In this week’s edition of Let’s Talk, our experts weigh in on how to handle a negative review that simply is not accurate.
Every small business owner dreads it. A one-star review appears online, the details are wrong, the tone is unfair, and it is sitting there in public for every potential customer to read.
In this week’s edition of Let’s Talk, our experts tackle one of the most common and frustrating challenges in small business: how do you respond to a negative review that is factually incorrect or simply unfair?
From what to say publicly to when it is worth escalating, here is what the panel had to say.
Let’s Talk!
Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia and New Zealand, Thryv
“When a review is factually wrong, I would resist the instinct to correct every detail in public. A review response is less about proving a point and more about signalling how the business behaves under pressure. Start by checking the customer record, messages, photos, invoices and timeline, then respond with composure: acknowledge the concern, calmly state the facts and move the conversation into a private channel where it can be resolved properly.
The most powerful line is often the simplest: we have reviewed our records and would welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly. That shows accountability without handing the keyboard to emotion.
It is important to remember that a review response is written for more than the person who posted it. The 2025 Thryv Business Index and Consumer Report found 71 per cent of Australian consumers check online reviews before buying from a small business. Even when the review is unfair, the response can become the proof point. A business that replies with facts, care and composure shows future customers it has proper systems behind the service and handles pressure with professionalism.”
Claire Denut Samuels, Global Head of HR Services, Polyglot Group
“Nobody enjoys receiving a negative review, especially when it feels unfair or contains factual inaccuracies. Our instinct is often to defend ourselves, explain our intentions, or prove the other person wrong.
Before doing any of that, I encourage leaders and business owners to get curious.
One of the most powerful lessons I have learned from working in leadership development is that feedback exists in the gap between intention and impact. We may have intended to provide great service, communicate clearly, or support a customer, yet their experience was different. Both realities can exist at the same time.
Start by separating facts from perceptions. If there are inaccuracies, respond calmly and professionally, correcting the record without becoming defensive.
Then ask yourself: “What might this person have experienced that led them to this conclusion?”
Even when the facts are wrong, there may be something useful beneath the frustration. The goal is not to agree with every comment. The goal is to understand how your actions, communication, or service may have been experienced by someone else.
Not all feedback is accurate, but all feedback is information.
The businesses that build trust are not the ones that never receive criticism. They are the ones that respond with curiosity, learn what they can, and demonstrate humility and professionalism.”
Kate Engler, Founder, Meet The Press MasterClass
“Negative or false reviews, whilst very annoying, can actually be an opportunity.
An opportunity to show grace under pressure, to show potential customers your values and to show you’re not ‘hiding’ from anything.
If the person posting the review has not ever been a customer/client (which happens), then it’s important to point that out. This significantly dents the original poster’s credibility. Saying something like, “Thanks for the feedback, Barry, however, we’ve searched our client base and couldn’t find any interactions with you. It seems that you may have mistaken our company with another that provides a similar product/service.”
If the original poster HAS been a client, then it’s also important to respond. Have you tried to settle the matter privately (if so, say so), have you attempted a remedy for the complaining client (if so, say so), and if this is the first you are hearing about it – also say that and express that you are more than happy to address their concerns and will call them/email them directly. And then follow them up privately. If you reach a successful resolution, post that under the complaining review too. It shows integrity.”
Jonathan Englert, Founder, AndironGroup
“Every form of communication is public and subject to mis-interpretation, exploitation and the usual risk of serving as a spark for a much bigger communication problem. This is especially true of negative reviews and especially if you have a particularly sensitive and passionate founder or founding team poised to jump in. First rule would be do no harm. A negative review has less power than you think. Both the reviewer and the context (how your product or service actually typically performs in the real world day after day) will temper that review. A lot of negative reviews come from hotheads and people are usually sophisticated enough to weigh that into their reading. But rather than be dismissive, better to engage neutrally and then try to take the discussion off line. Use it to learn how to make things better. Listen. Again and again, after this kind of genuine, offline engagement, we’ve seen even the most apocalyptic, barn burning reviewers ultimately feel heard and take their review down or, even better, become a zealous advocate for just how good your brand is.”
Sarah Richardson, CEO, Australian Loyalty Association
“A factually incorrect or unfair review can sting, but how you respond matters far more than the review itself.
Our research shows that trust is the foundation of customer loyalty — and how businesses handle conflict defines that trust more than almost anything else. With 52 percent of Australian households reporting significant budget pressure right now, customers are looking to the brands they engage with for reassurance and reliability. A loyalty program, and every touchpoint within it, should act as a beacon of hope.
