Your Guide to Automotive Industry Digital Marketing

There’s nothing more annoying than getting a fake online review on Yelp or Google+ Local that slams your company.

In most cases, these reviews are written by disgruntled employees or even by the competition.

These types of reviews could potentially damage your reputation. 

So here’s the question… Do you know what you should do when you get a fake online review?

Here’s the answer… follow the steps below.

1. Make sure you claim your business listing on a review site. 

Before you do anything, make sure to claim your business listing on the review site. This will give you administrative access to the review site. By having administrative access, you will be able to contact reviewers as well as the review site. The steps for claiming a page are different for every review site. If you’re having difficulties, check the review site’s help section.

2. Make sure the review is actually false.

Before you deem the review fake, take a close look at it. Here are some signs that it’s a fake.

• False information and statements in the review.
• The reviewer doesn’t have any other reviews.
• The reviewer doesn’t have a profile picture.
• The reviewer recently joined the review site.

It’s important to note that these signs do NOT necessarily mean the review is phony. If you’re not totally sure it’s fake, try privately contacting the individual to resolve the problem. Sometimes the reviewer may have just joined the review site or exaggerated the issue to get your attention.

3. Avoid publically commenting on the review.

The worst thing that you can do is publically call out a fake review. It could quickly spiral into a shouting match online. It’s not going to improve your reputation. No one really cares about your argument with a disgruntled employee.

4. If it’s false, flag it. 

Many of the review sites have options that allow you to flag a review if it violates the site’s policies. Popular review sites include: Google+ Local, Yelp, Citysearch, MerchantCircle and Yahoo! Local. Usually reviews violate policies if they contain profanity, personal attacks or off-topic remarks. Flagging a review does not guarantee its removal, but it’s a good place to start.

5. Get more positive reviews

One fake review isn’t going to kill your reputation. Most customers can tell a review is false, especially if there are a ton of positive reviews. The key is to get customers to post positive reviews on Google, Yelp and other review sites. Provide excellent customer service and you will be rewarded. Don’t be afraid to ask loyal customers to write a review.

Following these tips will help you handle fake online reviews for your automotive industry business. For even more assistance, consider getting outside help from AfterMarketer Club.

At AfterMarketer Club, we offer online reputation monitoring services that will help you identify and handle negative and fake online reviews. To find out how we can help you, visit our Contact Page.