Poor reviews - what to do about them

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Bob Russell — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 17:57:27 GMT

There is some control over Facebook reviews and those going on to their website but as far as I am aware it is not possible to alter or remove from sites such as Google.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Kate Richardson — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 17:42:07 GMT

[quote user="Tim Browning"]

I was talking to a friend recently who had moved into Corporate life with a big increase in pay. Apparently individual vet consultation ratings by clients are encouraged so she spends a lot of time chasing up individuals who have been negative about her and getting them to back down, which they do face to face! I wouldn't have the brass neck.

Also the really bad ones are filtered out at HO and don't make the light of day but the vet concerned will get feedback alright!

Is this common practice in corporates?

[/quote]

No not in my experience. Google reviews are entirely independent as far as I am aware, not sure how HO could filter out the bad ones? (if you are talking about Google reviews)

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Bob Russell — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 16:28:00 GMT

[quote user="Tim Browning"]

Also the really bad ones are filtered out at HO and don't make the light of day but the vet concerned will get feedback alright!

Is this common practice in corporates?

[/quote]

Wow! That should make life fun for the vet!!

As if a vets' life could not get any more stressful!

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 16:05:45 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]tripAdvisor (bad) reviews are the best! [/quote]I went to a pub recently had a very acceptable pub meal, in typical pub surroundings, with friendly but not over-attentive service at a very reasonable price. A previous reviewer had given it a poor review slagging off everything from the food not being restaurant standard, to poor service to the pub decor then finished off with 'I don't like pubs anyway'! WTF.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Tim Browning — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 15:32:10 GMT

Also the really bad ones are filtered out at HO and don't make the light of day but the vet concerned will get feedback alright!

Is this common practice in corporates?

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Julie Innes — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 12:23:01 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]It has been known for TripAdvisor type using hotels to be blackmailed by 'reviewers'[/quote]

tripAdvisor (bad) reviews are the best! Saw one for a villa we were renting where a previous occupant was "disgusted" at there being a mug with Christmas design in the villa in the summer! AND there was a teaspoon that didn't match the others! Other classics have been the "too many foreigners" in foreign countries and "no British food"

if you think we have it bad, reading some of the ridiculous complaints about hotels/ villas/ restaurants will make you feel better!

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Bob Russell — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 09:22:42 GMT

I completely agree that the majority of these complainers are not reasonable people. One of the first things I do now is look at their other reviews.

If they are varied then I respect them a lot more than those of professional complainers.

I don't believe these people have any idea (or care) what implications these reviews can have on a business.

It has been known for TripAdvisor type using hotels to be blackmailed by 'reviewers'.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Julie Innes — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:55:03 GMT

My worry is that the people giving the unfair review are generally not very reasonable, so if you try to defend yourself I would worry that umpteem of their mates will come on to back them up, often making up complete lies (I have seen this happen to another business). Now you have 16 bad reviews and trying to defend all of them..

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:43:44 GMT

[quote user="Edward Jones"]Reasonable clients (the clients you want) can detect when a bad review is vexatious.[/quote]

I'm not so sure. No smoke without fire, and all that.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Edward Jones — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 09:50:27 GMT

Reasonable clients (the clients you want) can detect when a bad review is vexatious. A single bad review in a sea of good reviews says more about the author than anyone else.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Rob Davis — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 13:18:05 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="Rob Davis"]This is about client confidentiality not data protection, they are different beasts.[/quote]So long as you only address the specific complaints I would say the client has lost their confidentiality the moment they publicly complained.

[/quote]

Only in so far as discussing information they have publicly given, not as far as other information is concerned. Regardless I think it looks unprofessional to have a detailed discussion on a public forum.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 11:43:48 GMT

Respond as previously advised politely but without going into any details and detailed rebuttals, suggesting they speak to you directly. The clients you really want will respect that far more than if you try to defend yourself on a forum with a troll

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Martin Atkinson — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 11:02:11 GMT

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Rob Davis — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 09:05:30 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Rob Davis"]You can't break client confidentiality like this. Keep it bland and encourage them to discuss via a more suitable medium.[/quote]

Oh, FFS, how on earth is quoting some, undentifiable, ujustified, posting with anonymous details such as "this dog" etc, or "the dog" remotely considered "data protection" when I can post "The world is Flat">??

[which there's been no conflicting evidence]

[/quote]

This is about client confidentiality not data protection, they are different beasts.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Rob Loxley — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:56:50 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

You won't identify the complainant and I bet they don't identify themselves but they can identify you, specifically, and detrimentally.

Check with the VDS and report back; common sense and fair play, I hope, hasn't gone??