The ALA’s Loyalty Insights Report found that 68 percent of consumers say a slow or impersonal response to a complaint significantly diminishes their trust in a brand. Yet 74 percent say a swift, personalised resolution increases their likelihood of staying loyal. That dynamic does not disappear just because the review is factually wrong.
Responding to a negative review is a marketing touchpoint. Resist the instinct to get defensive. Respond publicly, calmly, and factually — correct the record without dismissing the person, acknowledge their experience, then move the conversation to a private channel.
These are exactly the kinds of real-world loyalty challenges we unpack at the Asia Pacific Loyalty Conference, Gold Coast, July 28–30, 2026, where globally leading loyalty professionals share what it takes to build and protect customer trust at every stage of the journey.”
Laura English, Head of Digital Marketing Delivery, Excite Media
“Negative reviews, especially when they’re wrong, unfair, or blown out of proportion, can be really frustrating. But these are an opportunity to demonstrate good customer service and care, and make an impression on potential customers reading the feedback.
Firstly, if it is genuinely factually wrong, always try reporting it to Google. If the name doesn’t correspond with an existing customer of yours or does correspond to a competitor’s name, it’s worth trying, as these can sometimes be removed. Secondly, you need to reply to the review. Your reply needs to show that you’re open to feedback. It’s worth clarifying the details and demonstrating that you’re keen to understand why they left the review and what you can do to make it right.
Don’t be defensive or argumentative but do be assertive and factual. For example, “I’m sorry to hear about this experience, [name]. I can’t see your name in our database. Would you mind reaching out on [phone number/email address], so I can better understand your experience and make it right for you?”
Alternatively, if you do know who they are, and they’ve interpreted a situation in a more negative light, then you can gently outline the details of the situation. It’s okay to say ‘this is why we did xyz’ or defend your team but always offer to speak with them directly to find a resolution.
The most important thing is to keep the tone positive and productive.”
Alex Kay, Founder & Search Lead, Leadlly Digital
“Google blocked or removed more than 240 million policy-violating reviews in 2024, showing how often review systems are tested by fake, misleading or non-genuine feedback.
Not all negative reviews are equal. Some involve a clear policy breach: fake reviews, competitor reviews, or feedback from someone who was never your customer. Others are real but feel exaggerated or one-sided. Knowing the difference matters, because so does your response.
For clear policy violations, flag it. Google lets you report reviews that breach their guidelines. It won’t always succeed, but it’s the first step.
For every type, respond publicly. You’re not writing for the reviewer; you’re writing for every potential customer who reads it next. Keep it calm and factual: “We can’t match this feedback to any recent customer experience, but we’d welcome the chance to look into it directly.”
Our tip at Leadlly Digital is do not let one unfair review stop you from asking for feedback. Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals a local business can build. Keep encouraging happy customers to share their experience on Google, Facebook and any relevant industry directories. The more consistent your genuine feedback, the less power one inaccurate review holds.”
Nitesh Roopa, Managing Partner, ProfitPulse
“The instinct is to argue back or push to have it taken down. That is the trap. A public fight makes you look rattled, and the reviewer keeps the last word in how most people read it.
Your reply is not for the reviewer. It is for every prospective customer who reads it months later. They will judge your business on how you respond, far more than on the review itself. That is where the real value sits.
So correct the facts once. State plainly what actually happened, offer to sort it out directly, and stop there. One calm reply. No back and forth in the open.
An unfair review sometimes signals that expectations were not set clearly at the start. Worth a quiet look on your side, then move on.
If a review is genuinely fabricated or breaks the platform rules, report it for removal through the proper channel. Keep that process separate from anything you post publicly.
Handled this way, a bad review often does more for your credibility than a page of perfect ones.”
Scott Capelin, Founder, inLIFE Wellness
“A negative review can feel personal, but your response is often more important than the review itself. Potential customers are watching how you handle criticism, not just what was written. If the review is factually incorrect, respond calmly, politely and professionally. Correct the misinformation without becoming defensive, invite the reviewer to contact you privately and demonstrate that you’re committed to resolving genuine concerns.
If the review clearly breaches the platform’s guidelines, such as containing false claims, abusive language or being left by someone who was never a customer, report it through the platform’s review process. At the same time, focus on generating more genuine positive reviews from happy customers. A business with hundreds of authentic, positive reviews is rarely defined by one unfair comment. Professionalism, transparency, and consistency will always build more trust than winning an argument online.”
Peter Fraser, Founder, Stratagem Corporate Advisory
“The wrong review, the right response
Five tips for responding to a negative review that is wrong or unfair.
First, pause. Do not respond while annoyed. A rushed reply can do more reputational damage than the review itself.
