Usually the best move is a calm, professional public reply, not a fight. You generally can't force removal of an honest opinion, even an unfair one. You only have a legal route if the review states something false as fact and damages your reputation — that's potential defamation — or if it breaks the platform's guidelines.
A bad review stings, especially when you know you did a decent job. But how you react is seen by every future customer reading it — so the instinct to go to war is usually the wrong one.
Opinion vs false fact
This is the key distinction:
- Opinion — "I didn't think he was worth the money" or "wouldn't use again" is the reviewer's view. You can't have it removed just for being negative or even unfair.
- False statement of fact — "He wasn't Gas Safe registered" when you are, or "he stole from us" when that's untrue, is different. A false factual claim that damages your reputation can amount to defamation.
The response that actually helps
Reply publicly, once, calmly. Future customers judge you on the reply far more than the complaint:
- Thank them for the feedback and stay professional — never sarcastic or aggressive.
- Briefly give your side factually ("we attended twice and offered to return"), without airing private details.
- Offer to take it offline to resolve it.
When you can push for removal
- Platform guidelines — most review sites let you flag reviews that are fake, from someone who was never a customer, contain abuse, or breach their rules.
- Defamation — if it's a false factual claim causing real damage, you can ask them to remove it and, as a last resort, take legal advice. This is slow and costly, so it's a high bar.
Don't make it worse
Don't post fake reviews of your own, don't get friends to pile on the reviewer, and don't threaten them publicly. It tends to backfire and can land you in trouble. Let your calm reply and your genuine reviews do the work.