Reply within a day or two. Thank the person, name the problem, say what you have done about it, and offer a direct way to reach you. Keep it short, never argue, and never reveal anything about the customer. If the review breaks Google’s rules, report it as well.
Why reply at all
- Replies are public. Your reply appears under the review, as a reply from the business.
- The reviewer is notified. They can edit their review afterwards, and a fair reply gives them a reason to.
- Future customers read them. A calm answer to a bad review says a lot about how you treat people when something goes wrong.
You need a verified Business Profile to reply. Google also checks replies against its content policies, so a reply can be rejected just as a review can.
First: reply or report?
Before you write, decide what kind of review it is.
- A real customer with a real complaint: reply. Reporting it will not work.
- A review that breaks Google’s policy (fake, abusive, off-topic, advertising): report it. A short, neutral reply is still worth having while Google decides.
- A wave of reviews, or a demand for money: don’t reply yet. Read what to do about review extortion.
Not sure which it is? Our guide to Google’s review policy shows where the line runs.
How to write the reply
- Wait an hour, not a week. Never reply angry, but do reply promptly. A day or two is a good target.
- Thank them, by name. Google suggests addressing the reviewer by name.
- Name the problem in your own words. It shows you read the review.
- Own what is yours. Apologise for what went wrong. Don’t apologise for things that didn’t happen.
- Say what happens next. One concrete thing: a fix, a refund process, a changed routine. Be honest about what you can’t fix.
- Move the detail offline. Give a name and a direct email address or phone number.
- Sign it, and stop. Three to five sentences. Long replies read as defensive.
Example replies
A fair complaint
“Thank you, Anna, and I’m sorry about the wait on Saturday. We were two people short and it showed. We have changed the weekend rota so it doesn’t happen again. If you’d like to talk it through, you can reach me at [email]. Maria, owner”
A vague one-star review
“Thank you for the feedback. We’d like to understand what went wrong, but we don’t have enough detail to look into it. Could you contact us at [email]? If we got something wrong, we’ll put it right.”
A review you believe is fake
“We take feedback seriously, but we can’t find any record of this visit. Please contact us at [email] so we can look into it.”
An abusive review
Report it first. If you reply at all, keep it to one line:
“We’re happy to discuss any concern directly at [email].”
What to leave out
- Personal details. Never confirm what someone bought, booked or was treated for. In healthcare, law and finance, even confirming that the reviewer is a client can breach confidentiality. Data protection law applies to replies too.
- Arguments. Correct a factual error in one calm sentence, then move on.
- Offers. Don’t offer a refund, a discount or a gift in exchange for changing the review. Google prohibits incentives for changing or removing reviews. Fix the problem because it is a problem.
- Copy and paste. The same reply under every review looks worse than no reply.
- Sales talk. Google advises against offers and promotions in replies. The reviewer is already a customer.
After the reply
If you solve the problem, it is fine to let the customer know. Some will update their review on their own. You can’t ask for that in exchange for anything.
You can edit or delete your reply later, so correct it if things change.
And reply to the good reviews too. A profile where only complaints get an answer teaches people that complaining is how to get your attention.
If you’d rather not write them
Our review reply service answers every new review in your tone of voice, positive and negative, and flags rule-breaking reviews for removal instead of arguing with them.