoyed. People can be such arseholes. This is just pure spite. It affects my google rankings and we aren't one of those ones that gets a ton of fake reviews put up. All our real reviews are great!

You can get them removed but I think you have to pay, I worked for an estate agent before and they removed a bad review.

pinkbalconyrailing · 21/08/2020 17:28

don't engage.
it will make you look like a twat.

WitchesGlove · 21/08/2020 21:36

Mumoftwo1994-

There’d be little point having it removed- what’s to stop the same person simply posting it again? Or creating more id’s and posting loads of bad reviews?

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 21/08/2020 21:54

Hmm possibly. Hoping he would have moved on to some other poor bastard by then!

OP posts:

Glamazoni · 21/08/2020 22:02

You want revenge on a customer who left you a review that you disagree with? How unprofessional. Negative reviews happen - what matters is how you deal with them. Taking petty revenge on the customer is not the correct approach.

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 21/08/2020 23:21

@Glamazoni

You want revenge on a customer who left you a review that you disagree with? How unprofessional. Negative reviews happen - what matters is how you deal with them. Taking petty revenge on the customer is not the correct approach.

Aaaannd bingo! Amazed it took this long!

No of course I don't. I don't mind one bit that someone spitefully tries to ruin small local businesses with no reason or provocation. It doesn't matter if he fucks our google rankings or reputation, why would it?

OP posts:

Glamazoni · 21/08/2020 23:59

If one negative review ruins your business then you have bigger problems than that one review. It’s unprofessional to try to take it outside of the business context and target him personally.

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 22/08/2020 00:18

One doesn't. Obviously. However it affects our rankings in google abc I have to spend a lot of time fixing that despite the mountain of post Covid shit I have to deal with. It's a ONE star review. It completely screws our average rating and that matters. A lot when it comes to google.

And if someone targets a business they have zero comeback. He's already been extremely nasty to a new staff member, lied to me, put a detailed false review on google then changed it when he realised he was completely wrong, cost us money for a delivery he want in for (our deliveries are not cheapy dhl ones). And he's don't exactly the same to six other companies nearby.

He thinks he is 100% bulletproof. He has absolutely no shame or conscience. The moral high ground makes zero difference to nasty psychopaths like this. I've seen his other reviews and the bewildered answers from other businesses. He is pure poison.

OP posts:

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 22/08/2020 00:20

And it's not B2B so there is no scope to tackle this 'professionally' because he is a person buying something. Though he does have a business so you would think he would be a little less of a cunt.

OP posts:

canigooutyet · 22/08/2020 09:24

There are people like this out there who get kicks out of it.

A few years ago I was targeted by a group of tossers. They all left neg reviews, I politely responded explaining basically I didn't have a clue what they were they talking about, I'd never even done any business with them. I had 5 negs and 1 positive, that was it.

To overcome it I offered a discount and assurances that those reviews were basically bollocks.

New customers still laugh about those bad reviews and how well I managed them. I could have closed down and re-opened under a new name.

Once I have answered customers queries unless we have other business to discuss I stop engaging them. Again people get kicks out of doing it because they know they are wasting your time. To them it either shows them how important they are because they are still responded to, or they are getting their kicks knowing they are taking your time away from other customers, some even think by engaging your business isn't busy.

He's not going to change his mind and retract his review. You know this from his previous reviews.

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 22/08/2020 09:54

You are right. He's not taking it down. The plan is to swamp it with real and good reviews. I've been meaning to get the whole 'asking for reviews' thing in hand anyway so this is a reminder to do so. Rubbish timing as I'm also trying to ensure we are running well as Covid has introduced various problems so the time taken away from that means possibly a ball dropped elsewhere. In two weeks it's fine but having to respond immediately isn't always possible when it's something like 'go out and get 20 new google reviews' 😁

How awful for you though. That's truly nasty, could they have been friends of an ex, or a business rival? Hopefully it resulted in you having a well oiled process for gathering reviews which was a plus. But just ugh.

OP posts:

Frequency · 22/08/2020 10:07

I generally read the 2, 3 and 4 star reviews. 5 star ones I assume are paid for. 1 star I assume are written by people who don't know how to read instructions. I do read replies from businesses and if they are factual, polite and concise I weigh it up against the customer review and decide from there who is being honest and who is unable to read instructions.

GrumpyHoonMain · 22/08/2020 10:15

If he is a banker / lawyer and you suspect he’s deliberately posting bad reviews to fraudulently obtain replacements / refunds then you could google him and inform his employer. It is usually a breach of most core standard policies

canigooutyet · 22/08/2020 10:22

Mine was rivals, turns out they are known for it within the industry. Regularly change names to keep targeting people, just easy to spot because of the wording used. A lot of time wasters in my experience aren't very smart and you get to the stage where you can spot them a mile away regardless of how they first communicate with you.

