How to respond to a negative review
Published Last updated
Founder, ProveWorth
Reply once, in public, in a few plain sentences. Apologize for the experience, name one thing the customer said, and ask them to call you. Leave out private details, accusations and offers. Your real reader is the next customer.
Google's reply tips say to stay professional and polite, and to keep it short and simple. They also say to apologize when appropriate and admit real mistakes, but not responsibility for things outside your control. Google checks each reply before it posts, which can take up to 30 days.
The catch: the fix can't depend on the review. Google bans incentives in exchange for changing or removing one, and the FTC says offering them could be an unfair practice.
What goes in the first reply?
Three things: an apology for the experience, one detail the customer mentioned, and a way to reach you. Google's tips also say to personalize it and respond promptly.
Take the review "Nobody showed up, and I paid for the month." A good reply says you're sorry the visit didn't happen and that you want to look at the account and the schedule. Then it asks for a call. It doesn't mention the payment, because the reply is public.
The full method, with five example replies, lives in how to reply to a Google review.
Should I argue with a review that is wrong?
No. A public argument shows the next customer how you act when someone disagrees with you.
If one fact is wrong, correct it once and politely, then move on. Google says never to share a reviewer's private information or engage in personal attacks. That rules out invoices, addresses, job notes and guesses about why they wrote it.
Can I offer a refund, or ask them to change the review?
Keep offers out of the public reply, since Google asks for a conversational tone, not a promotional one. Fix the problem in private.
Google prohibits payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for a review, a revision or a removal. The FTC's rule bars incentives tied to a particular sentiment, and says incentives to take down negative reviews could be an unfair practice. The FTC rule does not prohibit contacting a customer to resolve an issue, or simply asking a satisfied customer to update their review.
What if I can't find the customer?
Say so, and ask for a call. "We can't find a visit under your name, and I'd like to match it to a job" is honest and leaves the door open.
Skip "fake" and skip legal threats. The FTC rule prohibits unfounded legal threats, intimidation and certain false public accusations used to remove or prevent reviews. A legitimate legal threat is allowed, but a public reply is the wrong place for one. Think a review breaks Google's rules? See how to report a Google review.
On ProveWorth, each review publishes on your own page and we email you so you can reply. You can get your free page, or see how it works.
Sources
Key takeaways
- 1Apologize for the experience, name one thing the customer said, and move the details to a phone call.
- 2Leave private details, accusations, offers and legal threats out of a public reply.
- 3Admit real mistakes, but take no responsibility for things outside your control.
- 4A fix, refund or discount can't depend on the customer changing the review.
- 5If you can't find the visit, say you need more information instead of calling the review fake.
Related questions
What do I say to a one-star review?
Apologize for the experience, name one thing the customer said, and ask them to call you. Keep the reply shorter than the review.
Should I argue with a review that is wrong?
No. Correct one fact politely if you must, then take it offline. Google says never to share private information or engage in personal attacks.
Can I offer a refund or discount in the reply?
Not in public. Google asks for a conversational reply, not a promotional one. Fix the problem privately, and never tie it to the review.
Can I ask the customer to update the review after I fix it?
You can ask a satisfied customer to update afterward. The FTC rule doesn't prohibit that. Don't offer anything in exchange for a change or removal.
What if I can't find the customer or the visit?
Say you can't find a visit under that name and ask for a call to match it to a job. Don't call the reviewer a liar in public.