How to respond to a bad Google review (with examples)

Wait an hour, then reply within a few days

Never reply while you are angry. Read the review, step away, and come back when you can write calmly. Then don’t leave it for weeks: Google’s tips recommend replies that are short, personal and timely, and an unanswered complaint looks like nobody is listening.

Remember that the reply is public and appears under the review for everyone who finds your business. You can edit or delete it later, but assume it will be read.

Use a four-part reply

Three or four sentences are enough. Longer replies usually turn into arguments.

• Thank them for the feedback. Use their first name only if their review shows it.
• Name the specific problem without arguing: “We’re sorry the job took two days longer than we said.”
• Say what you are doing about it, but only if it is true: a new process, a refund policy, a conversation with the team.
• Take it offline with a real name and a direct phone number or email: “Please call me, Jordan, at …”

Examples you can adapt

Restaurant, slow service: “Thank you for telling us, Sam. A 40-minute wait is not the evening we want for anyone, and we’ve added a second cook on Friday nights. If you give us another try, ask for me, Maria.”

Contractor, missed appointment: “You’re right to be frustrated. We missed the window we promised and didn’t call ahead. That’s on us. Please call me directly at [number] so I can set a time that works for you.”

Salon, haircut not as expected: “I’m sorry the cut wasn’t what you asked for. We’d like to fix it at no charge. Please call the front desk and ask for me, Ana.”

Medical or dental practice, long wait: “Thank you for your feedback. We’re working on our wait times. Please call our office manager at [number] so we can talk directly.” A practice must never confirm that the reviewer is a patient or mention any visit detail. In 2022 a dental practice paid $23,000 to settle a federal case after its replies to online reviews disclosed patients’ information.

What not to do

A defensive reply can do more damage than the review itself. These are the mistakes that turn one bad review into a bigger problem.

• Don’t argue the facts in public or call the customer a liar. Readers side with the customer.
• Don’t share private details: their address, what they ordered, what you found at their house, anything about their health.
• Don’t offer a refund or discount in exchange for removing or changing the review. Google prohibits incentives to remove negative reviews.
• Don’t threaten legal action to make honest reviews disappear. The FTC’s rule bans unfounded legal threats, intimidation and certain false accusations used to remove or prevent negative reviews, and the Consumer Review Fairness Act bans standard contract terms that restrict or penalize honest reviews.
• Don’t post fake positive reviews to bury it. That breaks Google’s policy and the FTC’s rule.

When you can report a review

You cannot delete a customer’s review, but you can report one that breaks Google’s policies, for example spam, content not based on a real experience, offensive language or a conflict of interest such as a competitor’s review. Google says not to report a review just because you disagree with it, and it does not step into disputes between businesses and customers.

To report, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews and use the report icon next to the review, or use Google’s Reviews Management Tool. A decision usually takes several days. If Google decides the review stays, you get a one-time appeal in the same tool.

Afterwards: fix the cause and keep reviews coming

One bad review among many recent good ones matters far less than a bad review on a quiet profile. Fix what caused it, then keep asking every customer for a review, the same way, every time.

If you solve the problem and the customer updates their review on their own, thank them in a new reply. You may ask whether they would update it after you have fixed the problem, but never offer anything for it.

A reply you can copy

For a review about a long wait at a restaurant. Change the details to fit what actually happened.