Axley — Google Business Profile Review Management

Overview

Axley's Google Business Profile review score has declined from a previous high of 4.5 stars. A significant contributing factor is a single bad-faith user who created three separate email accounts and left three 1-star reviews after being referred out to the state bar. The strategy is to pursue removal of these fraudulent reviews through Asymmetric's Google rep contact while also addressing the broader structural delay in the review-request process.

Problem

Score decline: Rating has dropped below 4.5 since the start of 2025.
Fraudulent reviews: One individual submitted three 1-star reviews using three different email accounts after Axley declined to take his case and referred him to the state bar.
Review request lag: Cases are sometimes marked closed in the accounting system but not formally filed and closed for over a month, creating a long delay before a review request is sent — reducing the likelihood of a positive response.

Strategy

Fraudulent Review Removal

Axley will email Sebastian (Asymmetric) examples of the three fraudulent reviews.
Asymmetric will escalate through their Google rep contact to request removal.
If the initial request fails, the approach is to file repeated complaints until the reviews are actioned — consistent with how Asymmetric handles similar situations on other platforms (e.g., Amazon).
Note: Google's review moderation team is based in San Francisco and is separate from local Google reps; persistence is required.

Ongoing Review Generation

The delay between case closure in the accounting system and formal file closure (sometimes 30+ days) is a known friction point. Addressing this timing gap would improve the volume and quality of review requests.
No specific fix was committed to in this meeting, but it was flagged as a structural issue to resolve.

Action Items

[ ] Nicole (Axley): Email Sebastian examples of the three fraudulent 1-star reviews for escalation.
[ ] Sebastian (Asymmetric): Submit removal requests via Google rep contact; follow up persistently until resolved.

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