How to respond to Google reviews: templates for every situation
Every reply is read by the reviewer and by every future customer who scrolls past it. A good reply thanks people specifically, stays calm under fire and moves problems offline. Here's how, with templates you can adapt.
How quickly to reply
- Negative reviews: within one business day. Check the facts first.
- Positive reviews: within two business days.
- Suspicious or fake reviews: save the evidence, flag the review to Google, then reply calmly without accusing anyone.
Templates
Thanks so much, Priya! We'll make sure Tom hears this, as he'll be delighted. See you next time.
Thank you, Mark! Really glad you enjoyed your visit.
Thanks, James, and glad you liked the coffee. You're right about the lunchtime wait; we've added a second person on the till from 12 to 2. Hope to see you again.
Hi Dan, I'm sorry the repair didn't hold up. That's not the standard we aim for. Please call me directly on [number] so I can look at it and put it right. Jo, owner
Thanks for the feedback, Sam. Our prices include [what's included], and we always give a written quote before starting. If anything was unclear, I'd like to talk it through: [contact].
Hi Alex, thanks for taking the time to write this. We can't find a visit matching your description, and we think this may be meant for another business with a similar name. If we've got that wrong, please get in touch on [contact].
We take every review seriously but can't find any record of this visit. If you were a customer, please contact us on [contact] so we can help.
Do
- Thank people and mention one real detail from their review.
- Keep it proportional: two to four sentences for a positive review, a short paragraph for a negative one.
- Acknowledge the experience, apologise for it, and offer a direct way to sort it out.
- Personalise every reply, even when you start from a template.
- Let it sit for a few minutes before posting a reply to a negative review.
Don't
- Argue, get sarcastic or tell the reviewer they're wrong.
- Offer refunds, discounts or compensation in public. Do that privately.
- Tie any benefit to changing or removing a review.
- Share private details, such as appointments, health information or invoices.
- Paste the same reply on every review.
- Reply weeks later.
