How to Respond to Google Reviews, With Examples You Can Copy

Why replying matters more than the review itself

Most people reading your Google reviews are not just reading the reviews. They are reading how you responded to them. A five-star review with no reply looks fine. A three-star review with a calm, specific, helpful reply often does more to win trust than the five-star one, because it shows how you actually behave when something is not perfect.

Replying also matters to Google: profiles that are actively managed, including replies to reviews, give Google more reason to treat the listing as active and trustworthy.

Replying to a good review

Keep it short, specific and human. Thank them, mention something specific from their review if you can, and avoid a copy-pasted line that reads the same under every review.

Example: "Thanks so much, [name]. Really glad the new boiler is keeping you warm ahead of winter. Appreciate you taking the time to leave this."

Replying to a bad review

Do not get defensive, and do not argue in public. Acknowledge what they said, say what you are doing about it, and offer a way to sort it out properly away from the review itself.

Example: "Sorry to hear this, [name]. This is not the standard we aim for. I would like to put it right, could you give me a call on [phone number] so I can look into what happened?"

Never offer a discount or payment in exchange for changing or removing a review. That breaks Google's policies and, since 2025, UK rules on fake and manipulated reviews too.

What not to do

Never argue with a reviewer in public, never accuse them of lying even if you suspect it, and never leave a bad review unanswered for weeks. A slow, half-hearted reply reads almost as badly as no reply at all.