How to Delete a Google Review on Your Business Profile

How to flag a Google review

Google reviews are meant to be honest, unbiased opinions from real customers that help others make smart buying decisions. Fake and spam reviews on Google aren’t just harmful to your business, they also impact potential customers through inaccuracies and inconsistent information. 

To flag a Google review for removal, it needs to go against Google’s review policy, which includes reviews that are considered: 

• Spam or fake
• Off-topic or unrelated to your business
• Inappropriate or that contains offensive language or explicit content
• Dangerous, such as threats of violence or harassment
• A conflict of interest, like reviews from former employees or competitors

If the review in question meets the requirements, you can flag it in Google Maps, Google Search, or from your Business Profile account.

Google Maps

1. Open Google Maps
2. Go to your Business Profile
3. Find the review you want to flag
4. Select the three stacked dots next to the review to display a menu
5. Click Flag as Inappropriate if you’re on a computer or Report Review on mobile

How to flag a Google profile

Sometimes, flagging a fake or spam review isn’t enough. If a Google account posts multiple reviews that go against Google’s review policy to your Business Profile, it might be worth reporting the entire profile. 

To do this, using a mobile device, follow the same instructions for Google Maps above, but instead of selecting the review: 

1. Select three stacked dots next to the profile’s username
2. Tap Report profile

How to check the status of a flagged Google review

Once you flag a fake Google review, it can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days to be assessed. You can check the status of a review you flag by: 

1. Going to the Reviews Management Tool
2. Selecting your business profile
3. Click Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeals options

There, you’ll be able to see whether a decision has been made about the review in question.

What happens if a flagged Google review is rejected? 

If you flag a Google review because it goes against Google’s review policy, but your request is rejected, don’t lose hope. If you’re certain the review violates Google’s guidelines, you can submit a one-time appeal from the Reviews Management Tool. 

Google will take another look at the review based on the appeal form you fill out and make a final judgment on the review. If it’s rejected again, you won’t be able to appeal the decision a second time.

How to handle reviews that don’t violate Google’s review policy

Fake and spam reviews aren’t the only ones business owners prefer not to have on their Google profiles. Negative or inaccurate reviews from real customers also affect your online reputation and how potential customers view your business. 

But you can’t dispute or flag them unless they go against Google’s review policy. Instead, you need to determine how to handle them on your own.

Your first step should be to figure out whether the review was left by a real customer who used your services. Start by: 

1. Check out the reviewer’s profile to see if it looks legitimate. Do they have a profile photo? Is their full name listed?
2. Confirming whether they’re in your client database. Does your name look familiar, or can you find it in your CRM?
3. Make sure the review is for your company. Do they mention your services or location? Is the review completely off-topic and/or nonsense?
4. Talking to your employees to ensure someone remembers the client or incident. Do you have this individual’s call or email history? Can any of your employees remember the incident?

From there, you can either leave the review or respond to it. However, responding is usually your best bet since it shows potential clients that you value transparency and customer satisfaction. 

WATCH: How to respond to negative reviews

How to ask a customer to remove or update a Google review

If a review is legitimate but negative, you won’t be able to ask Google to remove it. Instead, asking the client to remove the review themselves or update it based on a resolution is the next best thing. Start by following these steps: 

1. Review the complaint and talk to any of your employees who were involved. Get a clear picture of what the concern or complaint is about and determine who (if anyone) is in the wrong. If you aren’t sure what the customer is unhappy about, you can always ask for more information.
2. Resolve the issue. When possible, resolve the issue before asking the customer to update their review. This will solve the problem and make it more likely that the client will be amenable to your request. 
3. Respond professionally. Remember that how you handle the situation is an important part of your customer service strategy and that it will be visible to everyone. Be polite and keep your cool, even if the customer is at fault. Before posting your response, review it to make sure it sounds professional, addresses the concern, and offers a resolution.

Negative Google review response examples

How you handle situations where the client refuses to edit or remove a review can go a long way in boosting your online reputation. Those who find your reviews in search results will respect you more for providing high-quality customer service in spite of negative reviews. Craft your responses carefully and with prospective clients in mind.

If your only option is to respond to a negative review, what you say depends on the situation. Use these templates to address customers based on what you know about their issues.

1. When the review is vague

Sometimes, a review doesn’t give you enough information to address a specific concern. For example, a review might say something like “Didn’t like the service!” or “Not satisfied!”, leaving you scratching your head to figure out what went wrong. When this happens, try responding with:

Alternatives to deleting a Google review

If a Google review can’t be deleted and a client refuses to update it, you aren’t completely out of options. Instead, you can combat negative online feedback by: 

• Developing an online reputation management strategy that includes professional and polite responses to all reviews
• Responding to reviews in a timely manner
• Keeping service, policy, and pricing information clear and upfront in client communications
• Handling potential issues before they get out of hand
• Getting feedback from customers and staff members on a regular basis
• Asking happy customers to leave positive reviews

To ensure you ask every satisfied customer for an online review, set up automatic review collection in Jobber. Jobber automatically sends a text to the customers you want reviews from.

When you make an invoice in Jobber, you can choose if you want to send the customer a review request.