In this short on Legal Marketing by Spearleaf, Joshua Albanese, founder of Spearleaf, walks an attorney through the morning a one-star lands: don't reply today, decide whether to answer at all, use one of two safe lines, flag it only if it breaks Google's rules, and walk away from removal promises. Narrated with an AI voice clone of Joshua Albanese. Other characters are AI-generated. Every answer is written and checked by the Spearleaf team.
Read the full guide: Lawyer Reputation Management: What to Do After a One-Star →
Video Transcript
Business owner: Hey Joshua, what does lawyer reputation management look like for us? A former client left me one star last night, and I can't say a word.
Joshua: First, don't reply today. An angry draft usually ends up explaining his case.
Business owner: I already wrote one. It mentions the two payments he skipped.
Joshua: Delete it. An ABA ethics opinion says a reply can't reveal anything about the client's case. Second, decide whether to answer at all. Often the best move is no reply. Check your state bar's rules. If you reply, use one of two lines. "Please call our office so we can talk." Or, "Professional obligations don't allow a full response." Agree as a firm on which of the two lines you use, so nobody improvises at eleven at night. Everyone can see it, so write for the next reader, like the defendant's mother searching at midnight.
Business owner: What if it's someone we turned down at intake? He never hired us.
Joshua: Same care. What he told your intake staff stays out of the reply too, so check your state bar's rules on prospective clients. Third, flag it through your profile only if it breaks Google's posted review rules.
Business owner: A company emailed an hour later offering to make it disappear.
Joshua: Fourth, walk away from anyone promising it'll disappear. Nobody can guarantee what Google takes down. Fifth, the slow fix: more honest reviews over the coming months, so one star is one voice among many. More honest reviews can also help where you show up on the map. Ask at a good moment, offer nothing, and don't ask only the happy ones. Want the Position Zero Guide to Getting More Customers on ChatGPT, Google and Google Maps? Comment "DRIVE" and I'll send it. And follow for more straight answers like this.