"It was one-star, the words used were defamatory, and it was completely fake," Jessica said.
"If I had a man come into complain about anything I would have remembered because we have very few men who shop with us."
Only opening their online shop during lockdown after spending many hours setting up the website herself, the review published last Thursday was the first Google review for the store and consequently all that online customers and potential customers will see if they Google the store.
Always doing all she can for her customers, and being a small business, Jessica's concern is that if potential customers see a one-star rating online they will not go any further.
"From the beginning, our policy with any complaints, not that we've had many, has been to deal with them properly.
"We have always gone back to the suppliers straight away, given the customers a refund or an exchange and they've all been happy with how we dealt with it."
Reporting the review to Google who would not remove it, Jessica found that her best option was to drown it out with positive reviews.
"I am so gutted that my first Google review is a one star and from someone deliberately out to dent the reputation of my business," she wrote on the BE U Facebook page.
"I don't mind genuine negative reviews because there is always room to grow and better improve but when they are from non-existent customers, the impact it could have on a small business like mine ..."
"The only other thing I can do is drown out this fake review with a whole lot of positive reviews from my customers.
"So please please please if you have shopped with us and had a positive experience please support us by heading to this Google page to post a review for us."
The response she received by her customers was overwhelming.
With over 35, five-star reviews in a couple of days this has not only downed out the negative review but has given the small, local business a big lift in online presence.
"I was quite emotional reading everyone's reviews.
"Not only did it bring up BE U's average Google rating but it made us more visible on Google too."
The positive response and reviews left by loyal customers have provided much needed validation for Jessica in how she runs her business, and demonstrated the community spirit and loyalty of the Paraparaumu Beach and wider Kāpiti community.
"It's not easy starting up a new business, and it has been hard coming out of lockdown with almost two months of no revenue and so much uncertainty not knowing what it's going to be like when you open up.
"To receive this support from all these positive reviews, to know this is how our customers feel about us – to have that validation from the customers and for that validation to forever be on the web, that is truly amazing.
"I feel so blessed to have such amazing kind women choose to shop with us."
