# Reputation Monitoring and Escalation for Local Businesses > Check every review site on a schedule, decide who handles what, and know which reviews go straight to the owner. Canonical: https://vassalmarketing.com/information/reviews-reputation/reputation-monitoring-and-escalation/ **Maintained by Vassal Marketing** ยท Last updated on September 26, 2026 Reviewed at least quarterly and whenever a platform or rule it cites changes. General information, not legal or professional advice. Check rules that affect your business with a qualified professional. List every site where customers can review you, check each one on a schedule, and decide who handles what. Some reviews, such as threats or safety claims, should go straight to the owner. ## Why this matters Customers can review you on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and industry sites, and each one notifies you differently. Google lets profile managers turn on notifications for new reviews, but email alerts can be delayed, filtered to spam, or turned off when someone's access changes. Checking each site directly on a schedule catches what alerts miss. Most reviews just need a thank-you or a short reply. A few need the owner right away: a threat, a safety claim, someone demanding money to remove reviews. Deciding in advance who handles each kind, and what goes on the escalation list, keeps staff from improvising in public. ## Responsible practices ### List every review site Write down each site and location where customers can review you, with the link, who has access, and who checks it. Include industry sites if customers use them. ### Check on a schedule, not just by alert Turn on alerts where available and send them to a shared business inbox. Also open each profile directly on a set schedule, such as weekly. ### Sort each review Decide whether it needs a thank-you, a reply, a private follow-up, a report to the site, or the owner's attention. Don't guess who wrote it or why. ### Use the escalation list Send these straight to the owner before anyone replies: threats of violence; doxxing, meaning someone's home address, phone number, or other private details posted publicly; claims of discrimination; safety claims such as injury, fire, or a gas leak; suspected fraud or extortion, such as a demand for money to remove reviews; legal claims or threats to sue; exposure of a customer's health, legal, or financial details; signs someone else has changed your profile; and a sudden wave of reviews from strangers. ### Close each item Note what was done: replied, reported, followed up privately, or no action needed. Check the live site afterward to make sure a reply actually posted. ### Report what happened, not what you hope A short monthly note can list sites checked, new reviews, replies, reports, and anything still open. Don't treat a rising star average as proof of anything on its own. ## Worked example: Hypothetical example: a weekly check for a small HVAC company The office manager spends about 20 minutes every Monday checking reviews. The owner handles anything on the escalation list. ### Sites checked Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, BBB, and Angi. Each profile is opened directly, not just checked through email alerts. ### What was found Three new Google reviews (two positive, one about a late arrival), one new Yelp review, and nothing new elsewhere. ### Who handles it The office manager thanks the two positive reviewers. The late-arrival review gets an apology and a phone number. The Yelp review gets a short thank-you. ### Escalation check None of the reviews mentions a threat, safety issue, legal claim, or private details, so nothing goes to the owner this week. ### Closing out The manager confirms each reply is visible on the live profile and notes the date in a shared sheet. A short, regular check of every site, with a clear owner for serious reviews, catches problems before they grow. ## Review monitoring checklist ### What you can do yourself 1. Write down every site where customers can review you. 2. Send review alerts to a shared business inbox. 3. Open each profile directly on a set day each week. 4. Share the escalation list with everyone who replies. 5. Keep a simple log of each review and what was done. ### What to ask your provider or staff to handle 1. Tell you right away about anything on the escalation list, before replying. 2. Send a short monthly summary of sites checked, new reviews, replies, reports, and open items. 3. Keep monitoring access in accounts your business owns. ## Avoid these mistakes - Watching only your main Google profile while other locations or sites go unchecked - Assuming email alerts catch every new review - Letting staff reply to a threat or safety claim without telling the owner - Treating every critical review as an emergency - Reading a higher star average as proof that service improved Customers decide what they write and review sites decide what stays up, so ratings, review counts, and removals are not guaranteed. ## Questions business owners ask ### How often should I check my reviews? Weekly works for many small businesses. Busier locations may need more frequent checks. The important thing is a regular schedule and a backup person. ### Are email alerts enough? No. Google offers notifications for new reviews, but any alert can be delayed, filtered, or turned off. Open each profile directly on a schedule. ### What goes on the escalation list? Threats, doxxing, discrimination claims, safety claims, suspected fraud or extortion, legal claims, exposure of a customer's private details, signs someone changed your profile, and sudden waves of reviews from strangers. Save a copy, don't argue in public, and bring in a qualified adviser when needed. ### What should a monthly review report include? The sites checked, new reviews, replies posted, reports made, and anything still open. Keep customer details out of it. ## Primary guidance - [Google Business Profile: Manage your notifications](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7198436?hl=en) - [Google Business Profile: Manage customer reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) - [Google Business Profile: Report negative review extortion scams](https://support.google.com/business/answer/16404809?hl=en) - [Yelp for Business: 3 steps for managing your online reputation](https://business.yelp.com/resources/articles/3-steps-for-managing-your-online-reputation/?domain=local-business) - [FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule Q&A](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers) ## Connected guidance - [Replying to reviews](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/reviews-reputation/responding-to-customer-reviews.md): Sample replies for the reviews that don't need escalation. - [Google profile monitoring and measurement](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/google-business-profile/monitoring-and-measurement.md): What else to check on your Google profile besides reviews. - [Monthly marketing reporting](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/measurement-analytics/monthly-marketing-reporting.md): Fit a short review summary into a monthly report you'll actually read. - [Negative and suspected false reviews](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/reviews-reputation/negative-and-false-reviews.md): How to report reviews that break a site's rules.