Feel like I'm held hostage by Google Reviews

[copperglobe]

I'm one of those that doesn't like Google Reviews. Several years ago I added my ownership information to their review site and now I wish I'd never done that. Some of these people that post reviews are just plain jerks and dishonest as the day is long. There's nothing like getting a notice that I got a 1 star review from someone after I've spent 14 hours at a wash working, cleaning, helping people, answering questions, upgrading equipment, repairing vandalism, etc. No explanation given just a 1 star post. Over these years I've responded to every single one star review posting my cell number and asking them to please give me a call to let me know what I did wrong. I've never had anyone call me. Then out of curiosity I search the competition in my area and read their reviews. There are a few washes around my state that are absolute junkers and are almost abandoned. I read reviews for their sites and they get many 5 star reviews about what a great wash it is and I'm flabbergasted. One wash is abandoned. They're still getting reviews and many 4 and 5 stars! On a computer you can look at the 1 star review people and search what they've done to other businesses and there are many that give 1 star reviews to every business they review.

I just don't trust google reviews anymore and have given up trying to satisfy those online. Problem is that with Google once you sign up you're locked in. You can't take down your business from their site nor their review system. Yes, you can fight a particular bad review but only if you can prove it was malicious like from your competition. Good luck with that. I've got a friend that has car washes and he won't sign up for Google for the same reason. His washes show up on Google maps and searches but no review options, phone numbers, etc. He says that, for the reasons I've listed, he won't do his washes nor his other businesses that he owns. He "doesn't want to be hostage to their policies".

That's my vent.

 

[Axxlrod]

Same with yelp, unless you pay their mafia-style "protection" payments, your rating will go down.

 

[MEP001]

I decided I don't care about the reviews, I have about 150 people a month getting directions to my wash via Google search, and those are the results that matter to me.

 

[Randy]

I have to agree with MEP. We don't care about the BS reviews we get. I'd never sign up with Google. We've gotten reviews from people who had never been to our car wash. I got a damage complaint from a woman who had never been to our car wash. She thought that all car washes were owned by the same company because they all say "car wash" on the sign, talk about clueless. The car wash that ripped her mirror off was 30 miles away. But she left us a negative review.

 

[soapy]

I have had reviews for my wash from 2500 miles away. I am in Idaho and they were rating a wash in FLorida but used my name. I always respond in a positive way but do not really worry about them anymore.

 

[MEP001]

I'd never sign up with Google.

I did so I can correct the info myself. Anyone can go to your page and suggest an edit, but if someone marks your business as permanently closed, you can correct it instantly. You can also add a phone number to be reached. I bought a Tracfone for that rather than post my own.

 

[srr5008]

We only signed up with Google because they were showing the wrong address, wrong phone number, and we couldn't reply to all of the 1-star reviews saying that the (wrongly listed) phone number didn't work. Once I had control of the business page, I became very frustrated with all of the 1-star reviews that we kept getting for BS reasons.

My solution? I totally ignore the Google page now. We are always busy, and always get compliments in-person from customers. I don't think many people in our (rural) area use Google Maps anyways to find a car wash. It's like anything else - when people are mad, they leave a bad review. When they are happy, they don't leave any review. I gave up on keeping up with it.

 

[DiamondWash]

"Bunch of Damn Keyboard Warriors these days!" my old man used to say about Google Reviews when I told him about it.

 

[copperglobe]

Couple days ago I did a "google search" of something like "are google reviews accurate". There are web sites that are solely dedicated to get the word out about just how inaccurate google, Amazon and other reviews are.

 

[Greg Pack]

Haven't had much trouble with google. I don't actively manage it or any other social media for that matter. Currently have a 4.5 star ranking.

Got a three star from a friend of my employee who hangs around when he cleans up, she doesn't even own a car. Only one star review is from a guy who apparently got double charged on his card somehow but couldn't make the effort to call the number on my door or on his card statement for a resolution. Those are the ones that irritate me.

 

[mjwalsh]

When an car wash operator shares honestly held & seen current event views where-ever ... then some of the reviewers & even the media itself has been known to play a kind of a very questionable doxing role. Hopefully, searchers & readers see through that misinformation as much as possible though!

 

[AnalyticWash]

I have to agree with MEP. We don't care about the BS reviews we get. I'd never sign up with Google. We've gotten reviews from people who had never been to our car wash. I got a damage complaint from a woman who had never been to our car wash. She thought that all car washes were owned by the same company because they all say "car wash" on the sign, talk about clueless. The car wash that ripped her mirror off was 30 miles away. But she left us a negative review.

Amazing how many wash owners refuse to embrace technology that allows them to better reach their customers.

 

[traveler17]

Haven't had much trouble with google. I don't actively manage it or any other social media for that matter. Currently have a 4.5 star ranking.

Got a three star from a friend of my employee who hangs around when he cleans up, she doesn't even own a car. Only one star review is from a guy who apparently got double charged on his card somehow but couldn't make the effort to call the number on my door or on his card statement for a resolution. Those are the ones that irritate me.

Hard to fix a problem if you don’t know about it. People just like to complain

 

[MEP001]

Amazing how many wash owners refuse to embrace technology that allows them to better reach their customers.

How do you get that comment from the post you quoted?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Amazing how many wash owners refuse to embrace technology that allows them to better reach their customers.

That just _____ (fill in the blank) on so many levels, thanks for the laugh

 

[AnalyticWash]

How do you get that comment from the post you quoted?

I'd never sign up with Google.

 

[Wash4Life]

Haven't had much trouble with google. I don't actively manage it or any other social media for that matter. Currently have a 4.5 star ranking.

Got a three star from a friend of my employee who hangs around when he cleans up, she doesn't even own a car. Only one star review is from a guy who apparently got double charged on his card somehow but couldn't make the effort to call the number on my door or on his card statement for a resolution. Those are the ones that irritate me.

Those are the ones that irritate me, too. Our car washes have a phone number posted up for people to call. We have an Internet presence. They spend more time on their review than on trying to find a solution.

 

[Axxlrod]

Google listed my car wash and all it's info with no input from me. Much of the info is/was wrong, but worst of it was google somehow got my personal cell phone number and listed it as the main car wash number. I tried for a long time to get it switched. Finally gave up.

 

[OurTown]

Google listed my car wash and all it's info with no input from me. Much of the info is/was wrong, but worst of it was google somehow got my personal cell phone number and listed it as the main car wash number. I tried for a long time to get it switched. Finally gave up.

I believe that the info is submitted by the public and not Google itself.

 

[washnvac]

Yea...these services are a waste of your time. They just encourage keyboard cowboys. If someone does not have enough balls to say it to your face, then they should not be typing it. This is one reason I do not have facebook, snapchat, twitter or any other of those nutty platforms that have turned a bunch of nerds into billionaires. I also still have a flip phone. And no, it is not old--I just got it a couple of months ago.

I pretty much stop caring a long time ago about the whining most of these kinds of people like to spat.