Your step by step guide to removing bad reviews with foul or nasty language from Facebook, Google or Yelp.
Know that it’s pretty hard to get a review taken down unless it truly aligns with the review forum’s guidelines. But if that’s the case – here’s what to do!
Google and Yelp have very specific guidelines for what they think you should do when responding to reviews. These guys have been in the review game for a while so we take what they say to heart. We also have experienced that no review, customer or service is the same, and our guidelines below reflect that.
Step 1 : Log into your Facebook Business Account
Step 2 : Find the post that contains inappropriate language
Step 3 : Click on the small “v” on the top right of the post
Step 4 : Click “I don’t like this review” and follow the following instructions
Facebook guidelines are pretty vague when it comes to foul language. They are more concerned with threats and safety, so what they will and won’t take down well – it’s a bit of mystery. As Mom always said, it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Step 1 : Log into your Google Business account
Step 2 : Reply publicly to ‘Googler’ who posted review*
Step 3 : If no change flag the review. Note Google rarely if ever takes down reviews.
*Reply to the reviewer and be sure to mention, and actually quote, Google’s guidelines and how their review actually violate those guidelines. But do so in a friendly manner! We have seen a super high success rate in getting reviews removed when the specific guideline that has been violated is copied and pasted in a reply. We’ve made it easy for you – just find the guideline that makes sense to you below and use it when replying to the Googler in question!
- Keep it clean: Don’t use obscene, profane, or offensive language. We’ll also remove reviews that represent personal attacks on others.
- Sexually Explicit Material: We don’t allow reviews that contain sexually explicit material. Also, we absolutely don’t allow reviews that sexually exploit children or present them in a sexual manner. For this type of content, we’ll remove the review, shut down the account, and send a report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement.
- Hate Speech: We don’t allow reviews that advocate against groups of people based on their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Yelp
Before trying to flag a review for review by the forum you should respond to the reviewer in a public comment.
Step 1: Log into your Your Yelp Account
Step 2: Find review and Reply publicly to reviewer
Step 3: If no change from Yelp user flag the review for a Yelp moderator to review
Yelp is on the same page as Google and will take reviews down for these reasons along with some tips for what to include if you are reporting a review. Basically the more info you can provide the better!
- Inappropriate content: Colorful language and imagery is fine, but there’s no need for threats, harassment, lewdness, hate speech, and other displays of bigotry.
If you spot a review that looks like on of those red flags then you should respond publicly and, especially when it comes to Yelp, report to the forum. There’s a good chance you can get a review taken down from Yelp, with a pretty slim to none chance of getting a review taken off Google. But hey it never hurts to ask!
