https://hirealfie.com/ Blog posts and updates from HireAlfie, a managed system for small and mid-market businesses. en Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hirealfie.com/updates/new-website-privacy-and-ai-files/ https://hirealfie.com/updates/new-website-privacy-and-ai-files/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT The HireAlfie website has been rebuilt. It now has a privacy policy, two plain-text files that describe the business for AI assistants, and an updates page. Updates https://hirealfie.com/blog/can-you-block-bad-google-reviews/ https://hirealfie.com/blog/can-you-block-bad-google-reviews/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google gives businesses no way to remove a review just because it is negative. But many businesses unknowingly run review gating — asking only happy customers — which is against Google's review policy, which the FTC has said may be unfair or deceptive, and which quietly caps their review growth. Reputation https://hirealfie.com/blog/ai-search-is-already-choosing-businesses/ https://hirealfie.com/blog/ai-search-is-already-choosing-businesses/ Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT How AI search engines and answer engines evaluate local businesses, and what operational steps make your company easier to recommend. Local Presence https://hirealfie.com/blog/review-automation-without-cringe/ https://hirealfie.com/blog/review-automation-without-cringe/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Why generic automated replies damage local business reputation, and how a human-in-the-loop review workflow builds authentic trust. Customer Experience https://hirealfie.com/blog/what-to-automate-first/ https://hirealfie.com/blog/what-to-automate-first/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT How small and mid-market business owners can choose high-return operational automations without risking customer trust or wasting team hours. Operations