In today’s digital marketplace, online ratings and reviews can make or break a business. Positive reviews can boost your reputation and attract new customers, while negative reviews can turn potential customers away. However, what if you received a negative review that violates the review website’s terms of service or is unjustified? Can you delete it without harming your business? In this blog, we’ll discuss how to properly delete ratings (bewertungen löschen) without harming your business.
Understand the review website’s policies and guidelines.
Before deleting a rating or review, it’s important to understand the policies and guidelines of the review website that the rating or review is published on. Review websites have different rules on what can and cannot be deleted. Some websites prioritize the credibility of their reviews and only allow reviews to be deleted if they are in violation of the website’s terms of service or contain inappropriate language. Others may allow businesses to request the removal of a review if they feel it is unjust or untrue. Understanding the guidelines of the review website prevents you from accidentally violating their terms of service and ensures a smoother and more successful review deletion request.
Address the negative review publicly.
Before deleting a negative review, try to address the issue publicly. Responding to the customer’s concern, apologizing for any inconvenience caused and solving their problem will show potential customers that your business prioritizes customer satisfaction. It also shows the customer who left the negative review that you are taking their complaint seriously, and you are doing everything possible to rectify the matter. Potential customers will see that you are respectful, responsive and determined to provide the best service.
Consider reaching out to the reviewer privately.
If the issue still bothers the customer, avoid the conflict and reach out to the reviewer privately. Responding to the customer privately can give them a chance to explain their frustration with your business, and it also offers an opportunity to make the situation right. If the reviewer positively resolves the problem, you can request them to modify their review, and if the reviewer agrees to do so, it can improve your online reputation.
Request review deletion through the review website’s customer support.
If the review violates the review website’s terms of service or is unjustified, your business is well within their rights to request its removal from the review website. Sending a polite and professional email to the review website’s customer support should be sufficient. Provide specific details about the review, including the reviewer’s name, the date it was posted, and the reason you want it removed. Be honest, and offer evidence of why the review is undeserving or violates the terms of service.
Stay on top of your online reputation.
Maintaining your online reputation is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring. Even after a review is deleted or resolved, it’s essential to keep improving your business’s customer relations. Encourage your satisfied customers to share their positive experiences on review websites, which can increase your positive review count.
Deleting negative reviews should be a last resort for a business. It’s important to understand the website’s policy and guidelines before submitting your review deletion request politely. Again, you need to address the negative review publicly and, if that doesn’t work, reach out to the customer privately. This can allow you to understand the issue(s) with the customer’s experience and take measures to ensure that it is resolved, improving your company’s reputation.
