How to reply to Google reviews, with templates

Open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews, then Reply under the review, write a short, personal answer, and choose Reply again. Your profile must be verified first. Replies are public and the reviewer is told when you reply, so thank people by name, fix what went wrong, and never argue.

How to reply

1. Open your Business Profile and choose Read reviews.
2. Under the review, choose Reply.
3. Write your reply and choose Reply.

On a computer you can also reply in Google Maps: search for your business, scroll to Reviews, and choose Reply.

A few things Google says about replies (Google):

• You need a verified profile. "Before you can reply to reviews, you must verify your business." If yours isn't, see How to verify your Google Business Profile.
• Google checks replies first. Most show within 10 minutes, but a check can take up to 30 days.
• Replies are public and show your business's name, not yours.
• The reviewer is notified, and can change their review after reading your reply.
• You can edit or delete a reply any time from the same place.

What makes a good reply

Google's tips come down to a few rules (Google):

• Keep it short. Two or three sentences.
• Make it personal. Use their name and mention the job. Google warns against the same generic thank-you on every review.
• Reply promptly. A reply within a day or two shows you're paying attention.
• No promotions. Don't use replies for deals or discounts.
• For bad reviews, never share private details about the customer or make it personal.

Templates for good reviews

Thanks Jo. Glad the car's running smoothly again, and thanks for trusting us with the logbook service. See you next time.

Thanks Sam, we appreciate you taking the time. Hope the new hot water system keeps you in hot showers for years.

Thanks Priya. It was a tricky switchboard, so it's good to hear it all works. Call us any time.

Change the details each time. The specific bit, "the logbook service" or "the switchboard", is what makes a reply read as real.

Templates for bad reviews

Write the reply for the next customer reading it, not for the reviewer.

The job went wrong and it's your fault:

Sorry Alex, that's not the standard we aim for, and you're right that we should have called when we were running late. I've sent you a message so we can make it right.

You disagree with what they've said:

Thanks for the feedback, Chris. We quoted $380 before starting and the final invoice matched it, but we're sorry the job didn't feel like good value. Happy to talk it through: our number's on our profile.

You've no record of them:

Hi, we can't find a job under this name in our records. If we've done work for you, please get in touch so we can look into it.

If a review looks fake or breaks Google's rules, report it too. See Can you remove a Google review?.

What not to write

• No arguments. Even when you're right, a fight in public costs you more than the review did.
• No private details. Don't mention their address, what they paid, or their history with you beyond what they wrote.
• No blame on staff by name.
• No offers in exchange for changing the review.

Make replying part of the week

Set a time each week to reply to every new review. It keeps your profile looking looked-after, and Google lists replying to reviews among the ways to help your business stand out (Google).

More reviews make each bad one matter less. TapBook asks every customer for a review when you mark the job complete. See how it works.