First, check whether it breaks a rule
Google's help page on reporting reviews says you can report any review, but only reviews that break its policies can be removed. It also says not to report a review just because you disagree with it, and that Google doesn't get involved in disputes between businesses and customers.
The content policy for Maps reviews is long. These are the parts that come up most for local shops:
- Not a real experience. Content that doesn't reflect a genuine visit or job, including a competitor posting on your listing to hurt your reputation.
- Conflict of interest. Reviews from current or former employees, competitors or relatives.
- Off-topic or promotional. A review about something else, or one that pushes another business, a phone number or a website.
- Harassment, hate speech, profanity or personal information. For example, a review that names an employee's home address or makes threats.
- Unsupported claims of a crime or unethical conduct. Google lists these under offensive content.
The same policy says Google allows "content that describes negative experiences in a respectful manner." A customer who politely says your crew showed up late and the price went up will probably stay up, even if you remember the job differently.
Look before you flag
Before you report, take a few minutes to check:
- Search your invoices, calendar or booking app for the reviewer's name, the date and any details they mention. Some people post under a nickname or a family member's account, so a name you don't recognize isn't proof.
- Tap the reviewer's name and look at their other reviews. A profile that left one-star reviews on several shops in your trade around the valley on the same day is worth writing down.
- Take a screenshot of the review now, with the date showing. Reviewers can edit their reviews later, and you want a record of what it said.
How to report it
These are the steps from Google's help page:
- Go to your Business Profile, signed in with the account that manages it.
- Select Read reviews.
- Next to the review, select Report.
- Pick the reason that fits best. Google's examples include "Spam" and "Profanity."
- Select Send report.
Google says review evaluation typically takes several days. You can also report from the Reviews Management Tool, which is where you check on reports either way.
Checking the status, and your one appeal
In the Reviews Management Tool, a reported review shows one of three statuses:
- Decision pending: flagged, not evaluated yet.
- Report reviewed - no policy violation: Google looked and decided it stays. You can submit a one-time appeal.
- Escalated - check your email for updates: your appeal is with Google, and the final decision comes by email.
An appeal can cover up to 10 reviews. If the appeal fails, the review stays live and the status still reads "Escalated," so read the email to learn the result. Since you only get one try, write it plainly: which rule the review breaks and what your records show. "No customer by this name on that date, screenshot of our booking calendar attached" does more than "this review is fake."
If someone asks for money to remove reviews
Some shops get a sudden run of one-star and two-star reviews, followed by a message offering to make them go away for a payment. Google has a separate process for review extortion. Its advice: don't engage and don't pay, save screenshots of every message with the date, time and sender showing, collect links to the reviews, and send it all through the merchant extortion report form linked on that page.
Reply while you wait
A report and a reply are separate things. The review stays up until Google decides, and other customers read it in the meantime. Google's page on managing reviews notes that your reply is public, shows as coming from the business, and the reviewer gets notified. A short, calm reply is written for the next customer, not the reviewer. For example:
"Thanks for taking the time to write. We looked and couldn't find a visit or job under this name around that date. If we missed something, please call the shop and ask for the owner so we can sort it out."
Don't call the reviewer a liar, don't share anything about a real customer, and don't offer a discount or anything else for changing or removing the review. Google's policy doesn't allow incentives for revising or removing a negative review.
What not to do
- Don't report every bad review. Save reports for ones that actually break a rule.
- Don't ask friends, family or staff to post reviews to bury it. Google treats those as conflict of interest, and they can be filtered out. More on that in why Google reviews disappear.
- Be careful with anyone who promises to get a review removed for a fee. Reporting through Google is free, and the decision is Google's.
Keep the honest reviews coming
A steady flow of real reviews from real customers makes any single bad one matter less. If you haven't set that up, how to get more Google reviews the right way covers the basics.