Today, a dissatisfied customer can easily post a scathing review online and damage an attorney’s professional reputation by a mere click of a mouse. There are several ways that an attorney can address negative reviews in a professional manner, including:

Flagging the Review

In some situations, the review may not be accurate and may actually be a form of sabotage from a disgruntled individual. It is not uncommon for competitors to post fake reviews in an attempt to garner more business for themselves. In other situations, the review may be posted for the wrong attorney. Most online review sites have a dispute resolution protocol in which the person who is being reviewed can flag it as inappropriate. Flagging the review causes the review to be temporarily removed during which time the site sends the person who posted the review to consider rewriting the review within a certain period of time. If the reviewer does not respond within the given timeframe, the review is permanently reviewed. A potential drawback of this option is that the person who posted the review may see it as provocation and may write an even worse review.

Respond to the Review

One way that businesses respond to negative reviews is by showing the public their professionalism. By carefully considering the review and discovering its source, the attorney has the opportunity to demonstrate his or her character and commitment to legal service. It is important for the attorney to carefully draft a response and to have at least two trusted individuals read over the review before submitting it. The attorney should also demonstrate empathy in the response. Attorneys must also be mindful of attorney/client privilege and not reveal any confidential information. An attorney may also want to publicly offer to speak to the client in private in order to resolve the problem.

Don’t Respond

Probably the most difficult option for an attorney is simply not to respond. An attorney who feels attacked will want to defend his or her professional reputation. However, sometimes the best response may be no response. If the reviewer is someone who may be dangerous or who may lash out by posting additional negative reviews by using fake names may not be able to be reasoned with. Additionally, an emotionally-wrought review that lodges many accusations may not appear credible to others and may not be affecting the practice.