I understand what you mean about reviews and getting customers to leave any. After those negs it really put me off even mentioning fb for sometime.

When I do a thanks for your custom type of thing, I mention something about any issues, get in touch direct, and if you have a moment could you leave a review about your experience.
Obviously all worded professionally!!

Sites that I can respond to feedback I do, good and bad.

Most of the time people are honest. All you can do with the bad ones is leave a comment if you can and move on.

Oh I get my revenge on time-wasters when I'm bored I talk to them for my own entertainment. And I include cold callers as time-wasters.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/08/2020 14:10

I generally read the 2, 3 and 4 star reviews. 5 star ones I assume are paid for. 1 star I assume are written by people who don't know how to read instructions.

That seems a bit extreme to me. Do you not believe that any businesses/products can ever be excellent or terrible - only average, slightly better than average or slightly worse?

I treat it that 5 stars should be the expectation, so any fewer than that means that they have lost a star(s) for a specific reason, which I would usually state. A lot of people out there see 3 stars as the default and would therefore give only that rating and often state 'as expected', even if the service/goods were delivered cheerfully and problem-free. If I employ somebody to come and unblock a clogged-up drain, they turn up with a friendly greeting and then get on and get the job done perfectly, before pleasantly saying goodbye, why wouldn't that merit 5 stars? I don't expect them to serenade me and turn up with a bouquet of roses and a troupe of dancing girls.

I've also seen a lot where people down-rate to three stars purely because it's a boring or mundane service/product. "What can I say? It's an extension lead and it does the job." I sometimes wonder if they don't actually realise or just don't care that it's somebody's livelihood behind every small company that they're jeopardising, just because they meet a dull yet essential everyday need rather than running Alton Towers.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/08/2020 14:12

A lot of time wasters in my experience aren't very smart

Exactly. They seem not to realise that as well as wasting a random stranger's time, which they have no reason to care about anyway, they're also wasting their own sad little lives, which you'd think would matter to them.

amiascrazyastheysay · 22/08/2020 14:14

Get your family and friends to leave as many real 5 star reviews on your service as you can.

pinkbalconyrailing · 22/08/2020 14:14

I never give 5 star ratings.
and I also disregard 5 or 1 ratings unless there is a certain trend, like lots of 2 and 1 or lots of high ratings. the trend show more than a single review.

Frequency · 22/08/2020 14:15

I have previously worked in freelance computing ie the industry which is paid for the fake reviews. I know how many companies pay for 5 star reviews and in which amount. Even massive, reputable companies have been guilty of buying massive amounts a five star reviews. It made me cynical and suspicious of five star reviews, especially well written, detailed 5 star reviews. 3 and four star reviews are more likely to be genuine.

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 22/08/2020 14:21

God if you look at reviews sites and eBay a non 5 star rating is considered terrible! Please don't give reviews if your default is 3 stars! American companies tend to think it should all be 5 star and you are penalised heavily for less than 5 stars.

We sell very nice things and so people are happy. But orders take weeks, and there's a lot that can go wrong (nature of the beast) so not everyone is going to give glowing reviews. 3 stars is for when sonethinb went wrong and was fixed but not helpfully IME

OP posts:

Original poster

Vodkacranberryplease · 22/08/2020 14:23

@Frequency

I have previously worked in freelance computing ie the industry which is paid for the fake reviews. I know how many companies pay for 5 star reviews and in which amount. Even massive, reputable companies have been guilty of buying massive amounts a five star reviews. It made me cynical and suspicious of five star reviews, especially well written, detailed 5 star reviews. 3 and four star reviews are more likely to be genuine.

Sadly all those 5 star reviews get them to the top of google/amazon, plus get sales. People actually reading reviews isn't the only payoff.

OP posts:

HouchinBawbags · 22/08/2020 14:25

@pinkbalconyrailing

I never give 5 star ratings. and I also disregard 5 or 1 ratings unless there is a certain trend, like lots of 2 and 1 or lots of high ratings. the trend show more than a single review.

What type of service do you expect to give full stars? I pay, get the exact item or service I want quickly then I cannot see how it doesn't merit 5 stars. The company has done precisely what it should.

ScorpioSphinxInACalicoDress · 22/08/2020 14:31

I have 250 X 5 stars and 1 X 1 star from someone who didn't see delivery time (height of Covid) was up to two weeks. I refunded her in full. She continued to inbox me abusive messages and left me 1 star saying I was unprofessional.
I replied, calmly, and said "X didn't notice delivery times and was immediately refunded when she first queried the timescale. I would now be grateful if she stopped sending me abusive messages via my inbox"

Reply, factually, but with that jellyfish sting. People will understand. My sales have stayed the same since that one.