I recently had a nasty post from someone on my FB page. They basically said I shouldn't be trusted. I had never heard of the company and therefore had never done any work for them before. I tried messaging them to get them to retract it, but they ignored me then said they had every right to do it if they wanted. I deleted the post but to be honest I think the damage is done. I looked around and found a bookkeeper near to this company with the same name (apart from the fact I have '& Admin Services' added on). I even called this company and spoke to them - in all honestly I don't think they have actually done anything wrong either, it's just a nasty person, who's company has folded and he is just taking out some anger on the wrong people.
Based on this though would it be wise to change my name. I'm not limited so changing it isn't too hard, although I would have to let all my clients know, plus HMRC and Arlington I guess, but that shouldn't be too difficult, right? All I would be doing is adding another letter in anyway. What would you all do?
Just as an aside limited companies are pretty easy to change the name of as well.
I would have my solicitors send a letter to the person who wrote the incorrect deflamatory remarks on FB as they amount to a slanderous attack on your business.
However, you need to make a call as to the underlying damage to your image and reputation. Was this a newstart bookkeeper with a couple of clients who folded after a year. Did they create their name purely to be like yours in order to use your good name to find clients?
I would be adverse to changing my own business name if I have a good hard earned local reputation.
Also as another aside is a now removed comment that once appeared on Facebook really going to affect your business that much?
Will you be changing your business name every time that anyone incorrectly says something bad about it.
Ask yourself, are you the stand and fight or run and hide type of business person?
As for what I would do... Definitely stand and fight.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I agree Sean- why go through all the hassle for one comment- put a post on your page explaining what the comment was about and clear it up that way
I had someone on my page that marked me 1 out of 5 -someone I was at college with -I think it was a genuine error and she just hit the star button once instead of more as we had no bad feelings or anything but it has reflected on my overall score but it certainly hasn't affected my business
Get back up, dust yourself down and get back out there -you are bigger and better than them
I would do if there was another firm who felt let down by this bookkeeper. One could be an accident; two looks like carelessness.
Also, if one company can make the same mistake, others can too, so maybe a logo as far removed from the doppelganger as possible.
Going forward, can non-friends be prevented from posting on your wall in FB?
Regards, Tim
By the sounds of it, it is a facebook page for Sammy's business, so it is open for the public to comment on. Sammy, you've deleted the post, so any damage is past. As Sean and Sharon say, if you've got a good reputation why go to the hassle of having to build it all back up again, just because of one idiotic post.
-- Edited by 111 Bookkeeping and Payroll on Friday 31st of October 2014 11:13:36 AM
The business that left the post has folded. The bookkeeper who they are blaming is still trading and she was the person I spoke to - she actually doesn't appear to be to blame either, the business are just looking for a scapegoat as to why their business failed.
I did actually threaten them with solicitors, and explained to them that I was not affiliated in anyway to their old bookkeepers but they just replied with a question mark. None of their contact telephone numbers work and they no longer work from the address on the contact page. The weird thing is they folded about 2 years ago and that was the last time the bookkeeper had any contact with them so seems bizarre that they would suddenly post on a random page (they did also post the same thing on the other bookkeepers page too almost as if they realised their mistake, but they still refuse to revoke their claim on mine). In all honesty I think I mainly have friends of friends on my page, and none of my clients, so I think I will stand my ground.
When you complain to FB it gives you options, and there is no way to explain why its an inappropriate post. Unless there is another way to complain about it.
