Reviews
What to Actually Do About a Fake or Unfair Review
By Mohamed Eltoukhy, founder of EVOGENCY ·
A fake or wildly unfair review feels personal, but reacting emotionally in public usually makes it worse. There's a calmer, more effective path.
Future customers are the real audience here. They'll read the review, and they'll read your reply. Handled well, even a bad review can make a business look more trustworthy.
Take a breath before replying
Wait until you can respond calmly, even if that means an hour or a day. Check your records. Sometimes a review that seems fake is from a real customer using a different name, or a family member of someone you served. Knowing the facts keeps you from making accusations you can't back up.
Respond calmly first
A brief, professional public response that doesn't confirm or deny specific details, while offering to discuss it privately, protects the business's image regardless of how the dispute resolves.
Something like: "We take every review seriously, but we can't find a record of this visit. We'd like to understand what happened, so please contact our office directly at our main number." It's polite, factual, and tells readers something may be off without starting a fight.
Flag it to Google when it violates policy
Reviews that are clearly fake, from someone who was never a customer, or contain no real relevant content can be flagged directly to Google for removal, though this process can take time and isn't guaranteed.
Google's policies prohibit things like fake engagement, conflicts of interest (such as a competitor reviewing you), off topic rants, harassment, and hate speech. You can report a review from your Business Profile. If it isn't removed, Google offers a way to check the status and, in some cases, appeal.
Unfair isn't the same as fake
A real customer who had a bad experience and exaggerates is still a real customer. Google won't remove a review just because you disagree with it. In those cases, your public reply is your best tool. Acknowledge their frustration, correct any important facts briefly and politely, and offer to talk.
Watch for patterns
A sudden burst of negative reviews from accounts with no history can signal a coordinated attack. Document everything with screenshots and dates, report each review, and contact Google Business Profile support with the pattern. In serious cases, such as defamatory claims, talk to an attorney.
Don't fight fire with fire
Never respond by posting fake positive reviews or asking friends to leave glowing ones. That violates Google's policies and can put your whole profile at risk. The real answer to one bad review is many genuine good ones.
The long game
A steady flow of real reviews makes any single unfair one matter less. When customers see dozens of genuine positive reviews and one odd outlier, most will draw the right conclusion.
If you'd like help building that steady flow, our reviews service is designed for exactly this.