How to respond to Google reviews like a professional (+ examples)

Steps to follow to post a response to a review you read on Google

To be able to respond to reviews on your Google listing, your business must be verified.

To do this, you need to have a Google My Business account and to have certified your business's address after receiving a code.

You then have two options for responding:

• via the home page of the Google My Business application or
• via your business profile on Google Maps.

How do you reply to Google reviews via the Google My Business application?

To reply to Google reviews from the Google My Business app, follow these steps:

• Open the app on your phone or tablet.
• Select Customers, then Reviews.
• Click on the customer review you wish to reply to.
• Write your response.
• Send.

How do you reply to reviews from a Google Maps search?

From Google or Google Maps, proceed as follows to formulate your tips and answers:

• Open the Google Maps app or go directly to Google from your computer.
• Select your establishment or business profile, either by clicking on your account's circle icon in the top right-hand corner or by entering your establishment or business name directly into the Google search bar.
• Click on the review you wish to reply to.
• Click on "Reply" after writing your comment.
• Note that you can modify or delete your reply at any time.

What are the best practices for responding to a positive Google review?

Once you've understood why responding to reviews matters, you'll have already asked yourself the question "How do I reply to comments on social networks?" Here, the question is much the same, and so is the answer. Of course, the response you give won't be the same, depending on the type of review you're dealing with.

If it's a positive review, the process is easier. Note, however, that it's always best to respond. Internet users are sensitive to politeness, and a company's response is a sign of seriousness. What's more, by replying, you'll be able to supply information and advice about a product or service offered by your establishment that you'd like to promote. Another digital marketing lever!

Thank the customer for the review

The simple act of saying "thank you" reinforces the customer's impression of satisfaction to prolong their positive experience with your business, which can then transform them into a real ambassador for your brand, immediately spreading positive word of mouth.

Other potential customers, for their part, will only be even more intrigued by your approach: your management of your e-reputation and the way in which you can be present for consumers will only be enriched by this type of exchange and experience. 

For your visibility, don't forget to invite your customers to share their experience: here are some techniques for getting your customers to leave a review.

Use targeted keywords

When responding to positive reviews, subtly include your target keywords while keeping your tone natural and conversational.

While keywords in business owner responses are not going to directly affect search rankings, they aid in your local listings showing up in Google Justifications. These are snippets of text that Google displays in the Local Pack, helping users understand why a business appears in their search results, thus emphasizing your business's relevance to those particular search terms.

Share the great review with your team

It's true that replying to reviews allows you to showcase top feedback. However, it’s also an opportunity to acknowledge and thank your team for their stellar performance and highlight people who played a key role in creating a positive customer experience.

Cultivating an environment where positive feedback is treasured helps create a supportive workplace. It underscores the significance of customer satisfaction and motivates everyone to work together for the common goal of continuing to provide great experiences in the future.

What are the best practices for responding to a negative Google review?

While responding to positive reviews is very important for perfecting your e-reputation, both locally and in general, bad reviews shouldn't be neglected either. In fact, there's nothing worse than ignoring issues and criticism!

Even if it's not an easy task, it's always best to offer an answer, a solution, while remaining polite and courteous.

In this way, other customers will see that you're listening to them, the idea being to turn customer dissatisfaction, criticism, and problems into satisfaction, in particular by finding a solution that suits both parties.

It's also a good idea to be philosophical about your strategy and your professionalism: even negative criticism can serve as an excellent way to improve your business. Many companies have successfully managed their customer relations and moved forward thanks to online consumer feedback.

Nobody likes receiving a bad review, but consider how you can turn into an opportunity. Propose solutions and demonstrate your willingness to act—all the information you need to prove that you're trying to improve so that everyone is ultimately satisfied with your offers and products. Making good use of customer reviews means drawing conclusions from them.

Always respond, even for a simple "thank you"

First of all, there's nothing worse than not responding to a negative review. It sends out a very damaging signal for your brand, giving the impression that you're indifferent to your customers' comments and opinions.

