How fast must I reply?

Within 48 hours. Customers read your replies, and a fast answer shows that you are active.

Must I reply to 5-star reviews?

Yes. It takes 20 seconds, and it shows that a person reads the reviews.

What if the review is from a person who is not my customer?

Say that you have no record of the job, and ask the person to contact your office. Then report the review to Google.

45 Google Review Reply Templates (Copy and Paste)

The short answer

Answer each review in 48 hours. Keep the reply short. Thank the person for a good review. For a bad review, apologize for the experience, give one sentence of context, and move the conversation to your office. Never argue in public, and never give private details.

Four rules before you reply

Wait one hour when you are angry. A public argument costs more customers than the review.
Keep it short. Two or three sentences. A long reply looks defensive.
Move the details to a private conversation. Invite the person to contact your office.
Do not give private information. This is a rule for every business, and a legal requirement in health care and law.

Dental and medical offices: do not confirm that the person is a patient, and do not mention any treatment. Federal regulators have penalized providers for revealing patient information in review replies. Use the neutral replies in the last group.

Law firms: do not confirm that the person is a client, and do not discuss the case. Check your state bar rules on advertising and testimonials before you reply.

The templates

A 5-star review with no detail 5 stars

Thank you for the 5 stars, [name]. We are glad that we could help, and we appreciate you taking the time to write.

Thank you, [name]. Reviews like this help other people in the area find us. We appreciate your business.

We appreciate the kind words, [name]. Call us any time you need us.

A 5-star review that names an employee 5 stars

Thank you, [name]. We passed your words to [employee], and it made his day. We are glad that the work went well.

This is great to hear, [name]. [employee] takes pride in this work, and your review means a lot to the whole team.

Thank you for the kind words about [employee], [name]. We are lucky to have him, and we appreciate your business.

A review from a repeat customer 5 stars

Thank you, [name]. We appreciate your business over the years, and we are always glad to help.

It is always a pleasure, [name]. Thank you for your continued trust in [business].

Thank you for coming back to us, [name]. We appreciate it more than you know.

A review with photos 5 stars

Thank you for the review and the photos, [name]. The finished work looks great, and we are glad that you are happy with it.

We appreciate the photos, [name]. They show the work better than we can describe it. Thank you for your business.

Thank you, [name]. The photos are a great addition, and we appreciate you taking the time.

A 4-star review, no complaint given 4 stars

Thank you for the review, [name]. If there is something that we can do better next time, please tell us. We read every message.

We appreciate the feedback, [name]. We are always working to improve, so please let us know what would have made this a 5-star visit.

Thank you, [name]. If anything fell short, please contact our office. We would like to hear about it.

A 3-star review with one complaint 3 stars

Thank you for the honest feedback, [name]. You are right that [issue] should have gone better. Please contact our office so that we can make it right.

We appreciate the review, [name]. The part about [issue] is fair, and we are working on it. Please call us so that we can discuss the details.

Thank you for telling us, [name]. Feedback like this is how we improve. Contact our office and we will follow up with you.

A complaint about the price 1 to 2 stars

Thank you for the feedback, [name]. We know that the cost was more than you expected. Our prices include [what is included], and we always give the price before the work starts. Please contact our office if you would like to discuss the invoice.

We are sorry that the price disappointed you, [name]. We quote each job before we begin, and we do not add charges after that. Please call our office so that we can review the invoice with you.

Thank you for the honest review, [name]. We understand that the cost was a surprise. We would like to explain the invoice. Please contact our office at your convenience.

A late arrival or a missed appointment 1 to 2 stars

You are right, [name], and we are sorry. We should have called you when the schedule changed. Please contact our office so that we can make this right.

We apologize, [name]. A late arrival with no call is not our standard. We have spoken with the team about this. Please call our office.

Thank you for telling us, [name]. We failed you on the schedule, and we are sorry. Contact our office and we will correct it.

A complaint about the quality of the work 1 to 2 stars

We are sorry to read this, [name]. We stand behind our work, and we want to inspect it. Please contact our office and we will come back out.

Thank you for the feedback, [name]. This is not the standard that we hold. Please call our office so that we can look at the work again.

We want to correct this, [name]. Please contact our office. We will inspect the work and make it right.

Poor communication 1 to 2 stars

We are sorry, [name]. You should have received an update, and you did not. Please contact our office so that we can review what happened.

Thank you for the honest feedback, [name]. Communication is something that we are improving. Please call our office so that we can help you now.

We apologize for the silence, [name]. That is on us. Contact our office and we will answer your questions.

A billing dispute 1 to 2 stars

Thank you for contacting us, [name]. We would like to review the invoice with you. Please call our office so that we can go through each line.

We are sorry for the confusion, [name]. Billing questions are always worth a conversation. Please contact our office and we will review the charges.

We want to resolve this, [name]. Please call our office and ask for the manager. We will review the invoice together.

A review from a person who is not your customer 1 to 2 stars

We have no record of this job, [name]. We may be confused with another company. Please contact our office so that we can check, and we will correct it if the mistake is ours.

Thank you for the message. We cannot find this job in our records. Please contact our office with the date and the address, and we will investigate.

We want to help, but we have no record of this work. Please call our office with the details. If we made the mistake, we will correct it.

A review that looks false 1 to 2 stars

We cannot find a record of this job. Please contact our office with the date and the address so that we can investigate.

We have no record of this service. If you are a customer, please call our office and we will look into it immediately.

We take every review seriously, but this does not match our records. Please contact our office with more details.

A complaint about an employee 1 to 2 stars

Thank you for telling us, [name]. This is not how we expect our team to act, and we are handling it internally. Please contact our office.

We are sorry, [name]. We have spoken with the team about this. Please call our office so that we can make it right.

This is not our standard, [name], and we apologize. Please contact our office and ask for the manager.

A review at a dental or medical office any rating

Thank you for taking the time to write. Our office appreciates all feedback, and we would like to speak with you. Please call our office at your convenience.

Thank you for your message. We are not able to discuss any details here. Please contact our office and we will help you.

We appreciate the feedback. Our office responds to all concerns in private. Please call us so that we can help.

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After you reply

Contact the person if the review names a real problem. Some customers change the review after you correct the work.
Do not ask the person to remove the review. Correct the problem, and let the person decide.
Report a review that breaks the rules. Google removes false reviews and offensive reviews. Google does not remove an honest bad review.
Look for the pattern. Three reviews about the same problem are information, not bad luck.

45 Google review reply templates