Blamed for an appointment on a day I was not even in the office

This account was submitted by a healthcare provider and de-identified before publication. Details that could identify a patient or practice have been removed, and it is shared with the provider’s consent.

What was posted

A furious one star review landed on my profile describing a painful appointment on a specific Tuesday, complete with a rude front desk and a "dentist who wouldn't listen."

What actually happened

I was not in the office that day, and the details matched a practice across town run by a dentist with a last name close to mine. So my name now carries a stranger's genuinely bad experience at someone else's chair.

Impact

I asked my front desk to gently mention, when patients brought it up, that it appeared to be a case of mistaken identity, which is an awkward thing to make staff do. A couple of new patients told me they almost did not book because of it.

Steps taken

I submitted a careful note to Google explaining the mix-up and even pointed to the likely correct practice, and received an automated response saying they do not adjudicate factual disputes. I keep the screenshots documenting that I was elsewhere that day, as if that will someday matter to an algorithm.

Reported impact on this provider

Anxiety StressReputation Damage

Three others reported Reputation Damage

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