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There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
– Oscar Wilde
To understand the importance of online reviews, let’s take a step back in time and look at what happened to an Ontario window installation and residential contracting company a few years ago.
Those of you in Ontario might recall the infamous “GreenON” program, through which the provincial government gave Ontarians huge rebates for installing high-efficiency windows. It was a boon for window sales to be sure, but it had a darker side to it, too. Valley Window and Door in eastern Ontario, like others, had to battle a significant degree of anger that the program created in the public sphere – online, in person, on the phone, you name it. The abrupt ending of the program was entirely out of Valley’s control, but the online comments flooding in all the same.
“Being so swamped with work, the program made us look, at times, like we couldn’t run a business,” said the co-owner a year later in a Glass Canada interview. “Because we couldn’t fit some potential customers in by the program end date that was announced when the new provincial government took over, we had dozens of them threaten us, telling us they would sue us, never hire us again and so on. Some told me to hire more people, and I would tell them I have already increased my window install crews as much as I can reasonably do, and asked them that if I were to hire people off the street and send them to their houses, if they would want them there. Some understood in the end, but I was literally trying to talk potential customers out of suing us instead of helping them meet their needs.”
That was a unique situation, yes, but negative (including irate) online comments happen all the time – and they’re only one of the online aspects of your business you need to handle correctly in order to protect your reputation and revenue.
Fake reviews
Negative reviews that are fake or inaccurate can often be posted on the websites of businesses. They might be posted by competitors or by vengeful customers who don’t give an honest representation of what actually happened. “Another possibility is a disgruntled employee or, increasingly, a group associated with some sort of social movement,” reports Matt Earle, president of the online consulting firm Reputation.ca. “These entities can leave a fake review or two, but what’s worse, they can ‘review bomb’ your business. Hundreds or even thousands of negative reviews can appear overnight, even attracting news coverage, sweeping you into a crisis where your reputation is fighting for its life.”
Indeed, the law requires that action be taken on an ongoing basis to deal with fake reviews, negative or positive. Earle advises businesses to assign a dedicated staff member to check major platforms weekly, or at least monthly, for fake reviews. The designated staff member should also use programs like ReviewsCaster, Grade.us, or BirdEye, which aggregate reviews for easier management.
The next step, says Earle, is to “use a checklist to train your employee on what to look for, whether it’s signs the review is fake or whether it’s to determine what’s abusive content from what’s attempted competitor sabotage. Then, have the employee learn the reporting procedures for each platform and report these posts as they appear. Also, it’s important tokeep a record of each review and your takedown requests.”
A business may have to employ patience and persistence in making many requests. Earle explains that on platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp and Trustpilot, there are several reasons why it can take some time to get a fake review removed. “It’s a mix of sheer volume, limited budgets, low interest in moderating the platform, and policy loopholes,” he says. “Platforms are flooded with millions of reviews daily, and many fake ones slip through because the burden of proof is on the business under attack to show a review is fake. Plus, platforms are cautious—they don’t want to be seen as censoring genuine feedback, so they often err on the side of inaction.”
With genuine negative reviews, Earle says to make sure they’re authentic, then reach out to the customer and see how you can address the issue. You may have to get creative.
And if you don’t have the time or internal expertise to handle reviews, news stories, or search result manipulation, or when fake or negative content is negatively affecting your sales, brand image or search rankings, Earle says it’s time to consult with an expert. “This investment will give you a plan and peace of mind,” he says.
Don’t be tempted
It’s also important to resist the temptation to post fake positive reviews of your own, which is just as illegal as anyone else doing so. Earle explains that the uptick in businesses posting fake positive reviews in Canada is a direct response to how influential online reviews have become in consumer buying decisions. He notes that for many businesses, especially in competitive sectors like home-related services, car repair, restaurants, and so on, reviews can make or break a reputation. The pressure to stand above other businesses online can drive some company owners to take review-writing into their own hands, but as Earle says, it’s a high-risk move – as is purchasing fake positive reviews.
“Buying fake reviews is surprisingly common, and pretty dangerous,” he says. “Any type of fake review goes against the terms of use for review sites, and platforms are getting better at detecting them. Once flagged, a business can be penalized or publicly shamed. Even worse, fake reviews often trigger real backlash from customers who sense something’s off. It can spiral into a very serious public relations problem.”
Businesses should also be very careful to avoid making any claims – online or otherwise – that are not based in reality. This is against the law (the Competition Act, to be specific). These claims include unsubstantiated environment-related product and service claims (e.g., “this window or degree of roof insulation will lead to X per cent savings on your annual heating bills”). A spokesperson at the Competition Bureau, which oversees enforcement of the Act, states that “our role is to investigate misleading advertising and deceptive marketing practices, including any representation related to the environment that has been made for the purpose of promoting a product, including an imported product or business interest. The Competition Act also prohibits performance claims that are not based on adequate and proper testing. This includes any form of statement, warranty, or guarantee of a product’s performance, efficacy or length of life.”
In mid-2024, the Act was given sharper teeth, and while implementation of the updates is ongoing, there’s a new requirement to base environmental claims “on adequate and proper substantiation in accordance with an internationally-recognized methodology.” In addition, environmental claims can now be legally challenged by customers under two new provisions where businesses now bear the burden of proving their own statements, warranties, or guarantees. Note especially that these provisions also do not require the applicant to establish that the representation is materially false or misleading in any respect.
Sourcing positive reviews
There is good news in that positive reviews from real customers can be sought in several ways that are quite easy to integrate into your after-sales procedures. “It’s best to ask for reviews soon after a good experience, when enthusiasm is highest,” says Earle. “Ask for email addresses beforehand at time of sale, explaining that you’d like to follow up about their experience. Be sure to personalize your ask, explaining that feedback and a positive review won’t take much time but it would really help you as a business owner to give even better experiences to new customers. Also, make it easy with direct links, and avoid offering incentives, which introduces ethical and legal issues. You can certainly incentivize employees to get genuine reviews, just not the reviewers.”
Earle also advises having a process in place to always respond to positive reviews with gratitude, both online and in private. This builds a personal relationship that grows customer loyalty and it encourages others to post, too.
“My final word of advice is that it’s always best to do things right,” he says. “Shortcuts might look tempting, but an online reputation is fragile. Once trust is broken—through fake reviews or neglect—it’s hard to rebuild. Focus on transparency, real customer feedback, and steady engagement. Do it right the first time, and your reputation becomes your greatest asset.”
More about legalities, from Reputation.ca
The Competition Act, which governs all business representation online and offline, contains both criminal and civil penalties for infractions.
- With criminal indictment, fines are at the discretion of the court and imprisonment of up to 14 years can be applied. With civil cases, a first occurrence can result in fines of up to $750,000 for individuals and up to $10,000,000 for corporations, and it’s much higher for subsequent occurrences. Among other stipulations:
- You can be punished for making false reviews, as well as for allowing them to be made and not taking action to remove them.
- It does not matter whether or not anyone has seen the reviews, believed they were real, or if they are located on a Canadian or foreign website.
PIPEDA, Canada’s personal information privacy laws, outlines how businesses must manage customer information, but the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, expected to be enacted within two years, will go much further. After all, reviews can contain information about life circumstances or health conditions and everyone should have control over what they wish to share, or continue to share, in public spheres.
- Infractions could cost businesses as much as $25 million.
- Businesses will be required to be much more careful—for example, seeking explicit permission before sharing content found in reviews.
- Among other requirements, you’ll need to store your own customer review data safely and to be careful who within your firm can access feedback from customers.
- See more at https://www.reputation.ca/pipeda-cppa-canada-changes/