After all, since the reviewer took the time to write their review, it's only natural that they should expect a response from you, even if you just thank them for their comment. Systematically respond to all comments, positive or negative, and don't leave any customer without feedback. If you're lacking in creativity, ask ChatGPT to help you create relevant points to raise in your brief responses.

Write a quick reply

While it's important to respond in a timely manner, you'll also want to avoid writing your comment in the heat of the moment.

It's best to take a step back from the situation so as not to make any mistakes in writing your text. Generally speaking, it's best not to wait more than 48 hours before writing your response.

In fact, this time is even shorter for reviews published on social networks. In this case, reviews spread very quickly. So you need to act quickly, without letting your emotions get the better of you, or you risk making the situation worse.

Being a business, stay polite and professional

When replying to a review, remember that your response is going to be read not only by the customer, but by an entire community of internet users. It must therefore be professional, polite, and courteous.

Never give in to public aggression, or you risk tarnishing your image. Even if the reviewer seems to be acting in bad faith, try to respond in a factual manner. Never threaten them or call them a liar.

At the end of your review, remember to thank them for taking the time to write it. And don't forget to apologize. Even if you feel you're not at fault, tell them you're sorry for not having given them full satisfaction.

It's a sign of empathy much appreciated by potential customers.

Be responsive and attentive

If you've taken specific steps to deal with the problem highlighted by a web review, but the user still decides to give you a bad review online or on your Google listing, don't hesitate to point out the solutions you've implemented to resolve the situation.

If, on the other hand, the problem hasn't yet been resolved, specify that you're in the process of remedying the situation, in order to find common ground as quickly as possible.

Personalize your message to stand out

When replying to an online review, remember to sign your reply, indicating your first and last name and your job title. This shows your interlocutor that you haven't delegated this task and adds a personal touch. It also shows that there's a real person behind the reply!

And because you don't hold grudges, let them know that you'd be happy to see them in your establishment again soon.

Finally, always pay attention to the syntax and spelling of your messages. Once again, this is a sign of professionalism. For some people, the fact of not writing properly is a total turn-off. It would be a pity to ruin all your efforts because of a few English mistakes...

How do you delete or report a review on Google?

Negative reviews don't have to be deleted from your account! Some of them may even turn out to be positive in the end, as long as you respond to them with empathy and solve the problem in question.

What's more, if there were only positive reviews left on Google, this feature wouldn't be of much interest... It's also the presence of negative comments which partly proves the veracity of the comments posted and which allows this system to work.

However, fake reviews are sometimes published, particularly by unscrupulous competitors. If you find that a negative review is fake, you can report it and request that it be removed. A fake review is an unfair act capable of being prosecuted in court.

To request the removal of a review, go to your Google My Business page and report the review in question. All you have to do is wait for Google to confirm that the post has been removed.

Then, if the person responsible for the negative review repeats it, you can simply delete the comment and even decide to block the author.

Please note that sometimes Google does not agree to remove a comment. If you really feel that the comment is too embarrassing for your business or your company's visibility, it's up to you to try and contact the author, make your mea culpa, and, in exchange, ask for the review to be deleted or modified.

Even if the situation may seem unfair to you, keep in mind that the most important thing is not to tarnish your image in the eyes of other potential customers. At the very least, offer them your best argument so that they at least qualify their remarks and consider your good will to perpetuate your activity.

So that your customer reviews on Google best reflect the image and seriousness of your company, it's best to collect as many as possible. So, if a negative review is published on your account, it'll be drowned out among a whole bunch of positive reviews. This strategy is valid for all types of activities. 

Furthermore, internet users are very fond of establishments with a maximum number of comments. This is a very reassuring factor, generally generating a virtuous circle. In other words, the more positive reviews you have, the more your new customers are going to be inclined to write to you more.

Examples of how to reply to Google reviews

Examples for a positive customer review

• Short answer for an online sales site

Dear [Customer Name],

Wow! We were thrilled to see your fantastic review on Google. Thank you so much for your kind words!

