How to respond to Google reviews: ten templates you can copy

Who the reply is actually for

The customer who left the five stars will probably never read your answer. The person actually reading it is the one deciding whether to come in. They are not weighing your politeness; they are watching how you handle a problem.

Which is why replies to bad reviews matter far more than replies to good ones. One well-handled complaint often persuades better than ten five-star ratings.

Three rules

• Short. Two or three sentences. A long explanation reads as defensive.
• Specific. Name the thing they mentioned. "Thanks for the feedback" is the same as saying nothing.
• Move it offline. Leave a phone number or email. Do not argue in the review thread.

Good reviews: five templates

Swap the brackets for real details.

Thank you, [name]! [Dish or service] is the one we fuss over most, so it is good to hear it landed. Say hello next time you are in.

Thanks for writing this, [name]. I will pass on what you said about [specific detail] to [staff name] - it will make their day.

Thanks for taking the time. Regulars like you are the reason we are still here.

Thank you! Glad [service] did the job. If you need anything else, we are on [contact].

[Name], thanks for the five stars. We have noted what you said about [specific detail] and will keep it that way.

Bad reviews: five templates

One for each of the five situations that actually come up.

It was our fault:

[Name], we got this wrong and I am sorry. [The problem] is being fixed. Please reach me on [phone or email] - I would like to put it right properly.

They waited too long:

Sorry about the wait. [Reason, one line, no excuses] - that was on us. We have changed the rota since. Thank you for saying it out loud.

A misunderstanding:

[Name], we checked the records for that day. [The fact, one line.] It sounds like we did not explain it well, and I am sorry. Give us a call on [phone] and we will go through it.

A rating with no words:

This score worries us, but without any detail we cannot tell what went wrong. If you have a moment, [phone or email] - we would rather know.

Possibly not a real customer:

We have looked and cannot find a matching visit. If we have missed something, please contact [phone or email] and we will take it seriously.

Be careful with that last one: do not assert that they are fake. You may have missed the record, and a public accusation only escalates. To report it, use You got a one-star note. Now what?, not the review thread.

Three sentences never to write

• "We have no record of your visit - did you actually come here?" Even when true, readers only see a business interrogating a customer.
• "All our other customers are happy; you are the only one complaining." That announces that the problem is the customer.
• "We have sent you a private message." And then nothing. Readers cannot see the message. They can see you avoiding the question.

How often to reply

Bad reviews: within 24 hours. A reply a week later tells readers you do not normally look.

Good reviews do not all need answering, but none of them answered looks worse. Ten minutes once a week is enough - prioritise the ones with real detail in them.

Where this leaves you

The compounding effect: a year from now, a stranger scrolls your reviews and sees a business that answers everything and owns its mistakes on the spot. That impression cannot be bought.

One thing to do today: clear the last three unanswered reviews, starting with the worst one. If new reviews are not arriving at all, the problem is not your replies - give customers an easier way in first.