The short answer: Reply to every review within a couple of days. Thank the customer by name, mention something specific, and keep it short. For negative reviews, stay calm, apologise for their experience and offer to sort it out offline. Never share private details, argue or offer anything in exchange for a review.
Your replies are read by every future customer who looks at your reviews. A thoughtful response to a bad review can win more trust than a five-star review on its own. Here’s how to reply, with templates you can adapt.
How to reply to a Google review
- Sign in to your Google Business Profile, or search for your business name on Google while signed in.
- Open your reviews.
- Click Reply under the review, write your response and post it.
The golden rules
- Reply quickly, ideally within a day or two.
- Use their name and mention something specific from their review.
- Keep it short and genuine. Two or three sentences is plenty.
- Never share private details, like what you did for them, their address or booking information.
- Take problems offline. Offer a phone number or email to sort things out.
- Don’t argue, even if the review feels unfair.
- Never offer incentives for reviews, or for changing a review.
Templates for positive reviews
Five stars: “Thanks so much, [Name]! We loved working on your [job/service], and we’re really glad you’re happy with the result. See you next time!”
Five stars, repeat customer: “Thanks for coming back, [Name]! It’s always great to see you, and we really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.”
Four stars with a suggestion: “Thanks for the great feedback, [Name]. We appreciate the suggestion about [issue] and we’re looking into it. Hope to see you again soon!”
Templates for negative reviews
A genuine complaint: “Hi [Name], I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t the experience you expected. That’s not the standard we aim for. I’d like to make it right, so please call me on [phone] or email [email].”
A misunderstanding: “Hi [Name], thanks for your feedback, and I’m sorry for the confusion. I’d love to talk this through and explain what happened. Please get in touch on [phone] so we can sort it out.”
A neutral, three-star review: “Thanks for your honest feedback, [Name]. We’re always looking to improve, and I’d love to hear more about what we could have done better. Feel free to reach out on [email].”
What about fake reviews?
If a review is from someone who was never a customer, or breaks Google’s policies, report it from your Google Business Profile. Google decides whether to remove it. In the meantime, a calm public reply like this helps: “Hi, we can’t find any record of you as a customer. If we’ve missed something, please contact us on [phone] so we can look into it.”
Reply to every review from one place. My New Admin’s reputation management puts your Google and Facebook reviews in one screen, helps you draft replies with AI and asks happy customers for reviews automatically.
Want more reviews to reply to? Read how to get more Google reviews, or make your free Google review link.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, ideally. Replying to positive and negative reviews shows future customers you care about feedback and take problems seriously.
Stay calm, thank them for the feedback, apologise for their experience and offer to sort it out offline with a phone number or email. Never argue or share private details.
No. You can report reviews that break Google’s policies, like fake reviews or ones from people who were never customers, and Google decides whether to remove them.
Within a day or two is a good goal. Quick replies show you’re attentive, especially for negative reviews.