Unfortunately, protecting your brand has become more of a challenge in
the Internet age. Complaints that were once handled in person and in
private are often shared online, potentially alienating new ­customers
and making it difficult for shop owners to resolve issues. Even worse,
because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, some shop owners may
find themselves the subject of false claims.

That’s exactly what happened to me last year. An individual who claimed
to have inside knowledge of my business began posting a series of false
statements about my shops and me on a variety of consumer websites and
blogs. The allegations were not only untrue, but also extremely serious,
accusing me of acting unethically and encouraging other shop owners to
do the same. Given the ­nature of the claims, I knew I had to act
quickly.

I hired a computer forensic specialist (who knew such a job existed?)
who managed to track and identify the culprit online after roughly a
week. Based on the advice of my attorney, I sent the individual a very
strongly worded cease and desist order and threatened legal action if he
did not stop his posts and correct his false claims. In addition, I had
our SEO team post a response to the various sites and blogs where the
false accusations had been posted, clearly explaining how my shops
operate and noting that I had filed a cease and desist order against the
individual making the claims.

Despite the quick action, it took a few weeks to undo the damage. And, I
still find it upsetting that some people may have read the comments
before we were able to address the issue and may have developed a
negative opinion of my business based on inaccurate information. The
whole experience reminded me of Warren Buffett’s famous quote about how
it can take a lifetime to build a good reputation, but only a few
minutes to destroy it.

I believe that by continuing to operate with honesty and integrity, I
can overcome any misperceptions that may have arisen from the on-line
smear campaign. I also hope that by sharing my story, I’ll raise
awareness about how important it is to be cognizant of the various
threats that may endanger your brand name.

Here are a few guidelines for ­maintaining a good reputation in ­cyberspace.

Monitor and Manage: I bet a lot of shop owners don’t
even know that on-line complaints about their businesses exist. My SEO
company was the first to spot the alarming posts and bring them to my
attention. But even shops that don’t utilize SEO firms need to monitor
their online presence. Google your name regularly to see what type of
hits are returned. It’s also worthwhile to visit Yelp and other consumer
review sites to gauge feedback.

If you see negative posts or reviews from customers who have had a bad
experience, take the time to respond and attempt to address the issue as
quickly as possible. If you can fix the problem, it increases the
chance that the customer will update his or her post to reflect your
efforts to improve the situation. If you can’t reach a ­customer, don’t
be afraid to post a comment describing the action you’ve taken to fix
the problem.

Of course, there will always be a certain number of complaints that are
bogus, posted by cutthroat competitors or angry ex-employees. I’ve found
that Yelp and other sites are doing a better job of rooting out fake
reviews and consumers are getting savvy about identifying posts that
sound either too negative or overly positive.

Take Action: Very few on-line comments call for legal
action. But inaccurate or untrue statements made on a large number of
sites should be cause for alarm and could signal a larger campaign to
harm your business. In those instances, it’s also wise to act more
aggressively in order to prevent the situation from spiraling out of
control or garnering media attention. You also need to play hardball
occasionally to send a message to others who may be thinking of damaging
your business using message boards or review sites.

Ask for Help: Remember, you’re in the business of
fixing cars, not disarming Internet bullies. So don’t be afraid to ask
the experts for help if you get into a situation where on-line comments
are threatening to ruin your reputation.

If someone is spreading false claims, the first thing you’ll want to do
is hire an SEO firm to prevent the comments from showing up first in
search engine results. They can also investigate the feasibility of
removing the comments from some sites. An SEO firm might also be able to
help refer you to surveillance experts and others who can track down
the source of the claims. A public relations firm can help craft a
response to the on-line posts, if ­necessary.

The Internet can serve as a wonderful marketing tool for your business.
But don’t forget that it can also serve as a platform for individuals
who may want to damage your reputation. 

Greg Sands is the CEO and founder of Mudlick Mail in ­Acworth, GA.
The company provides demographically targeted, direct mail programs for
automotive service and repair shops nationally. Greg also owns and
operates 29 repair shops across the country. Greg can be reached at [email protected] or 1-866-794-0167.