Recently I received a bad review on Google. I’ve been a builder for six years and one of my biggest fears has been the dreaded bad review that is inevitable when you work with the public because people are flawed. I’m not perfect and neither is anyone else.
Something I’ve learned from therapy and countless self-help books and podcasts is “It’s none of my business what other people think of me.”
The timing of the bad review was sort of poetic as well. I want you to imagine it. I’ve recently been attacked by two dogs while going to look at a renovation job. I feel like I’ve been in a car wreck. I’m not sleeping well and I’m still recovering. While I’m lying in bed scrolling on social media to distract myself from the pain and tiredness of my body I get a notification. Someone whose name I’d already forgotten left me a bad review on Google.
She basically was offended by how I dressed, how I wore makeup, how my husband was with me, and he was the real builder, how I didn’t have any idea about how to build because I was too expensive and what my quote was could do a whole house. Then the end was when she said I never gave her an estimate for the window replacement, and I thought I must be better than her.
After reading it a couple times I just started laughing, because it was hilarious, when you consider I thought I was going to be mauled or dead a few days ago. In the bigger picture it really was a small thing. And when I slept on it and read it again it’s a classic projection of her own insecurities and didn’t have anything to do with me. I did respond to it in a professional but authentic way.
Since then, I’ve shared it with my husband, and we’ve had the attitude of what pertains to us and how can we learn from this apply to our business to do better. Really a bad review is an opportunity to be better. History has taught us if you are surrounded by yes men and no one who is authentic and honest you basically are securing your own downfall.
Bri Clark 