How to reply to Google reviews, good and bad
9 September 2026 · 5 min read
Replies are read by people deciding whether to visit, not by the reviewer. Write for the reader who is still making up their mind.
Positive reviews: short, specific, no copy-paste
Thank them, name the thing they mentioned, and stop. "Thanks Sarah — glad the balayage came out the way you wanted. See you in eight weeks." Twenty identical "Thank you for your feedback!" replies read as automated and add nothing.
Negative reviews: acknowledge, own, move offline
Three sentences: acknowledge the specific problem, say what you are doing about it, invite them to contact you directly. No excuses, no arguing about facts, no legal language.
"You waited forty minutes and nobody explained why — that is on us. We have changed how the desk handles delays. If you email hello@… I would like to sort it out properly."
What makes it worse
Disputing the customer's version in public, mentioning their private details, replying the same hour while angry, or hinting that the review is fake. A future customer reading it will side with whoever sounds calmer.
If a review truly breaks Google's policy — it is spam, abusive, or about a different business — report it rather than argue with it.
Questions, answered
- How quickly should I reply?
- Within a couple of days for good ones, within a day for bad ones — but never in the first hour after reading something that annoyed you.
- Does replying help ranking?
- Google says responding to reviews is part of a well-managed profile. Whether or not it moves ranking, it visibly changes what browsers think of you.
