Key takeaways
- Reply to every review, good and bad. Keep it short, polite and specific to the job.
- To reply: Business Profile, Read reviews, then the Reply icon. Google checks replies before they show.
- With a bad review, don’t argue and don’t share private details. Say you’ll sort it and offer a phone call.
- You can’t delete a review yourself. You can report one that breaks Google’s rules, but not one you simply disagree with.
- Don’t offer deals or refunds in a public reply. Google asks businesses to avoid promotions there.
How to reply to a Google review
Open your Business Profile at business.google.com, choose Read reviews, then select the Reply icon next to the review. Write your reply and select Reply. Google checks every reply against its content policies before it appears.
Google says that review usually takes up to 10 minutes, but it can occasionally take up to 30 days. Approved replies show publicly under the review, as coming from your business. The customer is told you replied, and they can still change their review afterwards. That’s a good reason to reply calmly.
Replying to a good review
Keep it short and use their words. Thank them, mention the job and sign off. Say a customer writes: “Great work on our switchboard upgrade, tidy and on time.” A reply could be:
Thanks Sarah, glad the switchboard upgrade went smoothly. Appreciate you taking the time to write this. The Team
Don’t copy and paste the same reply on every review. It’s obvious, and it reads badly. A line about the actual job is enough.
Replying to a bad review
A bad review feels personal, especially when you run the business yourself. Cool off before you reply. Then write it for the people who’ll read it later, not for the angry customer. Anyone reading it is probably deciding whether to ring you.
- Thank them and say sorry that it wasn’t what they expected. You can be sorry without admitting everything they said.
- Stick to facts, briefly. If you turned up on the day you said, say so once, politely.
- Say what happens next and offer to talk by phone.
- Keep it short. Three or four sentences is plenty.
Here’s an example. Say a customer writes: “Turned up late and left a mess.”
Thanks for letting us know, and sorry about the late start and the mess. That isn’t how we want to leave a job. I’d like to hear more and put it right. Please call the office so we can sort it out.
What not to say in a public reply
- Don’t argue or get personal. You can win the argument and still lose the next customer.
- Don’t share their private details, like their address, what was wrong or what they paid. Replies are public.
- Don’t offer deals, refunds or discounts. Google asks businesses to avoid promotions or deals in replies. Sort that out by phone.
- Don’t offer a reward for changing a review. Google treats that as fake engagement.
- Don’t reply with a threat. It makes the review look more believable.
When you can report a review
You can’t delete a Google review yourself. You can report one, but Google only removes reviews that break its policies. It says not to report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it.
Google’s review policies rule out things like:
- reviews that aren’t based on a real experience, or are paid for
- reviews from competitors, or from your current or former staff, contractors or family
- comments that aren’t about the experience, such as rants or political comments
- reviews that include someone else’s personal details, or phone numbers and links
- harassment, hate speech, and unsupported allegations of criminal or unethical conduct
To report one, open Read reviews in your Business Profile, select the report icon next to the review, pick a reason and choose Send report. Google says assessing it typically takes several days. If it decides there’s no policy breach, you can make a one-time appeal through its Reviews Management Tool, for up to 10 reviews.
Whatever happens with the report, still reply. A calm answer next to an unfair review does a lot for you. If someone demands money to take a bad review down, Google has a separate way to report that.
If you want to change your reply
Go to Read reviews, then use the edit icon under your reply to change it, or the delete icon to remove it. You can do this any time.
And if you haven’t asked your customers for reviews yet, see our guide to getting your Google review link and QR code.
Questions people ask
Should I reply to every Google review?
We’d say yes. Replying to the good ones says thanks, and replying to the bad ones shows future customers how you handle a problem. Keep each one short.
Can I delete a bad Google review?
Not yourself. You can report it if it breaks Google’s policies. Google doesn’t remove a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it.
How long does a reply take to show up?
Google says review usually takes up to 10 minutes, but it can occasionally take up to 30 days.
Can I offer a refund in my reply?
Google asks businesses to avoid promotions or deals in replies, so keep the refund talk for a phone call or private message.
What if the reviewer wasn’t a customer?
Report it. Reviews that aren’t based on a real experience, or that come from competitors, are against Google’s policies. Reply briefly too, saying you can’t find a record of the job and asking them to get in touch.
Reviews are one part of being found locally. Our SEO for tradies guide covers the rest, and if you’d like us to look after it, have a look at our SEO services or ask for a free website check.