How to respond to negative Google reviews, with examples

Why your reply matters more than the review

Most people do not expect a business to have only perfect reviews; a wall of five stars can even look suspicious. What they look for is how you handle the bad ones. A defensive or angry reply puts people off far more than the complaint itself. A calm one makes you look like a business that sorts problems out.

The structure of a good reply

1. Thank them for the feedback, even if it stings
2. Acknowledge the experience without arguing about the details
3. Take it offline with a name and a phone number or email
4. Keep it short: three or four sentences

Example replies

A job that went wrong

Thanks for letting us know, Mark, and I'm sorry the repair didn't hold. That's not the standard we hold ourselves to. Please call me on the office number so we can come back out and put it right.

Late or a missed appointment

Thank you for the review, Lisa. You're right that we arrived late, and we should have called ahead to let you know. I'd like to make that up to you, so please contact me directly at the office.

A complaint about price

Thanks for the feedback. We always aim to quote clearly before any work starts, and I'm sorry that didn't feel clear on this job. I'd be glad to go through the invoice with you, so please get in touch with me at the office.

Someone you have no record of

Thank you for the review. We can't find a record of this job under your name, so we'd like to understand what happened. Please contact us at the office so we can look into it.

A review that is clearly unfair

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We see this differently, but we'd still like to talk it through. Please call the office and ask for me.

What to avoid

• Arguing point by point in public
• Sharing private details about the customer or the job
• Blaming the customer
• Copying the same reply onto every review
• Offering anything in exchange for changing or removing the review

When to report a review

Report a review through your profile if it is spam, offensive, clearly fake, from someone who was never a customer, or from a competitor. Google may remove reviews that break its policies. Genuine negative reviews will stay, so reply to them and focus on getting more positive ones. See how to get more Google reviews.

Let the next reviews do the work

One bad review among many good recent ones does little harm. The best defence is a steady flow of new reviews from happy customers.

We reply to every review for our clients as part of our review management. Get your free Maps audit to see how your reviews compare with your competitors.

Questions owners ask

Should I reply to every negative review?

Yes. An unanswered complaint looks like you do not care. A short, professional reply shows future customers how you handle problems.

Can I get a negative review removed?

Only if it breaks Google's policies, for example spam, fake reviews, offensive content or a review from someone who was never a customer. You can report those through your profile. Genuine negative reviews stay, which is why the reply matters.

How quickly should I reply?

Within a day or two if you can. A quick reply shows you take it seriously, but take a moment to calm down first. Replying angry is worse than replying late.