‘It’s devastating’: Lash beautician fears for her business after cruel trolls posted fake Google reviews
- Elise VonTea said her business in Sydney was the target of cruel online trolls
- After four years and nearly 300 5-star reviews, she received two ‘fake’ reviews
- VonTea says the one-star reviews are fabricated and aren’t from her real clients
A hardworking beautician says fake online reviews written by cruel trolls have left her ‘devastated’ as she hopes they won’t effect her business.
Elise VonTea, who owns Quality Lashes in Sydney’s Newtown, said it was like a ‘knife to the heart’ when she saw one star reviews.
The unexpected negative comments came after she received hundreds of five-star reviews over four years.
‘It’s devastating. It’s huge and can cause a big impact as often clients research on Google by looking at reviews and book in because of our five star reviews,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ms VonTea suspects the negative reviews are fake, as she has no records of the two clients’ names in her computer system.
Elise VonTea, who owns Quality Lashes in Sydney’s Newtown, said it was like a ‘knife to the heart’ when she saw one star reviews
One of the comments was from a bridesmaid who booked in to get her lashes done, and claimed Ms VonTea cancelled her appointment with only an hours’ notice
One of the comments was from a bridesmaid who booked in to get her lashes done, and claimed Ms VonTea cancelled her appointment with only an hours’ notice.
‘An hour before my appt I received a txt msg to say she wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t do it,’ the comment read.
‘Completely screwed me over and couldn’t have cared less’.
However ms VonTea says this is something she has never done before.
‘I would never ever do that, unless I was basically dying and I don’t recall having ever done that,’ VonTea said.
It’s becoming increasingly common for negative online reviews to become the subject of legal battles.
Ms VonTea suspects the negative reviews are fake, as she has no records of the two clients’ names in her computer system
Ms VonTea hasn’t gone down the litigation road, and instead responded to the two bad reviews and reported them to Google.
But she said reporting on Google isn’t easy, as the mechanisms only allow for reporting reviews that are a scam or abusive.
Ms VonTea’s successful business turned over $400,000 last year and she has four staff on her books.
However she said the consequences of the false reviews is hard to measure, but she’s certain she has lost customers.
‘I know that the way we as business owners respond to reviews is often more important than the negative review, as the review may not be taken down and the response can be seen by everyone looking at the reviews,’ she said.
She said if her customers have any negative feedback, she would prefer they email her privately so she can grow and learn.
Google has since taken down one of the two bad reviews.
Ms VonTea said she won’t let the comments from online trolls let her forget about her hundreds of satisfied clientele.
Ms VonTea’s successful business turned over $400,000 last year and she has four staff on her books