I have received some online negative reviews from a client and they are saying they will complain to DVSA about me.
I just wanted to understand what this could mean and if there is anything I can do?
Adam
Last Update 6 months ago
I'm sorry to hear that you have received some negative online reviews. Have a read of the guidance below for handling negative online reviews
Stay calm and do not respond immediately
Avoid reacting emotionally or defensively. Give yourself time to assess the review objectively, and remember that how you respond publicly matters more than the review itself
Assess the review internally to your driving school to check the validity of the review
Ask:
Log the review internally and keep confidential records of it for yourself, even if you believe it is false, as this may come in handy later on if the complaint escalates.
Check against your records by cross-referencing the claims with:
This helps you confirm whether the review is factually incorrect.
Decide whether to respond publicly
Not every false review needs a response. Respond only if:
If the review is obviously malicious or vague, silence can be stronger in some circumstances, but we're happy to discuss this approach with you.
Craft a professional public response (if responding)
Keep responses calm, polite, factual and non-accusatory.
Invite offline resolution. Always invite the reviewer to contact you directly and confirm your contact details. Avoid discussing details publicly (GDPR risk). This shows professionalism and compliance.
Report the review (where appropriate)
If the review is factually false, from a non-customer/learner, and/or is abusive, defamatory, or misleading, use the platform’s reporting tools (Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, etc.). Provide evidence such as no matching learner records (if a false review and not a customer of yours), a contradictions in dates or claims.
Document everything
Keep a simple timeline of events including:
This is useful evidence of your professional conduct, learner protection, plus reputation management.
Encourage genuine reviews
To dilute the impact of unfair reviews, invite satisfied learners to leave honest feedback, send review requests after course completion and never incentivise reviews (this breaches platform rules).
A few negative reviews matter less when outweighed by genuine positives.
Your own internal review process for the future (even if false)
Ask is there any pattern or perception issue that you should address? Could your communication be clearer to prevent misunderstandings in the future? This demonstrates your professionalism and that you are seeking continuous improvement.
What not to do:
If they report you to the DVSA
If they do report you to the DVSA, depending on their reason for the complaint, you will need to respond to the DVSA within a set timeframe.
For example:
If they complain about a refund refusal, they didn’t think they had the time they paid for during lessons, they don’t think they are making progress, DVSA will usually write to you and give you 28 days to reply with your side of the events. DVSA will review this and then they can either ask you for further information or tell you that they are not taking matters any further as they cannot determine the facts if both sides differ so much.
If the complaint is more serious in nature for example, mobile phone use, allegations of inappropriate conversation, comments or even touching, then the DVSA will write to the ADI and request the ADI attend an Interview Under Caution, however, these are reserved for serious allegations towards the instructor.
If you are a DIA member, let us know as soon as you can about any of the above so that we can advise you. If you are not a DIA member, please sign up to become a member so that we can assist you further.
Stay calm and do not respond immediately
Avoid reacting emotionally or defensively. Give yourself time to assess the review objectively, and remember that how you respond publicly matters more than the review itself
Assess the review internally to your driving school to check the validity of the review
Ask:
- Is the reviewer identifiable as a genuine learner or customer?
- Does the review refer to a genuine driving lesson or lessons?
- Does it mention something that could realistically have happened?
Log the review internally and keep confidential records of it for yourself, even if you believe it is false, as this may come in handy later on if the complaint escalates.
Check against your records by cross-referencing the claims with:
- Learner progress records
- Learner payment records
- Assessment and feedback records
- Complaints or appeals logs
This helps you confirm whether the review is factually incorrect.
Decide whether to respond publicly
Not every false review needs a response. Respond only if:
- The review could reasonably concern future learners and damage your business reputation
- It misrepresents your standards
- It appears credible to a third party, your current pupils and potential new customers too.
If the review is obviously malicious or vague, silence can be stronger in some circumstances, but we're happy to discuss this approach with you.
Craft a professional public response (if responding)
Keep responses calm, polite, factual and non-accusatory.
Invite offline resolution. Always invite the reviewer to contact you directly and confirm your contact details. Avoid discussing details publicly (GDPR risk). This shows professionalism and compliance.
Report the review (where appropriate)
If the review is factually false, from a non-customer/learner, and/or is abusive, defamatory, or misleading, use the platform’s reporting tools (Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, etc.). Provide evidence such as no matching learner records (if a false review and not a customer of yours), a contradictions in dates or claims.
Document everything
Keep a simple timeline of events including:
- Dates and times of lessons
- Dates and times of complaints
- Platform (i.e. Facebook)
- Content of the review
- Whether you responded or reported it
- Your responses to date
- Outcome
This is useful evidence of your professional conduct, learner protection, plus reputation management.
Encourage genuine reviews
To dilute the impact of unfair reviews, invite satisfied learners to leave honest feedback, send review requests after course completion and never incentivise reviews (this breaches platform rules).
A few negative reviews matter less when outweighed by genuine positives.
Your own internal review process for the future (even if false)
Ask is there any pattern or perception issue that you should address? Could your communication be clearer to prevent misunderstandings in the future? This demonstrates your professionalism and that you are seeking continuous improvement.
What not to do:
- Argue publicly
- Accuse the reviewer of lying
- Reveal personal data
- Threaten legal action publicly
- Ask/friends/colleagues to post fake reviews
If they report you to the DVSA
If they do report you to the DVSA, depending on their reason for the complaint, you will need to respond to the DVSA within a set timeframe.
For example:
If they complain about a refund refusal, they didn’t think they had the time they paid for during lessons, they don’t think they are making progress, DVSA will usually write to you and give you 28 days to reply with your side of the events. DVSA will review this and then they can either ask you for further information or tell you that they are not taking matters any further as they cannot determine the facts if both sides differ so much.
If the complaint is more serious in nature for example, mobile phone use, allegations of inappropriate conversation, comments or even touching, then the DVSA will write to the ADI and request the ADI attend an Interview Under Caution, however, these are reserved for serious allegations towards the instructor.
If you are a DIA member, let us know as soon as you can about any of the above so that we can advise you. If you are not a DIA member, please sign up to become a member so that we can assist you further.