What Should A Company Do? If a disgruntled ex-employee is leaving false negative comments about the company all over the largest “consumer advocacy” sites on the web, and worse, those sites will not remove the information even under threat of prosecution? If an irrational member of a review site had a bad experience with the company’s staff and has decided to get even by vindictively raking their solid reputation and good name over the coals? If they suspect a competitor (not known for playing fair) is leaving negative anonymous comments, trashing the company on high profile blogs and sites in their industry? These are the kinds of scenarios that leave business owners lying awake at night. With good reason. Negative online reviews can put a cold chill on sales. According to the Net Promoter Industry Benchmarks study of more than 22,000 U.S consumers, a bad customer experience can result in a 22% drop in business. The same study indicated word-of-mouth from friends was the most trusted source of information when considering a purchase. How can a company avoid these nightmarish scenes? By using customer reviews to protect and enhance the reputation they have worked so hard to build.