Disclaimer: SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not legal advice. If a review is seriously defamatory and costing you work, speak to a solicitor - not Google.
# 13.3 - Dealing with Bad Google Reviews
You will get a bad review at some point, even if you're good at your job. The trick is knowing which ones to fight, which ones to learn from, and how to answer so future customers still trust you.
First question: is it legit, unfair, or fake?
Before you touch anything, work out what you're dealing with.
Legitimate complaint Real customer, real job, and they're unhappy about something that actually happened. You might think they've exaggerated, but the core story is true.
Unfair / unreasonable Real customer, but what they're saying is one-sided or harsh - delay caused by a supplier, scope changed, they refused to pay for extras, that kind of thing.
Fake / malicious No job ever done for this person, or it's clearly a grudge - ex-partner, ex-staff, competitor, or total nonsense.
Your response - and whether you flag it to Google or involve a solicitor - depends on which bucket it sits in.
Can you get a fake Google review removed?
Yes, sometimes. But you need to play by Google's rules and be prepared that they don't remove everything - even when you're clearly in the right.
What Google will remove
Google's review policy allows you to report reviews that break their rules:
- Spam and fake content - reviews clearly not based on a real experience.
- Conflicts of interest - reviews left by staff, family pretending to be customers, or competitors.
- Off-topic or irrelevant - rants about politics, general complaints about "tradesmen" rather than your work.
- Hate, harassment, threats or personal attacks.
- Explicit or offensive content.
They won't delete a review just because you don't like it. A harsh but genuine review is usually allowed to stay.
How to flag a review
- Go to your Google Business Profile.
- Find the dodgy review.
- Click the three dots next to it and choose "Flag as inappropriate."
- Choose the reason that best fits - spam, conflict of interest, harassment, etc.
- If it's serious, contact Google Business Profile support directly and give more detail: dates, why it's fake, any proof.
Timing and reality: Reviews can be looked at in a few days, but there's no guaranteed time frame. Google will usually only act if the problem is obvious from the review itself or from their checks - they won't just take your word that "this is my ex doing my head in."
Expect some to stay up even if you're right. That's why your response and your overall rating matter more than any single review.
UK law: when is a review defamation?
If a review is untrue and seriously harms your business, you may have legal options - but it's heavy-duty and not your first move.
Under UK defamation law (Defamation Act 2013):
- The review must be a statement of fact, not just opinion. "He's a crook" vs "I wasn't happy with the work" - very different.
- The statement must be false or give a false impression.
- It must cause serious harm to your reputation - usually shown by lost work or financial damage.
- You generally have 1 year from publication to bring a defamation claim.
There's also malicious falsehood (for deliberate lies that cause financial loss), but it's harder to prove and more niche.
In practice:
- Step 1: Complain to Google and ask for removal under their policies.
- Step 2: If that fails and the review is genuinely serious and false, speak to a defamation solicitor.
- There are reported cases of businesses getting court orders forcing platforms to remove fake reviews, but it's time-consuming and not cheap.
For most trades, legal action is the nuclear option. You save it for really extreme, damaging lies that are actively costing you work.
How to respond to a bad review
This is the most important section. Future customers read your response more carefully than the review itself. You're not just talking to the angry person - you're talking to everyone who might hire you next.
The rules
- Stay calm, polite and short. No arguing, no insults, no sarcasm.
- Acknowledge their feelings, even if you disagree with parts of the story.
- Offer to sort it offline: phone, email or visit.
- Don't post personal details about the job or the customer.
Responding to a legitimate complaint
"Hi [first name], I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy with the job. This isn't the standard we aim for. We've tried to contact you to put things right but haven't managed to reach you yet. Please give us a call on [number] so we can discuss and sort this out."
Responding to an unfair but real customer
"Hi [name], thanks for your feedback. We're sorry the experience wasn't what you expected. On this job we [brief, factual context - e.g. encountered additional issues that we discussed with you at the time], but we understand the situation was frustrating. We're happy to talk this through with you directly on [number]."
Key: You look reasonable, even if they don't. That's what future customers notice.
Responding to a fake or malicious review
Two jobs here: try to get it removed, and show normal people you're not a cowboy.
First, flag it to Google as above. Then decide whether to respond publicly.
If it's clearly nonsense (no detail, weird rant, obviously not a customer):
"We have no record of ever working for anyone by this name and believe this review may not reflect a genuine customer experience. We've reported it to Google. If this is a real concern, please contact us directly on [number] so we can investigate."
