Reputation Management

Quick Answer

How to Manage Bad Reviews & Your Reputation At their core, reviews and review-based websites are and were meant to serve as a beacon for encouraging positive customer service, but sometimes can cause reputation management. They were designed as a way to arm the consumer with trustworthy and accurate assessments of a business’ performance for present and future customers.

Reputation Management

How to Manage Bad Reviews & Your Reputation At their core, reviews and review-based websites are and were meant to serve as a beacon for encouraging positive customer service, but sometimes can cause reputation management. They were designed as a way to arm the consumer with trustworthy and accurate assessments of a business’ performance for present and future customers.

Topics covered: Rip Off Report

How to Manage Bad Reviews & Your Reputation

At their core, reviews and review-based websites are and were meant to serve as a beacon for encouraging positive customer service, but sometimes can cause reputation management. They were designed as a way to arm the consumer with trustworthy and accurate assessments of a business’ performance for present and future customers. When we say review-based websites, we mean websites and apps such as Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Rip Off Report, Trip Advisor, Angie’s List, and Home Advisor to name a few. 

 

 

What was started with the best of intentions has quickly turned into a bloodbath in many cases when customers abuse the system, which can result in reputation management. This has created dishonest reviews due to personal vendettas, damaging information being spread, and in some cases, defamation and slander. Unfortunately, this has generated an entire “industry” dedicated to writing dishonest reviews in order to knock down the competition. 

We’re all probably a little guilty, though. Let me tell you a story. Typically, I visit Starbucks three to five times per week on my way into the office to pick up an iced coffee. If I were to answer a survey on my experience, I would check “good”. My iced coffee is consistently delicious, the drive-thru is timely, and the baristas are usually friendly. With my typical “good experience,” do I call Starbucks’ corporate office in Seattle on a regular basis and provide positive feedback? No. Should I? Yes. Oftentimes, bad reviews are emotionally driven due to a frustrating experience, even if it wasn’t the norm. What we see on a regular basis on review websites is that generally, most reviews are a result of an emotional reaction. When using a review website, it’s important to understand the context, the history, and the nature of these sites before using them. For every bad review you see, there may be 500 positive customer experiences.

What Should I do if my Reputation Has Been Damaged?

There’s no secrets in business, right? We all have been involved in a customer service experience we can learn from or a customer service issue that we wish we would have handled differently. Unfortunately, some of the negative customer experiences escalate and individuals may resort to unethical, unprofessional, illegal, or immoral tactics to tell their story. Our professional reputation has taken many of us a lifetime of great business and personal interactions to develop. These reputations can be destroyed in an instant with the stroke of a pen or the click of a button. If you’ve received a bad review online which has damaged your personal or professional reputation, reputation management can help. 

If the reviews and the statements your accuser have made are true, then you need to deal with the situation. Work with the individual or business to repair the issue, find common ground, resolve the situation, and kindly request that they remove or redact their review once a resolution has been agreed upon. Redacting or attempting to remove reviews does not guarantee doesn’t always remove the negative press. The impact your bad review(s) online will  have or already have already had on your business and professional life may be great. Unfortunately, some review sites like Rip Off Report will NOT allow a review to be removed once it is posted on their website. 

If the reviews, negative press, and actions of the individual or company are not true, professional reputation management can help you fix and repair your damaged reputation. 

At The AD Leaf ®, we’re here to help you manage these negative impacts and help you stop the lost sales your company might be facing as a result.

Our Approach

We focus on understanding the issues, situations, and your end goals before we begin to work together. This ensures that supporting you in restoring your professional and personal reputation is our top priority. We understand the sensitivity and care required to address these very embarrassing, scary, and delicate matters. Our first option is to support you in removing or redacting the negative press, reviews, and articles written about you. When removal isn’t possible, we will work to bury the reviews and move them away from the first pages of a search engine. It is known that the prime real estate of a search engine is the first page. If your bad publicity is move to page 2 or page 3, there is a much less likely chance that someone would read the damaging articles or reviews. 

If you need help in managing your reputation or repairing it, give us a call at 321-255-0900 or email us at info@theadleaf.com to schedule your reputation management consultation. 

Key Takeaways

  • How to Manage Bad Reviews & Your Reputation At their core, reviews and review-based websites are and were meant to serve as a beacon for encouraging positive customer service, but sometimes can cause reputation management.
  • They were designed as a way to arm the consumer with trustworthy and accurate assessments of a business’ performance for present and future customers.
  • This has created dishonest reviews due to personal vendettas, damaging information being spread, and in some cases, defamation and slander.
  • Unfortunately, this has generated an entire “industry” dedicated to writing dishonest reviews in order to knock down the competition.
  • Typically, I visit Starbucks three to five times per week on my way into the office to pick up an iced coffee.

