A bad review stings, and the first reply you want to write is rarely the one to post. People reading your profile look at how you answer as much as at the complaint itself.
1. Pause
Reply when you're calm, not in the moment.
2. Acknowledge
Thank them and name the problem once.
3. Take it offline
Give a phone number or email to talk.
Five steps
- 1Wait until you're calm. A reply can be edited later, but screenshots last.
- 2Thank them for telling you, even if you disagree.
- 3Acknowledge the specific problem in one sentence, without arguing about the details in public.
- 4Offer a direct way to talk: a phone number or email.
- 5Keep it short and sign it as the business.
What to write, and what never to write
Do
- Thank them for the feedback.
- Name the problem in one sentence.
- Give a phone number or email to talk.
- Sign it as the business.
Never
- Argue about who is right, or share the customer's personal details.
- Offer discounts or refunds for changing or removing the review. Google treats that as fake engagement.
- Accuse the reviewer of lying. Report the review instead if it breaks the rules.
Examples
Daniel
Waited 40 minutes for two sandwiches. Never again.
Reply from the business
Thank you for telling us, and we're sorry about the wait. That's not the service we want to give. Please call us on 555 0199 so we can hear what happened. Luca, owner
Alex
Rude staff and dirty tables.
Reply from the business
We're sorry to read this, and we take it seriously. We'd like to understand what happened. Please call us on 555 0199 with the day of your visit. Luca, owner
When a review breaks the rules
Google removes reviews that break its content policies (for example spam, profanity or fake engagement), not reviews that are simply negative. See can you remove a Google review? for the exact steps.