If it's from a known grudge (ex-employee, ex-partner, competitor):
"We're sorry to see this review. We don't recognise this as a genuine customer job, but we're happy to discuss any real concerns directly - please contact us on [number]."
Does responding give it legitimacy? A bit, yes - but leaving it with no context can look worse. A calm, factual line is usually better than silence.
CMA rules and review gating
The Competition and Markets Authority is cracking down on fake and manipulated reviews, under general consumer law and the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Key points for you:
- Fake reviews (positive or negative) are illegal - that includes paying for reviews and asking mates who haven't used you to leave one.
- You must not cherry-pick only happy customers to ask for reviews and block or hide genuine negative ones. That's review gating, and it can be treated as misleading under consumer law.
- You shouldn't offer incentives only for positive reviews - if you incentivise, it must be clear and must not require a good rating.
- The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 already outlaw misleading actions and omissions. The new DMCC Act gives the CMA sharper teeth to go after fake and manipulated reviews.
The simple rule: Ask lots of real customers for honest reviews. Don't block or discourage anyone from leaving a bad one. Never fabricate or buy reviews.
Review gating - why you should never do it
Review gating is when you only send happy customers to Google and redirect unhappy ones somewhere private so their views never show up publicly. It can be as simple as:
"Fill in this form - if you select 5 stars we'll send you to Google, if you select less we'll send you a private message instead."
The CMA and UK rules on fake/misleading reviews are clear: you must not distort the overall picture. Platforms and regulators expect all genuine, relevant and lawful reviews - good and bad - to have a fair shot at being published.
For a tradesperson, it's just not worth the risk. Better to encourage reviews from everyone, respond well when someone's unhappy, and let the volume of good work drown out the odd bad comment.
Building enough good reviews to survive a bad one
The best defence against a bad review is a wall of good ones.
Ask as part of your job process
At the end of every job, when the customer is happy:
"Reviews really help me as a small business - I'll text you a link. If you've got two minutes to leave one, I'd really appreciate it."
Follow up once with the link if they forget.
Make it stupidly easy
Use your direct Google review link - see 13.1 for how to get it. Put the link in your quotes, invoices and email signature too.
Aim for steady, not perfect
A perfect 5.0 with 10 reviews can look less believable than 4.8 with 60 reviews. One or two bad reviews in a sea of good ones make you look human, not dodgy.
If you're doing good work and asking as a habit, the odd bad review becomes background noise rather than a disaster.
Practical checklist when a bad review lands
When you get that stomach-drop notification:
- Take a breath - do nothing for 30 minutes.
- Check: Do you recognise the job and the person?
- If yes: Message or call them directly before replying publicly. Try to fix it.
- Draft a short, calm public reply aimed at future customers' eyes, not the reviewer's.
- If it's fake or abusive: Flag it with Google under the right category.
- Make a note to ask the next 5-10 happy customers for reviews to balance it out.
Handle a bad review like a grown-up and you'll often impress the very people you're worried about losing.
Quick rule of thumb
Don't panic. Don't argue. Don't ignore it. Work out if it's legit, unfair, or fake - then respond accordingly. Build enough good reviews that one bad one is just noise. And never, ever gate your reviews.
What to do next
- Check your Google Business Profile right now - do you have any reviews that need a response?
- Save a calm response template in your phone notes for next time
- Read 13.1 for building a steady flow of positive reviews
- Read 13.2 for using social media to show the quality of your work
- Read 13.4 for managing your overall online presence
- If a review is genuinely defamatory and costing you work, speak to a solicitor - see "Who to contact" below
Sources
- Google, Google Business Profile review policies, 2025
- Defamation Act 2013
- Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
- CMA, Online reviews and endorsements guidance, 2024
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey, 2024
Common questions
Can I get a fake Google review removed?
Sometimes. Google removes reviews that breach their policies: fake content, conflicts of interest, hate speech, off-topic. Reviews that are simply negative but truthful are very rarely removed. Flag the review, then file a 'Report a policy violation' form with evidence. Expect 5 to 14 days for a decision.
How do I respond to a bad review as a builder?
Reply publicly within 48 hours. Stay calm, thank them, give your side in one short paragraph, offer to resolve offline. Don't argue, don't insult, don't share private details. Future customers read your reply more carefully than the original review, so a measured response wins more work than the bad review costs.
Bad Reviews on Checkatrade and Google guide.
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This topic is sponsored by TrustKiln.
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