How to keep your reviews after a name change

[Lachlan_Wells]

I have a client who runs a car rental business that is part of a global franchise. He's going independent so will need to change his business name, and according to the guidelines this means he should lose his reviews. Understandably he feels this is unfair as nothing else about the business will change, he'll have the same cars, prices, customer service, only the name will differ.

Do you guys think it's worthwhile requesting an exception with GMB support, or would you try to change the client's mind instead?

 

[pony]

How drastic is the name change going to be? If it's not a huge change then it may go unnoticed at which point reviews may be retained.

If it's a massive change, then you are right that the guidelines state you will most likely lose reviews. Doesn't seem like anything you can change your clients mind on, but you can present him with those facts. I also don't see any harm in talking about it with GMB support as you have nothing to lose.

 

[Lachlan_Wells]

Thanks Pony, it's a completely different name unfortunately.

I think the compromise with contacting support is they'll want to see the profile before making a determination. So I can't guarantee that my client won't lose the reviews anyway.

I'm going to give him the choice of:

1. Contact support, see what happens.
2. Create a new GMB at the same location. See how long both last before they're merged or automatically updated.

 

[Yan Gilbert]

If most of the reviews don't mention the other company, just update the name and see what happens. Worst case is that you will have to get a new listing.