We recently flyered an area of Bristol, with a comprehensive Newsletter style A4 sheet and our card. The A4 sheet introduced a maintenance package that we have developed for medium to large sized gardens, 2 operators, 2 hours a week, a total of 16 man hours a month. It included our qualifications, insurance details, price of the maintenance package, £240.00 a month, and invited prospective clients to look at our website and check out our services and reviews.
The day after we flyered we received a call from Mr P. asking us if we would come round and take a look at his garden, We met him and went round the garden with him. An established garden that had not been worked on for some time.
He explained that he wanted us to start on the top patio and bank and work across. we explained that the package was 2 hours a week two operators and that over a couple of months his garden would be managed and in hand, he was pleased and asked us to go ahead. We confirmed by email a start date.
The day after we had done our first 2 hours Mr P rang and said that he was disappointed and unhappy with our work, he was asked if we could come round and go through it with him, to which he replied, I don't see any point in that. We explained that we had worked hard and that 2 tonne bags of waste had been removed from his garden to which he replied, well if that is the best you can do then its not good enough. At no point did he explain exactly what he wasn't happy about even though he was asked. We ended the call by saying that if that was the way he felt we would invoice him for the works done and terminate any other works. To which he replied, fine.
The same day Mr P was sent an email confirming that he did not wish to proceed with further visits and an invoice for works carried out attached, wishing him luck with finding a maintenance company.
The next day we were informed via email that we had received a review from Mr P. Value for money, scored 1 out of 5, quality of service, scored 1 out of 5, quality of work, scored 1 out of 5.`and the review stated: Very disappointed with the work this company is amateur. This appeared on our website.
Does anyone know that by stating that we are amateur constitutes Libel?
Views: 120
Replies
I wouldn't worry about 1 bad review.
But pursuing it as Libellous against your company would come across badly in my eyes.
I wouldn't get hung up on it. As Neil said it is only one customer, everybody gets difficult customers once in a while. Learn from it and move on. (I might have been inclined not to post this on an open public forum either, but your call)
In terms of Libel, I don't really know where you are going with that. You aren't going to sue him for a bad review. I think he would probably argue that he meant amateur in the sense of 'somebody appearing to not know what they are doing' rather than amateur in the stricter sense of not being a professional, not working for money. Both definitions are valid and the first would simply be his personal opinion. At least that's my understanding.
there is always one !
can you delete it?
untidy gardens are always 'worst' customers ive found....... we dont do miracles in 2hrs after things have been untouched for 6 mths and nature has taken its course ! (or 3 years growth etc) !
keep going - many good clients to keep happy
Can you add a reply to his comments?
You have my sympathy however if that was the case, I'd imagine anyone giving a review on the internet would only be able to give good ones for fear of being sued for libel. The courts could be very busy.
Gardens4u.co.uk said:
Yes that's one of the things I hate the most! Why would a 4 foot tall paddock suddenly look like fine turf after going over with it with a strimmer!
£240 for 16 hours work is £15 per hour - too cheap, especially when multiple visits are involved.
Clients will have more respect if you charge more for your services - £20/25 per hour or even more if an affluent area...
Personally, I do not let clients have free rein to add comments good or bad to our website. There are always some you cannot please no matter what you do or say, or those who have issues they vent on you.
Allowing these people to damage your business because it demonstrates your support for free speech seems like a step too far to me. If I want testimonials on my site, I add them myself.
James McKay said:
Thanks for your replies, really useful :-)
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next