Every Review Will Not Be 5 Stars

Hello Margaret- - -like people are not alike, reviews can do vary. 

It's a shame that someone can write a bad review under the circumstances you described, Margaret. I suppose it varies by the site and their policies.

Jeff

I have over fifty 5-star reviews on Google from real, paying customers. As a notary, I have the name, address and signature of every customer in my notary journal.

I also have three 1-star reviews from dishonest people that never used my services or made any purchase. I assume these were left maliciously by my competition.

Google and Yelp don't require a receipt, invoice or evidence of a paid transaction, so any crook can use a fake name and attack your hard-earned business reputation.

Yelp has earned a bad reputation for its business practices.

Since there is no practical recourse for removing fake negative reviews (attacks), my strategy is to continue to provide excellent customer service and attract 5-star reviews from happy customers.

Free speech is protected, defamation is not. But even if you can prove defamation, it would be difficult to prove the actual monetary damages attributed to a specific false negative review. How can you measure how many people did not call you because they read a false review?

I don't trust reviews after reading about people being paid to write them. The article I read was about writers giving glowing reviews for businesses they'd never used - in fact businesses that weren't even in the same part of the U.S.

It's just as easy to write a negative fake review as a positive one, and there's nothing to stop your competition from writing them - or paying someone to do so.

I don't know where I've been.  I didn't even know people paid to have reviews written.  Unbelievable!

Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland You have a stellar reputation.  Everyone knows you are worth your weight in gold as an agent.  I'm so happy your clients were glad to oblige and help to push that review down.  That practice they have really stinks.

Agree with it all the way!!!

The newest reviews go to the top. It was suggested I go after new testimonials which would push the negative one down on the list.

It is unfortunate that these reviews are not verifiable and cannot be deleted Margaret. People have a tendency to be vindictive when they can hide behind the Internet and we cannot always please everyone. 

What a shame and how unfair, reviews need to be verified before they become sacrosanct about your services.

That's awful!  Why would someone do that to you?  Some people are so petty and negative, anger issues I suppose

It is unfortunate how much influence a single individual can wield with respect to YOUR online reputation, when nothing of theirs in on the line, and there is no recourse.  Simply respond to these types of reviews, so that they do not have the last word.  

I've had to bury negatives comments before.  It wasn't difficult and the tenant that wouldn't move out did not win in that instance!