Weird review - is it a joke?

[Slapin]

I do dog training and have 100% positive 5 star reviews. I’ve just noticed a new review left last night:

“My dog was acting like a cat, the academy beat it right out of him, old school style! Highly recommended”. He’s then given me 5 stars.

The actual review though is bizarre and suggests I use harsh training methods. Is it meant to be a joke? I can’t get rid of it.

Can you reply to it ?

If I saw that I would assume it was a joke.

5 stars is 5 stars.

Yes I’ve just replied:

Hi, I’m not sure what you mean regarding beating and “old school style”. Thanks for the 5 stars however ...

Maybe I should delete it and just thank him for the 5 stars!

Take it for what it is - passive aggressive. Get it removed for inappropriateness/ fake content. Sounds odd and not genuine.

Good response!

No, I think what you've said is fine. Unless you could contact them and ask them to delete and reword it?

Was it from a customer?

Where was the review left? Google?

Even with your reply (which doesn't actually deny beating) I still would want the whole review gone tbh.

Excellent response!

Do you recognise the customer?

I think you need to make it clear in your reply that you don't beat animals!

Can you see who left the review?

It just sounds like someones individual sense of humour. 5 stars is 5 stars, it's a positive review or at least I'd take it as that!

I think it’s weird that in your response to it you don’t actually deny beating

Sounds like humour to me too. A bit warped though. I think your reply sounds fine.

Was he an actual customer?

I read it as a joke, which I'm sure others will I would t think to much about it.

It probably sounded hilarious in his head, bless.

Odd, is someone trying to get at you?
As others have said, you don't deny 'beating'. If I were to read this, as a dog owner, I would not come to you. Get it removed!

i found it funny. its clearly someone with a sense of humour leaving a good review. it wouldn't put me of.
i cant see though why it has bothered you as there are some people that might take that review seriously.
can you delete it?

Nah I'd not think anything of this. Is he a yorkshire man? X

I think you should ask to have it removed. Even if it is 5 stars, it would still put a lot of potential customers off.

It just sounds like someones individual sense of humour. 5 stars is 5 stars, it's a positive review or at least I'd take it as that!

Yes but a lot of people won't.

You only have to read MN to see how many people take perfectly obvious things, completely the wrong way.

Assuming this is google it’s not that easy to get reviews removed and is a long winded process. You need to be robust in your response. We assume this is a joke, have no record of this customer and most definitely do not use any harsh methods”