How One Northern NH Business Responded to a Misplaced Google Review

It’s a moment that makes your stomach drop.

You open your email, or your Google Business Profile, and there it is:

A one-star review. No warning. No context. Just a statement—usually blunt, sometimes inaccurate, and almost always public.

This happened recently to a client I work with here in northern New Hampshire. Their Google profile had been spotless. Every review was five stars, every one of them earned through real relationships and consistent, thoughtful service. Until this one.

The review wasn’t from a customer, not directly. It came from someone who had worked with a general contractor on a project where my client had been subcontracted. The complaint—about unauthorized work and unclear billing—wasn’t about anything my client had done. But because their name appeared on the invoice, their Google listing became the place where the frustration landed.

That review alone was enough to drop their overall rating from 5.0 to 4.7.

And that’s the part most people don’t realize—how powerful a single Google review can be, especially for local businesses in Northern New Hampshire, where word of mouth still means everything and small-town visibility is deeply personal.

Why Negative Google Reviews Are Often More Emotional Than Factual

There’s often more going on beneath the surface of a negative review than the words suggest. People leave these kinds of public comments for the same reasons they speak up at a town meeting or write a letter to the editor: they want to feel seen, and they want their experience to matter.

Sometimes the story is accurate. Sometimes it isn’t. And sometimes—like in this case—it’s a bit of a grey area.

What complicates things for business owners is that Google doesn’t exist to help you sort that out. You can flag a review for removal, and if it’s clearly spam, harassment, or factually unrelated to your business, Google might take it down. But in most cases, especially when the reviewer can claim even the most indirect connection to your work, the review stays.

There is no appeals process. No space for nuance.

Which means your response becomes the only tool you have.

How the Business Responded to the Misplaced Google Review

We knew we couldn’t prove that this person wasn’t technically a client, at least not in a way Google would recognize. And we had no direct contact information—no way to reach out privately to clarify the situation.

So we focused on what we could do: respond thoughtfully, honestly, and publicly.

Here’s what we wrote:

We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you taking the time to share it. After looking into this, we want to clarify that our business was subcontracted for a specific scope of work and did not make any decisions regarding additional tasks or billing outside that agreement.

We understand how frustrating it can be when there’s a breakdown in communication—especially on projects involving multiple parties. While we weren’t the general contractor on your project, we always aim to act with transparency and respect for property owners. If there’s anything we can do to help clarify what took place on our end, we’re happy to talk directly.

That response wasn’t about damage control. It was about accountability.

We didn’t deflect the complaint or try to make it disappear. We acknowledged the reviewer’s frustration while gently setting the record straight. We made it clear to future readers—potential clients, neighbors, community members—that this business was paying attention and willing to engage, even when it was uncomfortable.

What Google Reviews Really Mean for Local Businesses in Northern New Hampshire

For local businesses in Northern New Hampshire, reputation management isn’t about polishing a brand. It’s about preserving relationships. A Google review is never just a Google review—it’s a reflection of how people experience your work, your communication, and the ripple effects of every project you’re a part of.

That’s why these moments matter. Not because a 4.7 is “bad”—it’s still excellent. But because how you show up in the messy, imperfect moments tells a much bigger story than a collection of five-star praise ever could.

Final Thoughts: Responding with Integrity to Difficult Google Reviews

If you’re a small business owner and you’ve received a Google review that feels unfair, untrue, or misplaced, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to pretend it didn’t affect you. It’s hard. Especially when your business is you.

But you still have agency. Not to erase the review, but to add to the narrative.

You get to choose how you show up in response. With calm. With clarity. With enough compassion to acknowledge someone else’s frustration—and enough self-respect to protect your integrity.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what your next customer is looking for.

-Amanda