Pick the review you are answering, add your business name, and copy a reply that is polite, specific and short. Each one says why it is written that way, so you can change it to sound like you.
5 stars
Hi, thank you so much for the five stars, and for taking the time to write. It means a lot to the whole team at [your business]. We look forward to seeing you again soon. [your name], [your role]
Short and warm. Thanking them for writing, not only for the stars, tells other readers you notice the effort.
5 stars
Hi, thank you for the five stars! We are glad you had a good time at [your business], and we hope to see you again. [your name], [your role]
A rating with no text still deserves an answer. Two lines is plenty, and it shows every review gets read.
5 stars
Hi, thank you for this lovely review. We have passed your words on to the team, and it made their day. Everyone at [your business] looks forward to your next visit. [your name], [your role]
Saying the praise reached the person makes the reply about them. Use the staff member's first name if they are happy to be named.
5 stars
Hi, thank you for coming back to us again and again, and for saying so here. Customers like you are why [your business] keeps going. See you soon! [your name], [your role]
Regulars notice when they are recognised. A line that could only be written to a returning customer feels personal.
4 stars
Hi, thank you for the four stars, and for telling us what we could do better. We have shared your note with the team so we can work on it. We hope to earn the fifth star on your next visit to [your business]. [your name], [your role]
Treat the complaint as useful rather than unfair. Promise to look at it, not that it is fixed, unless it is.
3 stars
Hi, thank you for the honest review. We are glad parts of your visit went well, and sorry the rest did not. We would like to understand what happened, so please reach us at [your phone or email] and we will try to make it right. [your name], [your role]
Acknowledge both halves. Moving the details to a phone call or message keeps the public reply short and calm.
1 or 2 stars
Hi, we are sorry you had to wait so long. That is not the experience we want anyone to have at [your business], and we are looking at how we handle busy hours. If you are willing, please reach us at [your phone or email] and tell us when you visited. [your name], [your role]
Apologise for the wait itself, without excuses about how busy it was. Asking when they visited shows you mean to look into it.
1 or 2 stars
Hi, we are sorry for how you were treated. Everyone who comes to [your business] should be treated with respect, and we have taken this up with the team. Please reach us at [your phone or email], as we would like to hear the details and put it right. [your name], [your role]
Never defend the staff member in public, and never name them in a complaint. Take it seriously here and sort out the facts privately.
1 or 2 stars
Hi, we are sorry we got this wrong. Please reach us at [your phone or email] with the date of your visit, and we will look into it and sort it out with you directly. [your name], [your role]
Ask for the date, not the bill or the customer's number, in public. Everything else happens in the private conversation.
1 or 2 stars
Hi, thank you for the feedback on our prices. We work hard to keep them fair for what we offer, and we are sorry it did not feel worth it this time. We hope you will give [your business] another chance. [your name], [your role]
Do not argue about costs or compare yourself with others. Explain briefly, thank them, and leave it there.
1 or 2 stars
Hi, thank you for letting us know, and for giving us the chance to put it right. We are glad it was sorted out, and we hope your next visit to [your business] is a better one from the start. [your name], [your role]
Future customers read this reply, not your private chat. Showing the problem was handled is the point.
1 or 2 stars
Hi, we take every review seriously, but we cannot find this visit, and the details do not match what we offer at [your business]. If you did visit us, please reach us at [your phone or email] so we can look into it. [your name], [your role]
Stay polite even if you think the review is fake. If it breaks Google's rules, report it to Google from your listing as well.
A template is a starting point. Change a line so it answers what this customer actually said, because a reply that could fit any review reads like one.
Your business name, how you sign off, and a number or email for unhappy customers to reach you. The replies fill in as you type.
Choose the star rating, then the reply that matches what the customer said. Add their first name if they gave one.
Open your business on Google or in Google Maps, go to Reviews, and tap Reply. Paste, make one line about their visit in particular, and post.
Google encourages businesses to respond to reviews, and customers read the replies as closely as the reviews. A reply within a day or two shows that someone is listening. A page of unanswered reviews, good or bad, suggests nobody is.
Thank the five-star reviews too. They take thirty seconds, and a future customer scrolling your listing sees a business that notices people.
Stay calm, and reply as if the next customer is reading over your shoulder, because they are. Apologise for the experience, say what you are doing about it, and move the details to a phone call or message. Never argue the facts in public, and never write anything private about the customer, such as what they ordered or what they paid.
If you put things right, you can let the customer know. Some update their review on their own. Never offer a discount, a refund or anything else in return for changing it: Google's rules forbid it.
The same reply pasted under every review, word for word. Blame, sarcasm or "you are wrong". A staff member's name next to a complaint. A promise that something is fixed when it is not yet. Each of these is read by every customer who finds the review after you.
Within a day or two if you can. A quick reply to a complaint can calm things before more people read it, and a quick thank you to a good review shows you are paying attention.
Yes. A short thank you is enough, and it shows future customers that every review gets read, not only the complaints.
If you have fixed the problem, you can let them know, and some customers update their review on their own. Never offer anything in return for changing it, which Google's rules forbid.
No. Only Google removes reviews, and only ones that break its rules, such as fake reviews or ones about a different business. You can report those from your listing. For the rest, a calm reply is the best answer.
No. The replies are filled in by your browser, on your own device. We count how often the tool is used, and that is all.
Cardless Reviews gives you a review link with a stand to print on A4 for the counter, so asking every customer becomes a habit, and shows how many people opened it. The Review Link is free while we are in pre-release.