Reputation is a big part of our society, and consumer reviews or consumer opinions about your property management company can actually make or break your business.
While bad reviews will negatively affect your company, there’s something that does even further damage. It’s far more detrimental to not respond to those reviews. When you ignore them, it gives the impression that you do not care about your clients.
When Reviews are Inauthentic
There will be some situations where negative comments are beyond your control.
For example, someone could create multiple accounts and flood various sites with multiple negative reviews. It is very difficult to detect whether those reviews are authentic, and it’s even more difficult to get those reviews removed.
Here are some key indicators that can tell you if a review is inauthentic:
- If you get a flutter of reviews all at once.
- If you click on the user profile and there is no avatar or picture.
- If the individual’s profile contains no name, information, or description.
- If the account was created recently.
Responding to Inauthentic Reviews
If the reviews are hateful or inappropriate, you can flag them so you know they need to be removed immediately. Google and Yelp are two companies that will usually take down inauthentic reviews that violate their standards.
However, if you cannot get them removed, there is something you can do on your own to improve the situation. You can do your own research to see if that user or customer has actually been a client of yours or has purchased any kind of services with you.
If they have, go ahead and respond to the negative review. See if you can fix the problem and mend the relationship. If it turns out they have not had any relationship with your company at all, you should still respond. This will show future clients that you are proactive in responding to problems and working to fix relationships between you and your clients.
Hopefully, you won’t have to worry about how to deal with negative and even inauthentic consumer reviews. Remember that responses are critical.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly at Fourandhalf.
