Negative Reviews and Reputation Management
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Negative Reviews and Reputation Management
A bad review can ruin your whole day. You see it pop up and your stomach drops. You want to fire back, explain everything, maybe even cry a bit. That's normal. But how you handle it makes all the difference between a blip that nobody remembers and a public meltdown that follows you around for years. This guide covers your legal rights, exactly how to get fake reviews removed on every major platform, what to say (and what never to say), and how to build a review profile that can absorb the odd bad one without it destroying you.
Your legal position
Not all bad reviews are illegal. Most of them are just opinions, and opinions are protected, even when they're harsh.
When a review crosses the line
A review may be defamatory if it:
- Makes false statements of fact (not opinion)
- Harms your reputation in the eyes of a reasonable person
- Causes or is likely to cause you serious financial loss
"I hated my lashes" is an opinion. Protected.
"She's a scammer who took my money and never did the treatment" is a statement of fact. If it's untrue, that's potentially defamatory.
The fake review crackdown
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (in force from April 2025) makes it illegal to post fake reviews, including unfairly negative ones that aren't based on a genuine experience. The CMA now has direct powers to act against people and platforms that host or commission fake reviews.
This also means you can't post fake positive reviews about yourself or fake negative ones about competitors. The penalties are real.
Can you sue?
Technically, yes. Practically, defamation claims are expensive and slow. Most solicitors will start with a cease-and-desist letter to the reviewer or the platform. That's often enough to get a fake or malicious review taken down without going to court.
Suing is really only worth considering for clearly false, very damaging statements or sustained campaigns against your business.
How to get reviews removed: platform by platform
Google Business Profile
- Log into your Google Business Profile, go to Reviews
- Find the review, click the three dots, choose Report review / Flag as inappropriate
- Select the reason: conflict of interest, not based on a real experience, harassment
- Submit with as much detail as you can
- For serious defamation, also use Google's legal removal form
Google is slow. It can take weeks. If the first report is rejected, try again with more detail.
- Go to your Page, find the Reviews / Recommendations section
- Click the three dots on the review, select Report post
- Choose a reason: hate/abuse, not a real experience, spam
- Submit
Facebook may remove it if it breaches Community Standards. You cannot hide individual reviews while keeping the rest visible. You can turn reviews off entirely, but that hides the good ones too, so think carefully.
Trustpilot
- Log into your Trustpilot business account, go to Service reviews
- Find the review, click Report
- Choose whether you're reporting the text or an image
- Select the policy reason: harmful/illegal, no genuine experience, conflict of interest
- Submit with evidence
The review gets marked as "under investigation" while Trustpilot decides. Be ready to prove the reviewer wasn't a genuine customer.
Fresha
- Fresha reviews are tied to real bookings, so fakes are rarer
- Log in, go to Clients / Reviews and locate the review
- Use any Report / Flag option. If there isn't one, open a support ticket or live chat
- Explain why it breaches policy: not your client, abusive, blackmail
- Show booking records to prove they weren't treated
Treatwell
- Log into your Partner account, go to Reviews / Performance
- Use the Report link, selecting your reason
- If you can't flag it directly, contact Treatwell support via their help centre
- Reference appointment IDs and explain why the review is fake or abusive
Tip for new starters: Screenshot every suspicious review the moment you see it, including the reviewer's profile. People sometimes delete and repost, or change their name. Having a timestamped screenshot gives you evidence if you need to escalate.
How to respond: scripts you can actually use
Golden rules
- Keep it short, calm, and professional
- Never share personal data or treatment details in your reply
- Move the conversation to private channels (email or phone)
- Wait at least a few hours before replying if you're upset. Ideally 24 hours.
Script 1: Genuine complaint (you recognise them, there's some truth)
"Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear you were unhappy with your treatment. I always aim to provide a high standard of service and I'm sorry this wasn't your experience on this occasion. Please contact me at [email/phone] so I can look into what happened and discuss how we can put this right for you."
