How To Reply to Google Reviews: Tips for Good and Bad Feedback

Google reviews are collected and displayed on Google, adding credibility to your business profile so potential customers can see your ratings and reviews when searching online. Reviews can boost brand trust, increase traffic and sales, and even help you target local customers. But, why are Google reviews so important?

• 73% of all reviews come from Google, making it the most popular platform for customer feedback
• 75% of customers check online reviews when researching a business
• A product with five reviews is 270% more likely to be purchased than a product with no reviews
• 93% of customers expect a business to respond to reviews and engage with their community

Knowing how to reply to your Google reviews is just as important as collecting them in the first place. You’ll need to access your Google Business Profile account to monitor and respond to reviews from Google Search and Google Maps. I’ve listed the steps below:

To respond to your Google reviews, you can do this directly from Google Search by searching for your business or Google Maps by selecting “Business” in the bottom right. From there, click “Reviews” and choose which ones to reply to.

How you respond can have a major impact on whether a customer reading your review goes on to buy a product. Also, Google reviews can influence your site’s SEO because Google factors these in when ranking websites.

Good Google reviews can do wonders for your online business but, even when the reviews are singing your praises, it’s still important to respond. If you’re wondering how to reply to a positive google review, check out my online customer service tips below:

#1. Make It Personal

Avoid using generic statements in your response and use specific and personal phrases instead that refer to the original review.

For example, if a customer has left a review saying “I bought these curtains for my living room and they’re perfect” you can reply with “We’re so pleased you like your curtains, we’re sure your living room will look great!”.

Author's Notes

Personalizing your messaging can prove to a customer that you’ve read their review in detail and that each review is graciously received. Automated or impersonal responses suggest you place little value on the review and the time taken by the customer to leave it.

Lucy Nixon Writer

#2. Say Thank You

Manners can make or break your business. Being polite and appreciative of the positive review a customer has left will help boost your brand’s reputation.

Saying thank you helps to position your brand as grateful and shows that you don’t take positive reviews for granted.

A simple thing like a “Thank You For Your Purchase” message can go a long way to forging relationships with your customers.

#3. Encourage Future Custom

Receiving good reviews is a great tool for you to utilize to encourage future custom. If a customer has enjoyed your product or service enough to leave a good review then your chances of converting them into a repeat customer are high.

It’s important to strike the balance between encouraging future custom and coming across as a salesman. Keep recommendations relevant and only ever include one per review.

#4. Sign-Off With Your Name & Details 

Signing a response to a positive review with your name and job title will help build up an all-important relationship with your audience.

Including personal information reiterates to the customer that their review has been read and appreciated by a human and the personal touch will help them to feel valued and respected.

Customers are much more likely to return to make another purchase if they feel like the brand is being run by real humans who appreciate every single sale and review.

Let’s take a look at some examples to see how these brands respond to good Google reviews.

Example #1

Cosmetics brand Lush issued a simple response thanking the customer for this glowing review of one of its stores. By signing off with the staff members name, Lush ensures that while the response may be short and sweet, it’s still personal. By adding a name it reiterates that a real human is reading and responding to the Google reviews.

Example #2

This massage therapy center responded to a positive Google review by specifically mentioning something the customer had mentioned in their original review. This highlights that the company has read and appreciates the review and helps to further build the relationship with this individual customer.

It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you put into making your business the very best, sometimes you just can’t avoid a bad review.

Receiving a bad Google review doesn’t have to be a disaster – but turning a bad review into a positive for your business all rests on how you respond.

#1. Check Facts

The first step to learning how to reply to Google reviews is to check your facts.

Negative reviews will often include accusations or opinions that are the root cause of the problem. The first thing you need to do as a business owner is establish how legitimate the details are.

The reality is that some people will make outlandish claims and try their luck leaving a bad review in the hope you’ll offer them discounts or refunds that they don’t deserve. You don’t want to waste your time and money trying to solve a negative review that turns out to be a con.

#2. Empathize

If a customer has taken the time to leave a bad review then the last thing you want to do is antagonize them even further. Instead, show them that you understand their concerns, that you’re sorry something has gone wrong, and commit to finding a solution.

➡️ You can read our guide on customer service phrases if you’re not sure how to respond at first.

