A bad review is public, and so is your reply. Future customers read both, so your reply is really written for them, not just the reviewer. The goal is to look calm, fair and easy to deal with.
The 4-step method
- Thank them and use their name. It shows a real person read it.
- Apologise for the experience, not for every claim. "I'm sorry your visit felt rushed" acknowledges how they felt without admitting facts you haven't checked.
- Add one line of context, if it helps. Keep it short and factual. Never argue.
- Take it offline. Give a name and a direct phone number or email so you can fix it privately.
Don'ts
- Don't reply angry. Wait an hour.
- Don't share private details (appointments, invoices, health info).
- Don't offer discounts in exchange for changing or removing a review.
- Don't copy-paste the same reply everywhere. It looks automated.
8 example replies
Hi [Name], thank you for telling us. I'm sorry you waited longer than expected. That's not the experience we want for anyone. Please call me at [phone] so I can hear what happened and make it right.
Hi [Name], I'm sorry the interaction left you feeling that way. Treating every customer with respect matters to us, and I'd like to look into this. Please contact me directly at [email].
Hi [Name], thanks for the honest feedback. We try to be upfront about pricing, and I'm sorry it felt unclear. I'd be glad to walk through the costs with you. Reach me at [phone].
Hi [Name], I'm sorry the result didn't meet your expectations. We stand behind our work and want to fix this. Please call [phone] and ask for [manager].
Hi [Name], I'm sorry we let you down on timing. Your time matters. Please contact me at [email] so we can rebook at a time that works and sort this out.
Hi [Name], thanks for your feedback. We'd really like to understand what went wrong so we can improve. Could you reach out at [email]?
Hi [Name], thank you for the review. We take every comment seriously, but we couldn't find your visit in our records. Please contact us at [phone] so we can look into it.
Hi [Name], thank you for the kind words about [good part], and for being honest about [issue]. We're working on it. We'd love another chance. Reach out at [email] anytime.
More examples by industry: dentists, restaurants, contractors. Or try the free reply generator.