What should I do if one bad review is scaring away new customers?
If one bad review is scaring away potential customers, the best response is usually not to panic or try to bury it. Respond professionally, address the underlying issue if there is one, and start consistently generating fresh, legitimate reviews from your customers.
One negative review can absolutely influence buying decisions, especially if your business only has a small number of reviews. But a thoughtful response and a steady stream of recent customer feedback can change the story people see when they research your business.
Can one bad review really hurt my business?
Yes, especially when you do not have many other reviews to balance it out.
According to BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey, 77% of consumers say negative reviews can deter them from using a business. The same research found that 85% are more likely to use a business after reading positive reviews.
That means reviews are not simply a reputation metric. They can directly influence whether someone calls, books an appointment, fills out a form, or keeps looking at competitors.
The impact is also relative.
If you have 300 positive reviews and receive one negative review, most people will see it in context. If you have seven reviews and one is strongly negative, that single customer’s experience suddenly represents a much larger portion of your visible reputation.
This is why your goal should not be to achieve a spotless review profile. Your goal should be to build an accurate and current picture of what customers generally experience when they work with you.
Should I respond to a bad review?
In most cases, yes.
Google specifically tells businesses that replying to reviews shows customers that they value their feedback. You can read Google’s recommendations in its Business Profile review management guidance.
Your response is also about more than communicating with the unhappy customer.
You are speaking to every potential customer who reads that exchange later.
A simple response might say:
“Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet your expectations. We’d appreciate the opportunity to learn more and see if we can help. Please contact our office directly so we can discuss what happened.”
You do not need to win an argument. In fact, trying to prove publicly that the customer was wrong can sometimes make the situation worse.
Instead, show future customers that you listen, take concerns seriously, and are willing to resolve problems.
What if the negative review is unfair or completely false?
First, determine whether the review violates the platform’s policies.
Google allows businesses to flag reviews they believe violate its content policies. That does not mean Google will remove a review simply because it is negative or because you disagree with it. There generally needs to be a policy-related reason for removal.
If the review stays online, respond carefully.
Avoid getting into a detailed public debate. You can politely state that you cannot identify the situation described or that the review does not appear consistent with your records, then invite the reviewer to contact you directly.
Potential customers often understand that disputes happen. What they are watching is how your business handles them.
How do I make one negative review less noticeable?
The most sustainable answer is to generate more genuine reviews.
Do not suddenly ask five employees and ten friends to leave five-star reviews. Do not buy reviews. And do not offer customers a reward specifically for posting a positive review.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule addresses fake reviews, misleading testimonials, review suppression, and incentives conditioned on a particular positive or negative sentiment.
Instead, build review requests into your normal customer process.
For example:
- Complete the customer’s service or purchase.
- Send a short email or text thanking them.
- Ask them to share their honest experience.
- Give them a direct path to the appropriate review platform.
- Continue the process consistently with customers rather than only when you need to repair your rating.
A system like Surge by Thrive Reputation Management can help make this process part of your normal customer workflow instead of something you remember to do only after receiving a bad review.
Should I offer a discount to get someone to change a bad review?
Be very careful.
Resolving the customer’s problem is completely reasonable. If someone had a legitimate bad experience, fixing that experience should be the priority.
But paying someone specifically to remove or change truthful negative feedback can create problems.
The FTC says businesses can contact customers who posted negative reviews to try to resolve their issues. It also notes that simply asking a satisfied customer to update a review is not prohibited. However, its guidance warns that paying consumers to change or remove truthful negative reviews could potentially be considered unfair or deceptive.
Your better approach is:
Fix the problem first.
If the customer is satisfied with the resolution, you can politely ask whether they would consider updating their review to reflect the complete experience.
What if I’m getting good reviews but the bad one still keeps showing up?
Recency matters.
BrightLocal’s 2026 research found that consumers increasingly care about both star ratings and fresh reviews. People want evidence of what it is like to work with your business now, not just what customers experienced two years ago.
That makes review generation an ongoing marketing activity.
Think about your reviews the same way you think about your website, email marketing, or social media. You would not publish five social posts in January and expect them to carry your marketing for the next three years.
Your reputation needs fresh signals too.
This is where workflow automation can help. Instead of manually remembering to ask each customer for feedback, an automated process can trigger review requests at the appropriate point in the customer journey.
Are potential customers only looking at my star rating?
No.
People often continue researching after reading reviews.
BrightLocal found that after reading positive reviews, 54% of consumers visit the business’s website. In fact, 66% continue researching rather than immediately making a purchase or booking.
That means a bad review does not exist in isolation.
Someone may read the review, visit your website, look at your services, check additional reviews, and then decide whether they trust you.
Make sure the rest of your digital presence supports that decision.
Your website should clearly explain what you do, who you help, and why someone should choose you. Your contact process should be easy. Your business information should be accurate. And once someone reaches out, your follow-up should be fast and professional.
A strong SEO website, effective lead capture system, and consistent review strategy all work together.
What should I do right now if a bad review is hurting my business?
Start with these five steps:
- Read the review objectively. Is there a legitimate issue you should fix?
- Respond professionally. Write for the future customers who will read your response, not just the reviewer.
- Flag it if it violates platform policies. Do not assume a negative opinion alone qualifies for removal.
- Ask real customers for honest feedback. Make review requests a normal part of doing business.
- Automate the process. Build review generation into your customer journey so your reputation continues to reflect recent experiences.
One bad review does not have to define your business.
What becomes more concerning is one bad review sitting unanswered for months while no new customer feedback appears around it.
If you want a more consistent way to generate reviews, manage customer communication, and automate follow-up, request a Surge by Thrive demo and see how reputation management can fit into the rest of your lead and customer management process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I delete a negative review?
You usually cannot simply delete a third-party review because you dislike it. If it violates the platform’s policies, report it. Otherwise, responding professionally and building a larger base of genuine reviews is generally the better strategy.
How quickly should I respond to a bad review?
As soon as you can provide a thoughtful, professional response. Avoid firing off an emotional reply immediately after reading the review.
Can I ask customers for five-star reviews?
Ask customers for honest reviews instead. The FTC prohibits incentives that are conditioned on reviews expressing a particular positive or negative sentiment, and review platforms may have their own additional policies.
Can review management be automated?
Yes. Review requests can be incorporated into automated email and SMS follow-up after a purchase, appointment, or completed service. Surge by Thrive’s Reputation Management and Email & SMS Marketing tools can help businesses build that process into their normal customer journey.