Ask Scott: What Do Clients Actually Complain About in Our Google Reviews?
“What do people actually complain about in our Google reviews? And what makes them leave the good ones?”
Whitespark just published a study of 1,200 Google Business Profiles across 50 industries that answers that question for plumbers, lawyers, dentists, vets and more. Dog trainers weren’t in it. So we ran the same study on ourselves.
TL;DR
- OLK9’s reviews are overwhelmingly good. Across 126 listings and 25,292 reviews, the average rating is 4.88 and 96% are five stars. Fewer than 3 in 100 are 1 to 3 stars.
- Money is the #1 complaint, but it’s rarely the price itself. 51% of negative reviews mention pricing. Three out of four of those from paying clients also say the training didn’t stick or that nobody got back to them.
- Communication is #2 at 45%. One in five negative reviews comes from someone who never became a client, and half of those are about a call or message nobody returned.
- Results earn the five stars. 80% of positive reviews describe a dog that behaves differently now. Updates during training (37%) and teaching the owner (36%) come next.
- Happy clients name their trainer. 85% of positive reviews mention a trainer by name. Only 24% of negative reviews do.
Methodology
We gathered every public Google review for 126 OLK9 listings, 25,292 reviews in all, dating from 2011 through October 1, 2026. That’s most of the OLK9 brand but not all of it. A handful of listings had no reviews or we just couldn’t find their Google Business Profiles for our records.
Like Whitespark, we sorted each written review into themes, and a review can land in more than one. That’s why the percentages add up to more than 100. We counted 1 to 3 stars as negative and 4 to 5 stars as positive.
We read all 617 written negative reviews. On the positive side there are more than 22,000 written reviews, so we read a random sample of 2,400. The reading and sorting was done by my AI (nicknamed K9 Claude 😉) using one written set of theme definitions, then checked. No location, trainer or reviewer is named anywhere in this article.
The Data
Here are the most common themes behind OLK9’s negative and positive reviews, with Whitespark’s numbers for veterinarians alongside for comparison.
| Group | Negative review causes | Positive review causes |
|---|---|---|
| OLK9, all reviews | 51% complain about pricing and refunds 45% about communication 29% about the quality of the training 29% about results that didn’t happen or didn’t last 23% about the dog’s condition or care 19% about training methods 19% about rudeness 16% about scheduling 9% about follow-up support |
80% praise the results 37% praise communication and updates 36% praise how the owner was taught 29% praise expertise 28% praise how the trainer cared for the dog 25% say it changed daily life 22% praise friendliness 14% say it was worth the money |
| Veterinarians (Whitespark) | 50% communication 48% pricing 48% wait times |
57% compassion and caring 41% clear explanations 38% quality result |
The complaints shift depending on who is writing. Here are the negative reviews again, split three ways.
| Who wrote the negative review | What they complain about |
|---|---|
| Paying clients only | 61% pricing and refunds 44% communication 36% results 36% quality of the training 25% the dog’s condition or care |
| Board and train clients | 67% pricing and refunds 57% results 44% communication 42% quality of the training 37% the dog’s condition or care 21% follow-up support |
| Private lesson clients | 74% pricing and refunds 53% quality of the training 48% scheduling 44% communication |
Whitespark found communication and pricing at the top of nearly every industry it studied. We’re no different. What’s different is the order….and the reason.
Takeaway 1: A pricing complaint is usually a broken-promise complaint
Almost nobody writes “it cost too much” and stops there. Of the paying clients who complained about money, three out of four also said the dog didn’t improve or that they couldn’t get anyone to respond. The word that shows up over and over is “refund,” usually next to “guarantee.”
“They do not honor their 100% obedience guarantee, and now have completely ignored my text asking for training refresher or a refund.”
“I was never told upfront that the entire program only consisted of four sessions, nor was I informed that each session would be only 30 minutes long.”
“They don’t tell you until it’s too late to get your deposit back that they use ecollars (muscle stimulation) for corrective training.”
Every one of those is a surprise. The client found out something after paying that they expected to hear before. What you can do: before the deposit, put four things in writing in plain words. How many sessions and how long. Which tools you use, including the e-collar. What the guarantee covers and what it asks of the owner. When a refund is and isn’t available.
Takeaway 2: One in five bad reviews comes from someone you never met
125 of the 617 negative reviews were written by people who never bought training. Half of them say the same thing.
“I’ve called 4 times on 4 different days and left a voicemail. Not a single call back.”
“Called, emailed at least 3-4 each, they never got back to us…horrible!!!”
That’s a lost sale AND a one-star review from the same missed call. It’s also the cheapest problem on this page to fix. What you can do: decide who returns every inquiry the same day, and who covers when that person is in a lesson.
Takeaway 3: Board and train carries the highest stakes
When a board and train goes wrong, the review is about the dog. 57% say the training didn’t take or didn’t last. 37% describe the condition the dog came home in. 21% say the follow-up they were promised never came.
“Our standard poodle came back exactly the same way that she left.”
“When I picked up my dog he was filthy dirty as if he was living outside in a cage for the two weeks.”
“they offered a lifetime ‘refresher’ guarantee of which I tried to use but they never got back to me despite me reaching out to them plenty of times about it.”
Now look at what the happy board and train clients praise. 64% of their reviews mention the daily photos, videos and report cards. The update is the antidote. An owner who watched two weeks of progress doesn’t wonder what happened while the dog was gone. What you can do: send something every day of every stay, hand the dog back clean, and treat a refresher request like a new lead.
Takeaway 4: With lessons, it’s the calendar
Nearly half of the negative reviews about private lessons mention scheduling. Cancellations, no-shows, and a different trainer every time.
“Never had a single session brcause the trainer kept rescheduling.”
“The 3rd out of my 4 scheduled appointments the trainer was a no show”
Takeaway 5: What earns the five stars
The good news is 33 times bigger than the bad news. Here’s what those reviews say.
“Our dog used to pull anyone walking him all over the place and nearly choke himself out. Now he walks with no leash, loose leash when on leash, comes on command, places where we indicate, and touches where we indicate.”
“She sent us regular updates and videos and was a fantastic communicator from start to finish.”
“You’re not just training your dog you’re training yourself alongside them.”
“Expensive but worth it.”
Results, updates, and an owner who feels capable. And 85% of the time, a trainer’s name. People don’t review a franchise. They review the person who changed their dog. That’s who should be asking for the review, at the moment of the win.
One more number. Since the start of 2024, owners have replied to 82% of their positive reviews but only 68% of their negative ones. The negative ones are the ones your next client reads most closely. Answer those first.
Final Thoughts
Whitespark’s conclusion across 50 industries was that communication failures drive bad reviews. Ours is a close cousin: surprises do. The client who knew what they were buying, heard from you during the training, and could reach you afterward almost never shows up in the 3%.
So pick the one that fits your location this week: the written “here’s exactly what you’re getting” before the deposit, the same-day callback, or the daily update. Then go read your own 1 to 3 star reviews with this list next to you.
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