Sue a customer for a Bad Review?

[john.quinn]

Not automotive, but very interesting: Dentist Threatens to Sue Patient for Negative Yelp Review | ABC News - Yahoo! What rights does a dealer have to protect himself/herself against false or slanderous accusations on-line? Interesting, no?

 

[ryan.leslie]

Very interesting, but this isn't at all about suing for slander, it's about the deplorable actions taken to attempt to silence the consumer that was clearly mistreated in this case. Opportunity Lost! I'd bet $100 that this is going to be very, very expensive for the Dr. that tried to bully a consumer into removing an accurate representation of their experience. The irony is that their effort to silence the consumer, presumably to protect their reputation, netted quite a different result.

Quoting Blake Z again from an earlier thread, but the best Review strategy is to "give excellent service, really excellent service." The negative review should have been the wake up call that alerted the Dr. to several broken and unfriendly processes at their practice. Reach out, make it right and fix your process to prevent clerical errors in the future.

This is a great example of one of the "real" value propositions of seeking reviews for a business. If a customer alerts you to an unfriendly or broken process, take that feedback for what it is and look honestly at the process from a consumer's perspective. They are likely not the only customer that felt that way. Reviews aren't solely a marketing tool, they are also a great insight into your procedures and processes from a consumer perspective.

Giving "Excellent Service" to earn a positive review and truly, honestly evaluating the content of a negative review shouldn't be as painful as, say, pulling teeth...

 

[ed.brooks]

Not automotive, but very interesting: Dentist Threatens to Sue Patient for Negative Yelp Review | ABC News - Yahoo! What rights does a dealer have to protect himself/herself against false or slanderous accusations on-line? Interesting, no?

JQ, this dentist isn't alleging that false or slanderous accusations were made but rather is contending that the patient violated a “Mutual Agreement to Maintain Privacy”. Here's the quote, "Bleary from pain, Lee claimed he was told he had to sign several papers, including a “Mutual Agreement to Maintain Privacy,” before being treated."

How do you think pre-sale gag orders would work at the dealership?

 

[ArtMorris]

The irony is that their effort to silence the consumer, presumably to protect their reputation, netted quite a different result.

Ah, the Streisand Effect, a fitting result of attempted censorship.

 

[ryan.leslie]

Ah, the Streisand Effect, a fitting result of attempted censorship.

...and that, folks, is why I hang out here. You really do learn something new every day. This forum certainly attracts the brightest bulbs in a never dull industry.


Now, how do I get rich and famous like Streisand so I can have my own "effect?"

 

[ed.brooks]

...and that, folks, is why I hang out here. You really do learn something new every day. This forum certainly attracts the brightest bulbs in a never dull industry.


Now, how do I get rich and famous like Streisand so I can have my own "effect?"

So do you think TrueCar ever heard of the Streisand Effect. I'm guessing no, or Jerry's YouTube video would still be up.

 

[john.quinn]

Now we're having a conversation!

 

[ddavis]

What the car business needs is some additional forms and getting lawyers involved.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

So do you think TrueCar ever heard of the Streisand Effect. I'm guessing no, or Jerry's YouTube video would still be up.

Jerry has a bigger and better video about to be released. It packs more punch in an attempt to stab the beast!

 

[Zhendrix]

Jerry, I think you should review this site about Ninjas to prepare for your next video.

Are you ready to get pumped