About The Author

Brian J Wallace Brian J Wallace

Brian started with The AD Leaf in January 2021. Brian and his team work with businesses and organizations to identify their marketing needs and goals, and consultant them on strategies and tactics to execute and achieve those needs and goals. He received his Advertising and Business degrees from the University of Florida. Brian has spent the last 20+ years in the media and digital marketing field working with local, regional and national clients of all sizes, from restaurants, auto dealerships, home service businesses to jet makers! He is a data-driven and analytical digital marketing enthusiast with a proven track record for developing, executing and optimizing marketing solutions that increase sales and drive market share. He currently sits on two non-profit boards, AAF Space Coast and Trinity Fitness Space Coast. Brian is a native of Long Island NY and has also lived in Southern California and North Virginia. He now enjoys living in sunny, warm Florida with his wife and two daughters.

How Reputation Management Can Help Your Company

Posted on | by Brian J Wallace
Marketing

Quick Answer

I'm sure many us can remember a time in our lives where someone said something negative about us. It certainly doesn't feel good when knowing the things that were said negatively about us were not true and we had to handle the situation by proving to others that the rumors were false.

How Reputation Management Can Help Your Company

I'm sure many us can remember a time in our lives where someone said something negative about us. It certainly doesn't feel good when knowing the things that were said negatively about us were not true and we had to handle the situation by proving to others that the rumors were false.

Topics covered: Marketing, Reputation Management

I’m sure many us can remember a time in our lives where someone said something negative about us. It certainly doesn’t feel good when knowing the things that were said negatively about us were not true and we had to handle the situation by proving to others that the rumors were false. When it comes to promoting your business online, there are others out there that wish to put your company in danger and at risk of losing revenue, and above all, your reputation. With the emergence of social media platforms, it most certainly makes it easy for companies to have a target on their backs. Having said that, here’s the question:

What is Reputation Management and how it can help your company alleviate any bad press online?

Reputation management is a technique that incorporates Marketing efforts and campaigns to bury negative reviews, information or search results and promote content that positively shows the desired image of a company.

Here’s how Reputation Management can manage your online presence:

  • Increase Sales and Revenue: The internet is the primary spot for individuals to connect to when they are searching for answers to their problems. It is the best place to search and research for all kinds of topics. One of the best ways to use Reputation Management and increase your sales and revenue is to directly engage with customers through the means of social media and your website. Of course, this should be done in a positive light and you must be transparent so your customers can continue to trust you. The company who is implementing Reputation Management should make sure they find a reputable person or marketing company to take over this role.
  • Build Credibility: Like we mentioned previously, gaining your customer’s trust is of the utmost importance for a business to survive online. Whether you’re in the B2C or B2B market, the internet gives your customers a voice to say whatever is on their mind online if they aren’t happy with your service or your product. One negative comment about your brand will spread much faster than a positive one. Once you have a reputation management strategy in place to alleviate negative reviews, it helps you build your credibility as a brand that deeply cares about its customers and wants to improve your services and products.
  • Build a Brand Image: With Reputation Management, you can definitely build a better brand image for your company. Once you or a marketing agency can monitor the responses that are being put out by bad press comments, any attacks can be dealt with swiftly. This can be done by publishing a social media post, where positive dialogue can begin to build your brand’s image moving forward.

Conclusion

Building credibility and brand image are paramount. In the end, businesses make mistakes and it is their duty to have their loyal customers trust them again and continue to service them in the most ethical way. This is the power of Reputation Management.

Key Takeaways

  • I'm sure many us can remember a time in our lives where someone said something negative about us.
  • It certainly doesn't feel good when knowing the things that were said negatively about us were not true and we had to handle the situation by proving to others that the rumors were false.
  • When it comes to promoting your business online, there are others out there that wish to put your company in danger and at risk of losing revenue, and above all, your reputation.
  • With the emergence of social media platforms, it most certainly makes it easy for companies to have a target on their backs.
  • Having said that, here's the question: What is Reputation Management and how it can help your company alleviate any bad press online?

About The Author

Brian J Wallace Brian J Wallace

Brian started with The AD Leaf in January 2021. Brian and his team work with businesses and organizations to identify their marketing needs and goals, and consultant them on strategies and tactics to execute and achieve those needs and goals. He received his Advertising and Business degrees from the University of Florida. Brian has spent the last 20+ years in the media and digital marketing field working with local, regional and national clients of all sizes, from restaurants, auto dealerships, home service businesses to jet makers! He is a data-driven and analytical digital marketing enthusiast with a proven track record for developing, executing and optimizing marketing solutions that increase sales and drive market share. He currently sits on two non-profit boards, AAF Space Coast and Trinity Fitness Space Coast. Brian is a native of Long Island NY and has also lived in Southern California and North Virginia. He now enjoys living in sunny, warm Florida with his wife and two daughters.