Are your Reputation Management Tactics Putting your Company at Risk?

There are three major buzzes in the intersecting world of content creation and technology: Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, and Reputation Management.

A lot has been written about AI and its use, including by yours truly, of the need to verify, verify, verify. Be sure to take a hard look at what you might create – there are telltale signs that your content is created by AI – and not you, thereby creating some bit of a credibility perception. The content created by AI is only as good as the premise it is acting on. Garbage in – garbage out.

As with AI, cyber security is one of those, and if asked how much security is enough, your answer should be ‘one more than I have’. There are several levels of intense security protocols, up to and including that of the US Department of Defense CDSE certification, which I will say is one very detailed and sophisticated process. Cyber security is not one of those issues to be trifled with. Any company that puts in into the ‘acceptable risk’ category will get ‘hit’. And it will be expensive. Our software is HIPAA qualified (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), a protocol we choose to maintain.
This brings us to Reputation Management, the new hot conversation in most industries, particularly in hospitality. We are all aware that consumers will check many rating sites before making a buying decision, including Google, Tripadvisor, Expedia, Book.com, Bing, Yelp, and many others. And, the unfortunate actions companies take is to rely on their feedback/survey systems to manipulate the respondent into generating a high level of ratings based on the answers to a certain question or questions.

Here is my advice: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GAME THE SYSTEM.

You will end up doing more harm than good. We are asked regularly if our software can direct survey responders to a positive review based on their answers to a specific survey question. If the response is positive, send them to a specific site. The answer is of course we can. We are a technology company with a robust online feedback management system, meaning we are very flexible.

Do we push back on that request? Every time.

The FTC defines that as a deceptive practice. “Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.” Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials | Federal Trade Commission

Trip advisor, for example, manages fake reviews by monitoring the IP address as the source of the post. We offer the opportunity to post a rating to Tripadvisor directly from our system. If the respondent answers the question ‘Would you like to post a rating to Tripadvisor’, if the answer is yes, we pass the data directly to TA, the IP is monitored, and an algorithm is created to ensure all respondents are offered the opportunity. The operative word here is ALL.

Tripadvisor will catch ya if you cheat! Imagine your resort on TA in a circle with a line drawn through it.

Related: Why Timeshare Companies Need To Use A Reputation Management Company

RM as a Service

Using Google or MS Edge or any search engine, enter ‘Reputation Management’ and you will soon receive adverts offering increased reviews.
One promises to Automate Review Generation to build your brand and reputation. It further promises, ‘XXX is the only AI-powered reviews software for location-based businesses that helps you get new reviews on the sites that matter, like Google, Facebook, and over 200 more.’ And the math they offer in their advert is impressive, to say the least. In one example, the Google reviews went from 2 – 3 star to 455 – 5 stars. Without a lot of research, that just sounds like a lot puffing. How does a dentist increase reviews and ratings to that extent? And, consumers aren’t dumb!

In a letter to yours truly, Josh Stevens of Mac Murray & Shuster LLP cites the Federal Trade commission:

“More recently, we have seen an uptick in companies offering to manage online reputations through AI-generated reviews or even human-authored reviews that can obfuscate the negative reviews a business may have. Under the Review Rule, it is an unfair or deceptive practice for business to write, create, or sell a consumer review that misrepresents (i) that the reviewer exists,(i) that the reviewer used or otherwise had experience with the product subject to the review, or (iii) the reviewer’s experience with that product”. 16 C.F.R. § 465.2(a).

The company I found is one of many that promise to increase ratings, therefore customers. They may be right but be careful.

How do you manage your reputation?

Find the root of the issue and address it. Of course, if you are capturing the voice of the customer through a sophisticated feedback management system, you will spot them. Head the issue off at the pass. Early and often. Take advantage of an analytics program measuring the verbatim comments left on review sites and makes recommendations based on the sentiment analysis of turning unstructured data into structured reports.

Look for the cause and recognize that data correlation does not necessarily translate to cause. For example, did you know there is a direct correlation between the sale of ice cream and shark bites? (See Chart)

A correlation indicates that if the sale of ice cream was halted, shark bites would be lessened. If you look for the cause, it is the weather that is the culprit.
Find the core and fix it! Your ratings will go up. There are no shortcuts. Unless, of course, you wish to push your luck.

Referring back to the letter from Josh Stevens:

The best solution is to evaluate negative reviews for common trends and issues that the business can solve. By using reviews as a learning opportunity, the business can invest in creating an exemplary consumer experience naturally resulting in more positive reviews moving forward that “drown out” the past negative reviews. Businesses may also engage with consumers who left negative reviews to resolve their concerns and encourage them to update their review, if possible, afterwards. 17 Engaging in practices that violate FTC regulations or the CRFA may expose a business to penalties up to $53,088 per violation18 as well as injunctive terms. Even a negotiated resolution of a claim with the FTC would likely entail invasive on-going
compliance monitoring and onerous injunctive terms along with monetary penalties.

Also, one area that is very important and becoming more important every day is the accreditation or non-accreditation of your local Better Business Bureau. Consumers look there as much as they look at any review site. Answer ALL complaints to remain an Accredited BBB Business. Trust is the focus.

For more information on our Focused Recommendations for reputation management contact bobkobek@mobiusvp.com