1.
If you are a business owner or simply care about what your customer’s are saying about your brand online, you have probably
come to the realization by now that online review sites can (and will) make a dent on your revenue if left unchecked. With
the upcoming release of“Billion Dollar Bully”the kickstarter-funded documentary about Yelp’s questionable business
practices, people may be wondering why there is any problem for business-owners at all, and how much of an impact
customer reviews generate online.
Some studies show that a half-star increase in online ratings may mean up to 19 percent increased reservations
for restaurants. Other service-oriented businesses, such as dry cleaners, plumbers, electricians, carpet cleaning
companies, and others experience similar changes in customer engagement as their online business reputation r
ises or drops. When a business receives a bad review, the very first question that arises is if the review can be removed.

2.
Online reviews have First Amendment protections
As a business owner or marketing manager for a business, you might feel inclined to contest the validity of an online review.
If you feel the review is false or not reflective of your business, you may feel inclined to contact the website displaying the
negative review and request a removal.
However, before you pull the trigger and submit a ticket to review websites such as Yelp or Google, it is important that you
consider other avenues to handle the negative review. The fact is, unless the review is profane and you can prove with very
strong evidence that it is false, the negative review is likely to remain published.
Many businesses have gone as far as taking legal measures to have reviews removed due to libelous content. Some of these
cases have gone as far as the Supreme Court, only to be dismissed, providing reviewers and review websites significant
protection under Freedom of Speech.

3.
control + alt + delete
customer reviews

4.
fact and figures
how yelp imapcts your bussines

5.
when to alter your reviews

6.
What about removing a review that is both bad and false?
In the case of reviews that are patently false, you may have a little bit more leeway to have it removed from your online profile
on review websites. Both Google and Yelp offer the option to flag reviews and include an explanation to support the flagging
action. Valid reasons to flag a review as false or even malicious include the following:
Conflict of interest:
If you suspect someone was paid or wrote a false negative review to damage your business, you may escalate using a flag.
Provide as much evidence as possible, particularly if it has become a spam-like pattern aimed at drowning your business
with a highly negative reputation.
Sexually explicit, offensive or racist or hate speech:
If the review contains verbiage that could be construed as hate speech, or is sexually explicit, you may be able to have it
removed via a flag. An example would be a review that negatively highlights the ethnicity of the business owner, or
employees of a business, with the intent of damaging their business reputation. If the review contains any language that is
negative, or seeks to degrade an individual or group of individuals based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender,
age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, you may flag the review for removal.

7.
Reviews with illegal content, pointing to illegal activities, or with illegal links:
If your business receives a malicious review aimed at promoting anything that is illegal, you may request a flag. For example,
someone might indicate that illegal substances may be obtained at your establishment. This would qualify both as false and as
promoting illegal activities, and it can therefore be flagged:
Previous examples aside, there are very few instances that allow for the removal of a negative review. The best way to handle
a negative review is to become well versed in proper review responses and customer-centric reputation management.
If a negative review receives a kind, caring, and resolution-oriented response, it may well turn the tables and result in a
customer that is willing to give you another chance. A well-drafted response to a negative review is valuable beyond customer
retention; it also serves to persuade potential customers to give you a try.
When a review is patently false, malicious, or hateful, move forward with a removal request. On the other hand, if a review is
negative, and perhaps includes inflated and angry commentary, do not remove it. Respond, engage, and work with your
customer toward a happy resolution.
In addition to responding to negative reviews, work on securing a high volume of positive reviews. Review velocity will result
in drowning the negative reviews by positioning the bulk of your positive reviews in more prominent locations, when sorted
chronologically or by popularity.
Review removal is just one way to manage and grow your online reputation. Effective and smart business owners use the whole
gamut of review management tools and techniques at their disposal to ensure top rankings on Yelp, Google, and other major
review websites.

8.
THANKS!