How to fix bad Trustpilot rating: A Strategic Guide to Reputation Recovery

The most proven and effective tool for promoting any brand is customer reviews. Thanks to them, users make an informed decision about purchasing a product or ordering a service. For businessmen, feedback is good – it’s fast, doesn’t require an investment of huge amounts of money, and helps expand the target audience. The more opinions there are, the more transparent and honest the company’s activities are. 

In 2015, the well-known independent analytical center Nielsen conducted a study according to which 63% of consumers worldwide trust online reviews.

When it comes to the reliability of comments, people rely on Trustpilot, a Danish online platform founded in 2007 and reputed to be the most objective resource. In 2025, record figures were recorded – more than 300,000,000 reviews and 60,000,000 active users. Therefore, brands are guided by the assessments that are formed there in the end. 

Not everything is perfect, and some of the clients openly express dissatisfaction. It’s not pleasant for a cafe, shop, or salon. Another thing is when there are too many claims, and this is reflected in the rating. A potential customer looks at the overall assessment and gets an idea of the brand as an extremely unreliable seller and supplier. This threatens to reduce the conversion rate, as visitors are unlikely to stay on the page for long. A logical question arises as to how to fix bad Trustpilot rating.

Understanding Why Your Rating Dropped 

Every company has experienced ups and downs. There are also always clients who didn’t like some points, which he will write about in his review. 

What do customers and customers complain about most often? 

1. One of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction is considered to be delivery. For example: the client planned to present his purchase as a gift at a specific time and date, but for some reason (logistics problems, an error in the warehouse, bad weather, human factors) it was not possible to deliver it on time, which disrupted plans.
2. The second point is the quality of the products. Admittedly, there are photos and videos of the product on the Internet where it looks beautiful, fits in size, etc. However, the expectation does not correspond to reality. The client does not think about a possible marriage: he gets the impression of the brand as a fraud.

Constructive criticism is a characteristic feature of the cases mentioned above. That is, the users indicated specific points that they were not satisfied with. In reviews of this kind, they do not rush to extremes. Such comments help to work out the shortcomings and improve the quality of the product / service.

Another thing is a targeted attack on a company. The user specifically registers and leaves an acutely negative response. Here, not only critical aspects are expressed, but reputation is deliberately destroyed. Competitors often use such methods, and it looks like this:

• slander – the author is intentionally lying;
• insults and threats are not only unpleasant, but also violate the law;
• direct advertising – a specific page mentions the name of the brand that customers are supposed to like, which is reflected in the rating of the company.

Reviews should be read thoughtfully, with a cool mind. If there is a clear fact in the response that specifically did not suit, without harsh coloring, this is an ordinary constructive comment. Alertness should be caused by open hostile reviews, from which discomfort is clearly felt. Here the thoughts of remove fake Trustpilot reviews arise.

Step 1: Audit and Reporting (The Legal Cleanup)

Trustpilot is known for its serious attitude to feedback, honesty and objectivity. To understand that a comment is true, you need to check it for the main criteria of compliance with the rules of the platform.

1. The review contains defamation, which is a direct violation of the law. Obviously unreliable facts are published. No evidence is presented.
2. The disclosure of personal information is also a red flag. It is forbidden to publish names, addresses and contact information. Trustpilot adheres to the privacy policy.
3. Advertising content is another point. The review may be written neutrally at first glance, but it mentions too loudly other services and products that, by an amazing coincidence, competitors have. Sometimes there is a direct link.

However, this is not always related to a specific product, people just sometimes write nonsense.

The most important and most reasonable solution is to stick to the golden mean. Inaction doesn’t lead to good things, but you shouldn’t make a fuss either. For example, it is recommended to mark reviews in advance that look like a targeted attack (provided there are visible violations of the site’s rules). You should not mark comments with minor comments and well-founded claims, otherwise Trustpilot statistics will worsen.

It is also never superfluous to enter into direct communication with a dissatisfied customer who wrote a response. You need to request specific information about the purchase or order. For example, when exactly the application was made, how the delivery was organized, and what is the shipment’s track number. This data is very easy to verify, after which you can compare the facts and make a verdict. 

Step 2: The Art of the Response 

Some brands, newcomers, mistakenly believe that there is no reason to respond to reviews at all, they exist on their own. There is also an alternative opinion regarding negative responses, supposedly the reaction to them will look like an excuse and will only add fuel to the fire. This is not the case at all.

When a company representative responds to negative reviews, this is how he demonstrates sincerity. In other words, the company is always ready to keep in touch with customers and take into account their comments. In the end, a well–thought-out and written answer convinces you that you are not a fraud in front of the buyer.

Experts recommend using this template:

• confirmation – the brand does not deny the existence of a problem, reacts to it quite calmly and adequately;
• empathy – it is necessary to show the client your concern, to express sympathy (only without an overabundance of emotions);
• switching to offline mode – it is recommended to switch to the private message format to discuss the details.

With this approach, the firm wins. Feedback is maintained and errors are recognized. Existing and future customers will understand and understand that the company can be trusted.

Step 3: Turning Critics into Brand Advocates 

The effectiveness of working with reviews is perfectly demonstrated by the so-called update review strategy. It is important to note here that you should not delay communication too much and rush it. It is advisable to wait a day or two until the buyer or customer has fresh impressions. Moreover, it is necessary not only to solve the problem “for show”, but to do it at the highest quality level. 

So, the client reviews the attitude to the incident, makes changes to the response, improve Trustpilot score. However, to remedy the situation, it is strongly discouraged from offering a bribe for a comment. The platform closely monitors all actions, and when such a fact is recorded, a corresponding mark appears on the brand profile.

Step 4: Proactive Review Generation (The Volume Strategy)

Today, it is not necessary to personally ask the seller or supplier to leave a response. Trustpilot integrates with many commercial giants, including Shopify, Magento, etc. You can simply set up automatic mailing of invitations to write a review. This option is very convenient: the letter arrives after the purchase has received the “Completed” status, when there is an opportunity to evaluate the service, quality and other aspects.

However, cooperation alone is not enough. It is necessary to think over the template so that the user wants to leave a response. The secret to being more likely to succeed is:

• personal appeal – personalization brings the customer and the brand closer;
• restraint of emotions – it is necessary to show a friendly attitude, without pressure and violent emotions.

A couple of simple tricks, and a trusting relationship is built. The strategy provides prospects for the future: the user is happy, will come shopping again, and will also tell his friends and acquaintances about the company, which helps to expand the audience.

What NOT to Do (The Hall of Shame)

There are many companies that want everything at once. Instead of spending a little time, they resort to buying or generating reviews. It’s not a good idea. Trustpilot has advanced algorithms, all comments are carefully checked, including even addresses.

In rare exceptions, the threat of SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits is practiced. Moreover, this does not apply to slanderers, but to ordinary clients who have reasonably written about problematic issues. What kind of reputation and reliability of the company can we talk about if such measures are taken?

Trustpilot decides on the so-called “warning banner”. This means notifying users about unfair methods used by the brand, and this will soon be reflected in the rating. To learn more about the rules and recommendations of the platform, follow the link https://corporate.trustpilot.com/legal/for-everyone/action-we-take/mar-2024.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that Trustpilot reputation management is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to constantly work on it, conduct research, and compare indicators. One time interval or step is not enough for a business to take its place in a niche and strengthen its positive image.

To understand it, you need to evaluate the main prospects – increasing recognition, placing search queries in the first lines, and expanding the customer base. The main thing is an objective approach and focus on potential buyers.