How to respond to a negative review

Before you write anything

1. Leave it for a few hours. Replies written in anger read as anger.
2. Find out what happened. Speak to whoever dealt with the customer.
3. Decide whether the complaint is fair, partly fair or mistaken.
4. If you can put it right, try to do so directly first.

What a good reply does

• Thanks the person for the feedback.
• Acknowledges the problem without grovelling or arguing.
• Says briefly what you have done or will do.
• Offers a way to continue the conversation privately.
• Stops there. One reply, a few sentences.

Examples to adapt

A fair complaint

“Thank you for telling us, and I am sorry we kept you waiting. That is not the service we want to give. I have spoken to the team about what went wrong on Saturday. If you would be willing to give us another chance, please ring me directly on the shop number.”

A complaint you disagree with

“Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry you were disappointed. Our records of the visit differ from your account, and I would welcome the chance to go through it with you. Please contact me at the office so we can look into it properly.”

Someone you cannot identify as a customer

“Thank you for your comment. We have no record of dealing with anyone by this name, and we would like to understand what happened. Please get in touch with us directly so that we can help.”

Confidentiality. Never confirm details of what someone bought, what was wrong or what was said. For clinics, solicitors and anyone else with a duty of confidentiality, do not even confirm the reviewer was a client.

When a review can be removed

Google removes reviews that break its policies. It does not remove reviews because the business disagrees with them. Grounds that can succeed:

• The review is fake or part of a pattern of fake reviews.
• It is about a different business.
• It was written by a competitor or a former employee with an axe to grind.
• It contains abuse, hate speech or personal information.
• It is advertising or spam.

Report it from your Google Business Profile by flagging the review and choosing the reason. Google also provides a tool for checking the status of reports and appealing a refusal. Keep any evidence you have.

The best answer to a bad review

More good ones. A single poor review among fifty recent good ones reassures people that the reviews are real. The same review among three is a third of your reputation. Our guide to getting more Google reviews covers how.