Second, check the facts. Work out whether the review is inaccurate, unfair, exaggerated or fake. Each requires a different response.
Third, remember the real audience. You are not just replying to the reviewer. You are showing future customers how your business behaves under pressure.
Fourth, pick up the phone where possible. A direct conversation can often resolve the issue faster, reduce emotion and stop a public exchange from escalating.
Fifth, respond calmly and briefly. Acknowledge the concern, correct any important inaccuracies, and invite the person to continue the conversation privately.
If the review is abusive, fake or potentially defamatory, document it, report it to the platform and seek advice.
The goal is not to win a public argument. It is to protect trust, show professionalism and keep the business focused on the people it serves.”
Sonia Majkic, CEO, 3Phase Marketing
“When a review is wrong or unfair, the initial instinct is to defend, but you need to take a breath and lead with empathy and firmness instead, and remember: one doesn’t negate the value of the other.
Start by thanking the reviewer. It costs nothing and signals that you’re listening rather than looking for a fight. Then ask genuine questions, because there may be a real frustration worth resolving. If you have made a mistake, own it.
Remember – empathy doesn’t mean conceding. If the facts are wrong, say so calmly and clearly. Confirm you’ve had no direct communication from them, and that you can find no record of their experience in your system, stating your position without defensiveness.
Then always extend an invitation, welcoming the chance to talk it through and build a solution together. That openness, paired with quiet confidence in your facts and what you stand for, is what authenticity looks like in public. It’s an opportunity to build real trust and connection with your audience.
Handled this way, an unfair review becomes the clearest proof of the brand behind it.”
Michael Russell, Managing Director, Finwave Finance
“The worst response to an unfair review is the most common one: a defensive reply that makes the business look worse than the review did.
Before you respond, accept that your reply is not for the person who left it. They have already decided how they feel. Your reply is for every future customer reading it, and they are evaluating how you handle conflict more than they are evaluating the original complaint.
If the review is factually wrong, correct the record once, calmly, and with specifics. Do not argue. State what actually occurred, invite them to contact you directly, and stop there. A business that responds with professionalism to an unfair review builds more trust than one that never received a negative review at all.
If the review breaches platform guidelines, such as containing false statements of fact or content from someone with no genuine customer relationship, most platforms have a removal process. Use it, but do not wait for it. Respond publicly while the process runs.
Never ignore it, match the tone of an aggressive reviewer, or reveal confidential details about the interaction to prove a point. That approach rarely lands the way business owners expect.
Reputation is managed over hundreds of interactions. One unfair review handled well rarely defines you. One handled badly sometimes does.”
Tim Lee, CEO and Founder, Bookipi
Every founder gets hit with a review that stings, especially when it’s wrong. Don’t react. Read it twice first.
Ask one question: is it factually incorrect, or a misunderstanding we created? Sometimes customers misremember or vent about things outside our control. At times, we caused it. Copy that makes sense to our team, who live in the product every day, can read differently to a first-time user.
Take our card payments on Stripe. Like most processors, Stripe holds funds briefly on a new account’s first transaction, a standard security check. The disclaimer was easy to miss, so users assumed we were sitting on their cash. Once we moved it front and center in plain language, complaints dropped off almost entirely.
The fix is the same: respond fast, before frustration turns into anger. Skip the canned response. Explain what happened, and if we messed up, say so. Fix the actual issue, not just the review. Keep the conversation open: a customer who feels heard becomes a loyal one. Once things are resolved, we’d ask them to update their review. Most are happy to.
A wrong review isn’t an attack. It’s a signal. Treat it that way, and the relationship usually gets stronger.”
Jonathan Reeve, Regional Director, ANZ, Eagle Eye
“Dealing with a customer complaint is one of the trickiest parts of retail. A negative review — especially one that is factually wrong or unfair — can feel particularly frustrating. But it also presents a significant marketing opportunity.
Relevance is now the whole game. Customers don’t want more messages, they want fewer, better ones that reflect who they actually are. They expect offers on the products they buy, at the moment they’re deciding, across whatever channel they’re in.
The real question customers ask is: does this brand treat me like an individual? A negative review is a moment to answer that question publicly and to show your values, your care, and your commitment to getting it right.
Customers respond far more strongly to something real now than to a promise of future rewards. The value exchange has to be obvious and immediate – just like your response to a negative review.
In a price-conscious market, the real value of loyalty is everything around the discount: recognition, relevance, and a sense the retailer is on the customer’s side.
If you are looking to build or strengthen your loyalty program in the future, adopting the right loyalty architecture can help to achieve personalised customer recognition in real-time.”
Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