Try to reply promptly to show that the review is important to you and be as concise as possible; long and detailed replies can come across as defensive and have the potential to anger the customer even further.

#3. Start a Conversation

While you should always initially reply to a bad Google review on Google, it’s not necessarily the best place to have a long conversation with the customer.

Instead, try to move the conversation to a more private place by providing the customer with an email address or phone number they can contact to discuss the problem further.

Starting a 1:1 conversation will make it easier to outline the issues and find a solution since you can use the support channels your business already has in operation.

A 1:1 conversation allows you to better focus on the customer’s needs and using a real-time platform will make the conversation flow much easier and quicker.

#4. Seek Further Detail

Negative Google reviews won’t necessarily provide you with much detail other than telling you that a customer isn’t happy with the service they’ve received.

But, for you to resolve the issue with little impact on your business, you need as much detail as possible.

I recommend calmly asking the customer questions about their problem. For example, if they’re claiming to have received the wrong item, ask them to confirm what item they ordered and when. This allows you to go away and confirm where and why the issue has occurred.

Author's Notes

It’s easy to take a negative review as a personal insult, but try to take a step back and detach yourself from the situation. Sometimes things go wrong and all you can do is offer empathetic and understanding help and support to customers. Never get defensive or blame the customer.

Lucy Nixon Writer

#5. Offer a Solution

Offering a solution to a bad review is key. It’s not enough to just acknowledge the review, you need to prove to the customer that their feedback and custom are important to you. Providing a solution can be the difference between losing the customer for good or retaining them as returning customers in the future.

The solution you offer will depend on the problem, but it’s a good idea to have a solution strategy in place so that you always know what options are available to offer the customer. These could be things such as providing a full refund, offering a replacement product or service, sharing a discount or gift voucher, or adding a product or service to their order for no cost.

#6. Include Your Name & Details

Adding in details such as your name and job title helps to create a connection with the customer and shows them that they’re talking with a human, not a chatbot. It can make customers feel like their complaint is being taken seriously.

Having a human member of the team respond to negative reviews reiterates that your business actively cares about the issue and that you deem it important enough to dedicate time and resources to.

#7. Follow Up

A review is usually the beginning of a longer conversation with a customer and following up with them allows you to ensure that the issue has been properly resolved.

Return to the thread a few days later to check that the customer has received the solution they were looking for. If you’ve managed to resolve the issue, be sure to make this clear to other customers who may be reading the review and response.

Sometimes you can even ask a customer to update their review – however, I recommend doing this on a case-by-case basis. If a customer still seems annoyed with your brand, it’s probably best not to ask, even if you’ve managed to resolve the issue.

Let’s take a look at some examples to see how these brands responded to bad Google reviews.

Example #1

This car wash company politely responded to a negative Google review by encouraging the customer to contact them privately. The brand also immediately encourages the customer that they’re in the right. A great example of how to respond to a negative Google review!

Example #2

This barber shop was faced with a customer claiming to have a bad experience in their salon. While the customer certainly didn’t hold back in their scathing review, the barber shop remained professional and polite. This is a great example of the importance of keeping your cool and maintaining a professional tone at all times… no matter how angry the customer is!

You can’t simply remove a review on Google because it’s bad – that’s why I’ve shared tips on how to respond to both positive and negative reviews in this guide. It’s best to tackle bad reviews head-on by remaining professional, offering solutions, and apologizing if necessary.

If a review is inappropriate or violates Google’s content policy, you can report it. To do this, select the review you want to flag, tap the three dots or the information button (depending on where you’re viewing the review), and click report. It can take Google a few days to review your request to remove a review – but, remember, Google won’t get involved if it’s just a disagreement or negative review.

I’ve covered a lot of tips and tricks on how to reply to Google reviews the right way, so let’s recap the key points to remember:

• Always respond to good and bad Google reviews
• Respond to Google reviews promptly
• For positive reviews, always be gracious, thank customers for their reviews, and use the opportunity to encourage future custom
• For negative reviews, always be polite, acknowledge the problem, and aim to find a resolution to the issues

Google reviews can go a long way toward encouraging customers who may be debating whether or not to make a purchase from your small business to commit. And it’s not just the reviews they’ll be looking at – they’ll be keeping a close eye on how you respond and react to feedback both positive and negative.