Question:
Dear Advice Guy,
I can’t tell if it’s a competitor or a former employee but someone has been getting their friends to post fake [negative] reviews [of my restaurants] on Google. I know they are fake because they are complaining about things that aren’t even on our menu anymore. What can I do to shut this down?
– Culinary Director
Answer:
Even when guests are trying to do honest reviews, review sites can be maddening. My colleagues in the industry bemoan guests who take their grievances public rather than mentioning their dissatisfaction while dining, when it could be corrected. Other reviews are just factually inaccurate or unfair, such as complaining about factors that can’t be easily controlled such as parking or an obnoxious guest at a neighboring table. In this column I’ve previously covered suggestions for responding to negative reviews.
While negative reviews are part of the business, fake, inflammatory, or libelous reviews are not, and demand a different kind of response. First, my advice is to dispassionately respond to the review explaining that it is fake. While this will not change the star rating or resolve the problem, it sends a couple messages to readers:
- That you care and take your visibility seriously.
- That even if your star rating is lower than it should be, it is from these fake reviews.
Do not engage emotionally or aggressively but rather say something like, “Lately we have been attacked by fake reviews and sadly this seems to be another one. I do not serve the dishes you are referencing in your post.”
Then, take advantage of the flagging or reporting feature on the review site to try to have the post removed. The process varies site-by-site and some are more responsive than others. It is important to note that review sites will not typically remove a negative or unfair (to you) review if they think it is authentic.
The most common objection I hear to the advice to monitor and flag fake reviews is that it is time-intensive and not always effective, even when you provide evidence that a review is fake. While I am sympathetic to these issues, the cost of doing nothing and having your reputation damaged far outweighs the cost of making it right. Reading and taking action on reviews—positive, negative and, yes, fake, needs to be a routinized and budgeted part of your social media and marketing strategy.
For particularly egregious or harmful fake reviews, seek guidance from your attorney on any additional recourse you might have.
More on dealing with fake reviews here.