How to reply to a bad review

We went through the 20 newest Google reviews of 175 small businesses in central Stockholm. 42 percent had not replied to a single one. 85 businesses had at least one unanswered one- or two-star review, sometimes from the same week.

That's a shame, because replies get read. Someone thinking of booking with you usually reads the worst reviews first, and then how you replied. A calm, factual reply to a bad review says more about how you treat customers than ten happy ones.

Where to reply

Sign in to the Google account that owns your business profile. Search for your business name on Google and you'll see your profile with a panel to manage it. Choose Read reviews and then Reply under the review. It works just as well on your phone. The reply is public, under your business name.

If your profile says "Own this business?", you haven't claimed it yet. Then you can't reply at all, and anyone can suggest changes to your details. Claim it first, it's free.

The template: four sentences

1. Thank them and use their name. "Thanks for taking the time to write, Anna."
2. Acknowledge how it felt. Apologise for the experience, not for things that aren't true. "I understand the wait was frustrating."
3. Say briefly what happened or what you're doing now. One sentence, no excuses. "We were a person short that day and should have told you when you arrived."
4. Invite them to talk outside Google. "Please call me on 08-123 45 67 and we'll sort it out." It shows other readers you take it seriously, and the conversation happens where it belongs.

Reply within a couple of days. A reply after three months looks like you didn't care until someone pointed it out.

Three examples

Notice what isn't there: no arguing, no details about the customer and no discount for changing the review. Offer to put right what went wrong, but never in return for a changed or removed review. That breaks Google's rules.

The prompt we use

We let AI write a first draft and always read it before publishing. Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and replace what's in brackets:

You own [business name], a [type of business] in [area].
Write a reply to the review below. Rules:
- At most four sentences, friendly and factual.
- 1: thank them and use the customer's first name.
- 2: acknowledge the experience without admitting things that aren't true.
- 3: say briefly what happened or what we do now: [facts from us].
- 4: ask the customer to contact us on [phone or email].
- No discounts in return for a changed review, no personal details.

The review: [paste]

Always fill in the facts yourself. The AI doesn't know what happened at your place, and a reply that invents an explanation is worse than no reply.

What about the good reviews?

Reply to them too, briefly and with something specific: "Thanks Sara, glad the colour turned out the way you wanted. See you again!" A copied "Thanks for your review!" under every one looks automated, and then it doesn't help.

If the review is fake

If it's written by someone who was never a customer, is spam, or contains threats or personal attacks, you can report it: tap the three dots by the review and choose Report review. Google doesn't remove reviews for being negative, only when they break the rules. Reply factually in the meantime.