Script 2: Exaggerated complaint (real client, but they're stretching it)
"Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed. I take all feedback seriously and would really like to review this in detail with you. Please get in touch at [email/phone] so we can go through what happened and see what I can do to help."
Don't argue point by point in public. That almost always makes things worse. It's called the Streisand effect: your response draws more attention to the review than the review ever would on its own.
Script 3: Completely fabricated (no record of them)
"I'm sorry to read this, as I can't locate any record of a booking matching your name or the details in your review. I take genuine concerns very seriously, so if you have visited me, please contact me at [email/phone] with your appointment details so I can investigate. If this review has been posted in error, I'd appreciate it being updated or removed."
This tells other readers the review might not be genuine, without you calling anyone a liar (which could create its own legal problems).
Script 4: Suspected competitor or malicious campaign
"I'm concerned by this review as I can't find any matching client record. I'm always happy to discuss genuine experiences directly. Please contact me at [email/phone] so I can look into it. I've also reported this review to the platform for investigation."
If you're seeing a pattern of obviously fake reviews, get legal advice. It could be harassment or a targeted campaign.
When NOT to respond
- If the review is clearly trolling and you've already reported it. Engaging gives it oxygen.
- If you're angry. Sleep on it. Have someone neutral read your draft before you post it.
- If a solicitor is involved (you've sent or received a formal letter). Get advice before saying anything on the platform.
What you must NOT say in your response (GDPR)
This is where beauty workers get into real trouble.
You are a data controller for any personal data you publish. That means you cannot share in a public reply:
- The client's full name (if not already public on their review)
- Their contact details
- Health or treatment details ("This is because you didn't follow the aftercare for your [condition]")
- Before/after photos without explicit consent
- Screenshots of private messages
You can use your internal records (consultation forms, patch test cards, treatment notes) to defend yourself privately, for example when providing evidence to a platform, your insurer, or your solicitor. But you cannot publish them in your reply.
A client who feels you have "named and shamed" them can complain to the ICO. The ICO can investigate and issue warnings or fines.
Tip for new starters: Keep a simple incident log for every complaint, even minor ones. Date, what happened, what you did about it. If a review dispute ever escalates, having a contemporaneous record is far more convincing than trying to remember what happened three months later.
Building a review profile that can take a hit
One bad review among fifty good ones looks normal. One bad review out of three looks catastrophic. The maths is simple: you need volume.
Make asking for reviews a habit
- Send an SMS or email after every appointment with a direct link to your preferred review platform
- Put a QR code at your station or on your mirror
- Ask at natural "happy moments" when the client is visibly pleased with the result
- Keep it easy and low-pressure: "If you have a moment later, a quick review really helps my small business. No worries if you're busy."
What you CANNOT do
Review gating (only asking happy clients for reviews, or steering unhappy ones away from public platforms) is now treated as misleading under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 and the CMA's fake review guidance.
You must send review invitations fairly and consistently. You cannot systematically block or discourage unhappy clients from leaving honest reviews.
You can offer small thank-you gestures (a discount code, entry into a prize draw) as long as:
- The incentive is clearly disclosed
- It's not conditional on leaving a positive review
- It's offered to everyone, not just happy clients
Who to Contact
- ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) - GDPR queries, data protection complaints - ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113 (Free)
- Citizens Advice - general consumer and business rights - 0800 144 8848 (Free)
- Action Fraud - report fraud, fake review campaigns, online harassment - actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (Free)
- CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) - report fake review practices - gov.uk/cma (Free)
- A solicitor specialising in defamation - for serious or sustained attacks (Paid)
Sources
- Defamation Act 2013
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
- UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
- CMA guidance on fake reviews, 2025
- Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, Fresha and Treatwell review policies (current as of April 2026)
Related Guides
- Handling Client Complaints
- GDPR for Beauty Workers
- Clients Threatening Legal Action
- Building Your Personal Brand on Social Media
- Marketing Compliance
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Key Contacts
ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)
GDPR queries, data protection complaints - ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113Free