If you’ve been in business long enough, here’s a not-so-secret truth: at some point, you will get a bad review. Not because you’re bad at what you do. Not because you failed someone. And sometimes — surprisingly — not even because the person has ever been your client.
It’s an uncomfortable reality of being visible, successful, and established.
Bad reviews often show up right around the time your business starts doing well. You’re booked, you’re known, you’ve built a loyal client base, and you’re no longer flying under the radar. And when that happens, opinions appear.
Sometimes they come from someone who misunderstood a policy. Remind me to tell you one day about the lady who made our receptionist cry and called me a ******* twat for being required to remind her of my old job’s no-call/no-show policy only to years later request another appointment from me at my own salon (which I declined) and ended with her calling me new colorful names.
And occasionally, they come from someone who has never been serviced by your business at all, but still feels compelled to speak loudly.
When the Review Isn’t From a Client
That realization hit me this weekend when I was contacted about a woman speaking negatively about my business in a Facebook group online. My first reaction was panic.
Who did I wax that left unhappy? Why hadn’t anyone reached out to me directly? Could I fix this?
The comment mentioned that “we” were getting progressively worse with each visit.
I am “we.”
If you’ve had a Brazilian wax here, it was performed by me. So I immediately searched her name in my client database. Nothing. I considered the possibility of a name change. Still nothing. No one with her first name or last name had ever received that service here.
After looking further — okay, social media stalking — it became clear that I had never met this woman at all. To say I was confused is an understatement. The facebook group was a town group miles away from my general service area.
If you’ve had a Brazilian wax here, it was performed by me. So I immediately searched her name in my client database. Nothing. I considered the possibility of a name change. Still nothing. No one with her first name or last name had ever received that service here. The facebook group was a town group miles away from my general service area.
After looking further — okay, social media stalking — it became clear that I had never met this woman at all. To say I was confused is an understatement.
Choosing Not to Engage
I sat with that information, debating whether to confront the situation and respond publicly. And then, almost ironically, I received texts confirming two rather large bookings.
In that moment, the decision became clear.
I chose not to engage.
I didn’t want to give energy or validation to someone who was never a client and whose words didn’t reflect the reality of my business.
Reviews Are Snapshots, Not the Full Story
Social media groups, comment sections, and review platforms are not fact-checking environments. They are emotional spaces. People post when they’re upset, bored, projecting, or seeking validation. That’s simply the reality of the times we live in.
And I recognize how fortunate I am to have spent ten years in business without experiencing something like this firsthand. I regularly say there is someone for everyone, and I wholeheartedly believe that.
I am not delusional enough to assume that every single person who lies on my treatment bed will love my sense of humor or even my technique.
One comment does not outweigh years of training and licensing, hundreds of satisfied clients, word-of-mouth referrals, repeat bookings, a reputation built over time, or the awards I’ve earned for my craft.
Reviews are snapshots, not the full story — and sometimes they aren’t even accurate snapshots. Their existence does not automatically make them true.
The Real Art Is Knowing When Not to Respond
As business owners, especially small, local, service-based ones, we don’t always get the luxury of context. We don’t always get the opportunity to defend ourselves without appearing defensive.
That’s where the real art comes in: knowing when not to engage.
Not every comment deserves a response. Not every accusation requires an explanation. Not every opinion is worth your energy.
There is strength in restraint.
Continuing to show up professionally, doing your work with care, and letting consistency speak louder than commentary is often far more powerful than trying to win an online argument.
Clients who know me, trust me.
A Note About Reviews
I also want to be clear about something: I have no control over who leaves legitimate (or not so) reviews online. Every client I service receives the same review link on their receipt.
I don’t ask for reviews, follow up for them, or offer incentives.
Some of the people who have left reviews became regular clients. Some I never saw again. Yet they still took time out of their day to reflect positively on their experience here, and I am genuinely grateful for that.
I’m also realistic enough to know that one day someone will use that same link to leave a negative review.
And yes, it will probably sting — because I’m human, and because I care deeply about the experience people have in my space. I never want anyone to leave feeling anything but cared for and confident.
But today is not that day.
For Other Business Owners
If you’re a fellow business owner reading this and you’ve received — or eventually will receive — a bad review, especially one that feels unfair or untrue, know this:
You are not failing.
You are not alone.
And you are not doing anything wrong by simply existing and being visible in your field.
It’s part of growth. It’s part of visibility. And oddly enough, it’s part of success.
For Clients With Feedback
If you are a client with feedback, negative or positive, never hesitate to reach out or even speak up in the moment, as uncomfortable as it may be.
My clients’ happiness is actually my main focus.
While I cannot make an appointment that involves some discomfort feel like a walk in the park, I can make the changes you need to make the appointment as tolerable as possible.
If you have never even met me or been here before and, for some reason, hold an opinion of me — insert eye roll emoji — stop on in and let me change your mind.
Or I can refer you to one of the other wonderful ladies in Ithaca who wax as well.
Bad reviews can hurt — but they don’t get to define us.
Our work does.
Our clients do.
Our consistency does.
And we keep going.
See you in the wax room.
XoXo