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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In not removing review

351 replies

onanothertrain · 21/08/2019 13:16

Contacted a tradesperson for urgent repair, was told no problem, they would check the diary and phone me back within an hour. 4 hours later, no phone call so I sent a text. Another 4 hours later still nothing. I will admit to being annoyed so I left a Google review stating the above. An hour later I got a text asking me to remove the review as they hadn't actually done any work for me and they were working hard to maintain their business. I didnt respond and have now had 2 more texts asking me to remove the review. Im now considering either ignoring the texts and blocking, removing my review but leaving another one explaining why or just removing it all together. Although my stubborn side is not leaning towards the third option. So Aibu not to remove it?

OP posts:
ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 13:46

Why are people helping in about it being unreasonable to expect a response sighing 4 hours when the tradesman said “I’ll call you back in an hour”?!

YANBU OP. Did he explain why he didn’t call you back as promised?

Rubbinghimsweetly2 · 21/08/2019 13:46

Watching, he hasn't done anything wrong though has he he's just busy on another job.

steff13 · 21/08/2019 13:47

I wouldn't have left the review in the first place. However, I'd be a little Hmm that he didn't have time to call me back as promised, but had time to pressure me to remove the review within an hour of it being left. Did he apologize or explain why he didn't call you back as promised?

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 13:47

Helping in= yelping on

familycourtq · 21/08/2019 13:47

The problem is that OP said that it was a google review, so I assume she's also given 1 star. That's going to pull down their whole average, and people will see that, not the fact that it's from someone who didn't actually use their services.
You can't use someone's services if they don't return your calls.
If people are basing their purchasing decisions solely on number of stars on Google they are stupid and will get the shit service they deserve.

peachgreen · 21/08/2019 13:47

I totally disagree that OP is being U. The tradesperson said they'd call back within an hour. They didn't. OP gave them another chance after 4 hours. They still didn't call back. In any job, that's unprofessional. The responsiveness and reliability of a tradesperson is just as important to me as the quality of their work.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 21/08/2019 13:48

Fuck me it's one review, not a world embargo. Talk about exaggeration.

The problem is that people do choose the tradesperson with an average of 4.4 stars on Google over the one with 4.2 stars. So it really can make a big difference. My brother (electrician) has seen huge variations in the amount of work he gets depending on what most people would consider tiny, petty differences in his current standing on review sites.

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 13:48

*he hasn’t done anything wrong though, he’s just busy on another job”. - do you cal/text and say “I’m busy, can we discuss at 3pm?”

Watchingthyme · 21/08/2019 13:48

If spent all his working day taking calls from customers, he wouldn't get any actual repairs done

Now this is the most batshit thing I have heard. I run a small business, most of the business I get and retain is down to good customer service. Returning calls. Emailing responses within 24 hours. Making sure everyone is happy.
If I did what this guy did, then I would be annoyed with myself for dropping the ball and I would be sorting my shit out.

Not harassing someone to take down a fair comment

campingaddict · 21/08/2019 13:48

For goodness sake remove the review! He was probably working really hard and didn't have time to respond!! You cannot leave a bad review for a service you haven't even received! I hope you never have your own business!!

LisaSimpsonsbff · 21/08/2019 13:49

If people are basing their purchasing decisions solely on number of stars on Google they are stupid and will get the shit service they deserve.

Well that's great but it doesn't pay the tradesperson's mortgage to say 'well, it's silly of people to care about google reviews so I shall simply rise above it'

Watchingthyme · 21/08/2019 13:50

@Rubbinghimsweetly2
Does NO ONE understand that customer service is part of a fucking job

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 13:50

In my neck of the woods there is a shortage of trades so they choose who to work for, not the other way round, unfortunately.

If he wanted to maintain his. If he wanted to preserve his business he should call back when he says he will or stop making promises about response times without thinking them through.

ElleDubloo · 21/08/2019 13:51

YANBU. Hate people who say they’ll do something within x time and don’t do it. It’s a sign of professionalism .: within the remit of a review.

Nicknacky · 21/08/2019 13:51

watching Why swear? Yes customer service is part of the job but he is human, he probably just forgot.

I’ve forgotten to call people at work. I’m just glad I can’t be reviewed!

LisaSimpsonsbff · 21/08/2019 13:51

Incidentally, I do think that they should have rung OP back, or at least replied to her text. I just think her approach is very much a sledgehammer to a nut, and a complete overreaction.

feistymumma · 21/08/2019 13:51

YABU

IAmBannedAgainTheBastards · 21/08/2019 13:51

I think it's mean and petty, remove the review

Pmsblows · 21/08/2019 13:52

Yeah but what kind of business @Watchingthyme? If you’re near a phone/computer all day then that’s a lot easier.
If, however, you’re crawling through a dusty loft, avoiding wasps nests and trying to find a sodding cable then

  1. You lose track of time
  2. That job at hand is far more important than someone calling about potential work
  3. You don’t exactly have your phone or laptop to hand Hmm
loobyloo1234 · 21/08/2019 13:52

YABU. How needy to leave a review over not returning a phone call

DerelictWreck · 21/08/2019 13:52

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. It's a review of their service which they failed to provide as assured. As a potential customer I would want to know if they were unreliable, forgetful or poor time keepers etc, so this would be useful. As long as your review is factual it's fine.

As PP said, if they've got time to send 3 texts about it, they had time to ring you back.

I would leave the review up

Watchingthyme · 21/08/2019 13:53

@Nicknacky
He forgot to reply twice, or was too busy to reply twice, but could text more than once about removing the review ? Ok

Hotterthanallheck · 21/08/2019 13:53

I’d leave it up. It’s a factual account of what actually happened.

If you provide a service to customers and your business relies on word of mouth, then it’s on you to make sure that everyone who interacts with your business has a positive experience. Yes, everyone has off days, but don’t expect to be given a free pass for them. I’m a lawyer and if I told one of our clients I’d get back to them in an hour and then forgot about them, I’d rightly have my arse handed to me.

He contacted OP quickly enough when he saw the negative review. So why couldn’t he get back to her in the timeframe that he gave? Also, harassing her to remove the review is a really dickish thing to do.

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 13:54

And he’s got time to read the review and harass OP about it but not to discuss her urgent repairer respond to her text?

Why the fuck did he not just get in touch, apologise, give her a quote and THEN say “now that we’ve sorted things out, would you mind removing/amending your review?”

LisaSimpsonsbff · 21/08/2019 13:54

I’m a lawyer and if I told one of our clients I’d get back to them in an hour and then forgot about them, I’d rightly have my arse handed to me.

a) Could you have a word with our conveyancers, please? They did not consider ringing back when they said they would a necessary part of their jobs
b) You sit at a desk, by your phone!