If you’ve ever opened your funeral home’s Google Business Profile and been hit with a 1-star review from someone you’ve never served, then, you’re not alone. Fake, spammy, and even AI-generated reviews are becoming more common, and when left unchallenged, they can damage your reputation and erode trust with your community.
As someone who’s helped funeral homes across North America deal with exactly this issue, I want to walk you through a step-by-step, DIY approach to address fake reviews the right way, including how to use ChatGPT to create polished public replies and formal disputes to Google.
We’ll even look at a real-world case study (don’t worry, all names and locations have been anonymized).
Step 1: Identify the Review as Suspicious
Look for signs like:
- The reviewer name doesn’t match any client family record
- The details are generic or inconsistent with how your business operates
- The tone is emotionally extreme or exaggerated
- Phrases like “spoiled the mood,” “1 star is too generous,” or unrelated metaphors
If the review raises red flags, don’t panic – but don’t ignore it.
You need to respond publicly and report it privately.
Step 2: Use ChatGPT to Craft a Professional Response
You want to appear calm, professional, and compassionate — while subtly letting the public know that you have no record of this person.
Here’s the perfect prompt to copy into ChatGPT:
Copy & Paste Prompt:
I’m a funeral home owner who just received this suspicious Google review from someone not found in our records. Please write a public reply that is professional, expresses concern, notes that we have no record of them, and invites them to clarify their experience.
Here is the review:
“[Paste the full review here]”
What You Can Expect from ChatGPT:
- A tactful public reply written in your tone
- A balance of empathy and credibility
- A version you can copy and paste directly into your Google Business Profile
Step 3: Post Your Public Reply on Google
Log into your Google Business Profile:
- Find the suspicious review
- Click “Reply”
- Paste the response you generated using ChatGPT
- Post within 24 – 48 hours to show you’re active and responsive
Your public reply will:
- Reassure future families who see the review
- Show you take concerns seriously
- Plant a subtle seed of doubt about the review’s authenticity
Step 4: Report the Review to Google
Now that you’ve responded publicly, it’s time to flag it for removal.
Go to Your Google Business Profile:
- Locate the fake review
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮)
- Choose “Report Review”
- Select “Conflict of interest” or “Not based on a real experience”
Then Submit a Support Ticket to Google:
Visit: https://support.google.com/business/gethelp
Use this ready-to-go script (customize the name and details):
Google Support Message Template:
“Dear Google Support,
We are requesting removal of a review posted on our Google Business Profile for [Funeral Home Name].
The review in question was left by [Reviewer Name] and begins:
“Paste the first sentence of the review here”
We have searched our client records and have no documentation of ever serving this individual, nor do the events described reflect any known case.
The tone and content also align with other recent suspicious reviews we’ve received, suggesting a possible coordinated or fraudulent effort.
We respectfully request removal under Google’s policy on reviews not based on genuine experiences.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Funeral Home Name]”
Step 5: Document Everything Internally
Create a quick log:
- Date/time the review was posted
- Reviewer name
- A copy of the review text
- Your response
- Date/time you submitted the dispute to Google
This gives you a paper trail in case Google requests further evidence later.
Case Study: A Real-World Example (Anonymized)
A client of ours received five suspicious 1-star reviews in one day, all using similar emotional language and themes like “spoiled the mood,” “rundown facility,” or “1 star is too generous.”
None of the names matched any client files.
We helped them:
- Respond professionally to each review using ChatGPT
- Report each one with evidence to Google
- Create a spreadsheet to track the review flood
- Launch a mini-review campaign to encourage recent families to post positive, verified reviews
Outcome? 4 out of 5 reviews were removed. The business’s rating recovered quickly thanks to legitimate 5-star reviews that followed using our system to get steady, 5-star reviews.
Why Hire Funeral Futurist to Handle This For You?
Look, I get it, you are focused on serving families, not chasing down fake reviewers or writing dispute tickets. That’s where we come in.
With Funeral Futurist’s Reputation Management service, we:
- Monitor your Google and Facebook reviews daily
- Craft custom responses to both positive and negative reviews
- Flag suspicious activity and submit removal requests on your behalf
- Provide monthly reports with trends, sentiment tracking, and response time stats
- Help generate real, positive reviews by consistently humbly soliciting recent families on a regular basis
It’s your online reputation, handled with the same care you give your client families.
Whether you’ve just had one suspicious review or need a full strategy to protect your online presence, we’re here to help.
Let’s take review stress off your plate – so you can get back to what matters most: serving families.
Questions? Ready to start?
Email at support@funeralfuturist.com or book an appointment with me.