[/quote]

Essentially if you have a vexatious complainer, and you start breaking client confidentiality by posting details of their pet's treatment, you shouldn't be surprised if this break in client confidentiality gets added to their initial complaint...

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Kate Richardson — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:51:13 GMT

How about every time one of us gets an unfair review, we all go on and add a positive one. With the number of us on here, the positive reviews should drown it out very quickly!!!

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Anthony Todd — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:16:55 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]Because even if you stay generic everyone that reads the review will know you're talking about that case. I would imagine the VDS advises against that, and they know a thing or two about dealing with complaints[/quote]

Well of course you are, and rightly so! How else can anyone justify their specific action in a specific case?

You won't identify the complainant and I bet they don't identify themselves but they can identify you, specifically, and detrimentally.

Check with the VDS and report back; common sense and fair play, I hope, hasn't gone??

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:18:30 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[which there's been no conflicting evidence]

[/quote]

Because even if you stay generic everyone that reads the review will know you're talking about that case. I would imagine the VDS advises against that, and they know a thing or two about dealing with complaints

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Laurence Webb — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 23:34:34 GMT

If you've got lot of positive reviews and a couple of negative ones I'd leave them alone. I think that a few negative ones give extra authenticity to the good ones, especially if they are a bit off the wall.

Unless you normally reply to every review, to start arguing against this one will look a bit odd to most googlers(is that a word?). At most a generic 'please contact us to discuss your concerns further' should suffice' You will never beat the internet!

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Anthony Todd — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 18:35:57 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]You can't break client confidentiality like this. Keep it bland and encourage them to discuss via a more suitable medium.[/quote]

[which there's been no conflicting evidence]

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 17:48:25 GMT

We've discussed this before, I think, and I'm hoping anything I post now won't completely contradict what I may have written earlier! I don't think it will, because I don't think my opinion has changed.

I think people DO take negative reviews into account. I know if am shopping for something online and there is the ability to select the poor reviews and good reviews, I will make a point of reading the bad ones as well as the good ones. Sometimes the negative ones will affect my buying decision.

I think that all reviews, good or bad, should be replied to:

a) Good reviews, out of courtesy

b) Bad reviews, to show (both to the complainer and to the rest of the audience) that regardless of the rights and wrongs, you listen.

c) Unfair reviews, because it could be DEEPLY demoralising on a member of staff if, as an employer, you let it stand completely unchallenged.

d) Unfair reviews (ie demonstrably, factually incorrect), because it's just not on, and people should not be allowed to get away with it unchallenged.

In a very few cases, you might think the complainer has a point, in which case a sincere public apology is needed. But I guess in those situations the apology would already have been made and probably accepted before it reached facebook.

In most cases, the main objective has nothing to do with the complaint or the complainer. The main objective is to respond in a way that makes you look caring, wonderful, kind, and reasonable.

I think that is usually best done by a sincere sounding recognition of what the complainer has said (not 'we're sorry if you think x' because that really is red rag to a bull, but 'we're really sorry you're upset; we don't like anyone who has visited our practice to feel that way, regardless of the rights and wrongs), followed by a rebuttal, along the lines of: I think it is fair to say that our understanding of events is very different to yours, but we are not allowed to discuss things which might compromise client confidentiality on facebook. If you would like to call us on xxx xxx xxx, we will of course do whatever we can to sort this matter out.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Bob Russell — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 17:39:52 GMT

Be sympathetic but firm and make it clear that they can discuss the matter with you further if they are unsure about anything.

They won't!

After that say nothing.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Rob Davis — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:33:43 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"] but I would add a clear account of what you did for the animal and what was said.[/quote]

You can't break client confidentiality like this. Keep it bland and encourage them to discuss via a more suitable medium.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Anthony Todd — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:21:49 GMT

I agree that one should aways reply, and do as Braden says but I would add a clear account of what you did for the animal and what was said.

[sigh] BITD we just had to gossip in the park, thank goodness.

RE: Poor reviews - what to do about them

Braden Collins — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:52:08 GMT

I believe you should always reply to every review. For negative reviews it's important to not get into a public arguement. For a review like you describe I would say something along the lines of "we're sorry you weren't satisfied with the service provided to you under such circumstances. We believe we addressed your concerns in a caring and professional manner, and stand by our staff in the way they dealt with you and your pet. If you would like to discuss your concerns further please feel free to call me at the clinic on xxxxxxxx. Kind regards, Braden"

That shows to anyone reading the reviews that you are the reasonable on in this situation.

If the person responds on the review site with further arguements or comments it's best to not respond further.