It's a real point of pride for us to hear that your online shopping experience was so fulfilling. Your satisfaction is our greatest reward, and your encouragement fuels our determination to continue providing the best in products and customer service.

Remember, we're always ready to help you find the perfect product for your next purchase. Enjoy your purchase, and we look forward to more shopping adventures with you soon!

[Name]

[Position]

[Company Name]

• Detailed response with offers for an online sales site

Dear [Customer Name],

Thank you so much for your positive feedback! We're thrilled to see that you had a great experience with our company. 

Your encouraging words not only reward us but also motivate us to continue providing (almost) perfect services. At [Company Name], our main goal is to ensure total customer satisfaction, and your positive comment confirms that we're on the right track.

We're excited to announce that new products have just arrived in our collections. You might enjoy our new line of eco-friendly clothing or our latest stainless-steel costume jewelry pieces, perfect for this summer.

If you like our services, please feel free to share your experience with your friends. We have a referral program where you and your friends will receive a 15% discount on your next order when your referred friend makes their first purchase!

To stay updated on our latest offers and new products, you can sign up for our newsletter and follow us on our social media platforms.

We want to thank you once again for your positive comment. Your satisfaction is our #1 priority, and we hope to continue meeting your expectations in the future!

If you have any other questions, comments, or need assistance with your next order, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [company email] or through our chatbot on the website.

See you soon at [brand site]!

[First & Last Name]

Customer Care Manager

[Company Name]

Examples for a negative customer review

• Short response following a negative review

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience with our site did not meet your expectations. We take our customer reviews seriously and are committed to continually improving our services. We would like to learn more about your experience to address this issue. Please contact us at customerservice@oursite.com so we can assist you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Site Manager

• Detailed response following a negative review

Dear [Customer Name],

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We deeply regret that your experience with our service did not meet your expectations. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we are truly sorry that we failed to meet your needs.

Regarding your issue with [problem detail], we completely understand your frustration and want to assure you that this does not reflect the quality of service we strive to provide. We have already started a thorough review of what went wrong, and we take your feedback very seriously.

Please know that we have escalated your concern to the teams responsible for these services. They will work swiftly on this issue to prevent it from happening again. This includes [mention specific measures, e.g., additional training for our team, updating our policies, improving our logistics, etc.].

We would like to offer you [offer details, e.g., a full refund for your purchase, a discount voucher for your next purchase, a free product, etc.]. We hope this will make up for some of the inconvenience you have experienced.

Furthermore, to better meet your needs and expectations, we have a wide variety of products [mention relevant examples for the customer, e.g., if the customer was unhappy with a specific product, mention other similar products that might suit them].

We sincerely hope you will give us another chance to show you the true level of quality we can provide. If you have any other concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at [email address] or [phone number].

Once again, we offer our sincerest apologies and thank you for your understanding. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

Examples of good ChatGPT prompts for responding to Google reviews

If you want to use artificial intelligence to respond to a Google review, here are some example prompts:

• I'm the manager of an ecommerce website called [Brand]. I need a formal and straightforward response to the following customer review received on Google: [paste customer comment].
• I would like to respond to this review in a cheerful manner by adding a 20% promotional code as a gift to make amends with this dissatisfied customer: [paste customer comment].
• Respond in a cheerful and humorous way to this negative review written by a dissatisfied customer following a purchase on my online store [Brand]: [paste customer comment].

Don't hesitate to adapt the style of response to ecommerce reviews by indicating the tone you want to bring to your response (humorous, professional, supportive, familiar, etc.).

Turn both good and bad reviews into opportunities with a reply

As you can see, responding to Google reviews offers a unique opportunity to enhance customer support and showcase your commitment to service excellence.

Whether addressing a one-star rating or celebrating a five-star review, the content of your response matters greatly. It's essential to add a personal touch to your reply and provide specific examples that reflect your business values and customer care ethos. 

Remember, every review is a chance to hear directly from your customers and adapt your services to better meet their needs. Crafting thoughtful responses not only demonstrates your attentiveness and serves as a direct link to your audience but also encourages others to engage positively with your business!