What to Do With a Damaged Reputation in 2022

October 9, 2022

Have a damaged reputation in 2021? Here’s a look at what you can do to turn things around.

Owning a business has its ups and downs. Hiring the right people to represent your company can be a very tedious task. You must exhaust all your time and energy into training these individuals which pulls you away from your own work.

Make sure you are employing the right people based on merit and who is the best fit. Hiring on a gut decision or to “help out a friend” has more negatives than positives in the long run. You have worked hard to create your brand, be careful about who you let in, as the consequences could be dire.

Having to let an employee go is never easy. The backlash of what could happen can be detrimental, leading to a damaged reputation that costs you money.

All it takes is a single review on Glassdoor or Google My Business to severely hinder performance.

First-impressions have left the building. Everyone turns to review sites as a “tell-all” source for answers to their questions. 50% of the time when an employee leaves an organization they will talk about it online (positive or negative).

Make sure you are carefully monitoring your online reputation so you know right away. Many top prospects may be deterred after researching your company and seeing an ex-employee talking negatively about the management.

In a study done by inc.com, Craig Bloem discusses how 84 percent of individuals trust online review platforms as much as they trust their friends. Of that 84%, over half of them will make their decision right then and there.

Only after reading the first 4-6 reviews, they have developed a strong “understanding” of how you operate. (Read more)

Satisfaction Surveys 

One of the best things you can do apart from generating reviews is gaining a general sense of how your customers feel. After a purchase is made simply email a customer satisfaction survey to each customer.

They may not all give you their feedback but some will. Being proactive is a great characteristic to have. People who notice you care more will appreciate you on a higher level, regardless if you have negative reviews online.

The best part about these surveys that is they are NOT public. You can read the feedback before publishing it on your website. This helps to limit the damaged reputation while still providing constructive criticism at the same time.

Bad Reviews are Opportunities to Repair a Damaged Reputation, NOT Problems

When it comes to your damaged reputation, make sure you are being proactive.

What is the point of gaining feedback if you are not taking action to resolve those issues? Needless to say, be careful about how you respond to negative feedback.

There is nothing worse than reading an argument between a client/ex-employee and the company. This shows other prospects you offer an inadequate service.

Ex-employees May Target Your Company

Everyone has the ability to hide behind a computer monitor and vent their opinion and feelings about the world. Many enjoy reading these, but as a business owner, these are your worst nightmare.

With this “internet review” trend that is rapidly growing, disgruntled employees are free to post carelessly online. Disgruntled employees are the leading cause of many companies’ damaged reputation.

As an employee at a company, be careful who you associate yourself with. Your cube-mate today could be your worst enemy in months to come. Only allow trustworthy colleagues to leave recommendations on your LinkedIn.

Linkedin houses over 400 million profiles, it is the Mecca of professional social platforms. If your company utilizes recruiters on LinkedIn, negative reviews may leave you wondering how you cannot find any reputable candidates. 

What if you have a Damaged Reputation?

First of all, keep calm and think logically. Do not react out of anger because the world will see it. When attempting to rectify a damaged reputation online simply present the facts and admit guilt when you are at fault.

Regardless if others do not agree with you, taking responsibility has a positive impact.

If you feel like you are being targeted under false pretense there are some steps you can take to fix it. Sites like Google and LinkedIn will work with you if you can provide proof. When a fictitious review is posted there are a few things Google can do to validate that account.

Say that is the only review that person has ever left. Google may deindex or even remove the review as they view it as defamatory (again only if you can provide proof).

EraseMugshots is Here to Help!

It can be very overwhelming trying to deal with a bad review while maintaining your business.

If you are struggling to have a fictitious review removed or even a news article you deem liable we can help. Our knowledgeable team of ORM strategists will ensure a successful suppression/removal of this negative feedback.

Online reputation is no joke and should never be taken lightly. It WILL NOT fix itself.

Call us now at 866-601-6803 to learn more.

Free Mugshot Removal Analysis