How to reply to Google reviews: the method and 14 example replies

Why reply to every review

The next customers read it

A review and its reply are read together. The reply speaks less to its author than to everyone choosing after them.

An unanswered bad review has the last word

Without a reply, the criticism stands alone. With a calm reply, the reader sees a venue that listens.

Google asks you to

Google lists replying to reviews among the ways to look after your listing, and says it shows customers you value them.

The five rules of a good reply

Reply to all of them, the bad ones first, within a few days. A bad review left without a reply for weeks is read by every customer of those weeks.
Name what the customer said. One precise detail (the guide, the wait, the café) proves somebody read the review. A reply that could sit under any review convinces nobody.
Thank them, even for criticism. They took the time to write; the thanks costs nothing and sets the tone.
Promise nothing that has not been decided. Say what was done (passed on, checked, corrected), not what might be done one day.
Keep disputes out of public view. No argument, no booking details, no refund discussed on Google: an email address for the rest.

And two habits: reply in the language of the review, and sign with a first name or “the team”.

14 example replies, situation by situation

Adapt them, never paste them as they are: a reply works because it names what this customer wrote. The reviews and replies are examples written for this page.

Good reviews

★★★★★ A detailed five-star review

The review: “Wonderful afternoon! The guided tour was fascinating and our guide answered all the children's questions. We will come back for the night visit.”
The reply: “Thank you for this lovely review! We are delighted the guided tour won the children over, and we will pass your words on to our guide. See you for the night visit!”
Why it works: It picks up two details (the tour, the children) and the reason to come back. Three sentences are enough.

★★★★★ Five stars, no text

The review: (Five stars, not a word.)
The reply: “Thank you for your five stars! We are glad you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon.”
Why it works: Short, but not nothing: future customers see a venue that answers everyone, not only those who complain.

★★★★★ A review that names an employee

The review: “A big thank you to Léa at the reception, who found my daughter's lost cuddly toy!”
The reply: “Thank you so much for your message! Léa will be delighted to read it, and we are very glad the cuddly toy found its owner again. See you soon!”
Why it works: Praise for a person is passed on by name, in public: it costs nothing and the whole team reads it.

★★★★☆ Four stars, with a reservation

The review: “Great place, very clean, friendly staff. Only regret: the café closes far too early.”
The reply: “Thank you for your review and for your kind words about the team! Your remark about the café's closing time has been passed on to the person who sets its hours.”
Why it works: It thanks for the praise and takes the reservation seriously, without promising a change nobody has decided.

Mixed and bad reviews

★★★☆☆ Three stars, the good and the bad

The review: “The exhibition is superb but the queue at the entrance was endless and the toilets were dirty.”
The reply: “Thank you for your honest review. We are glad the exhibition was worth it, and sorry about the wait and the state of the toilets that day: neither is what we want for our visitors. Your remarks have been passed on to the reception team and to the team in charge of cleaning.”
Why it works: Every point the customer raised gets an answer, the good one first. For the readers who come next, a mixed review is decided by its reply.

★☆☆☆☆ One star: a long wait

The review: “45 minutes in the queue in the sun with no information. Unacceptable.”
The reply: “You are right, and we apologise: 45 minutes in the sun with no information is not acceptable. Your review has been passed on to the reception manager. If you would like to tell us more about your visit, write to us at [your email address].”
Why it works: It acknowledges the facts without excuses, says who received the remark and offers a private channel for the rest.

★★☆☆☆ Two stars: an employee criticised

The review: “The young man at the till was unpleasant and barely looked at us.”
The reply: “Thank you for telling us. This is not the welcome we want to give, and the team on duty that day has been told. We hope to welcome you better next time.”
Why it works: No name, no public sanction, no defence of the employee in front of everyone: what happens with the team is dealt with in private.

★☆☆☆☆ One star: too expensive

The review: “18 euros per adult for a one-hour visit, it's a rip-off.”
The reply: “Thank you for your review. We understand that the price matters, and we want the visit to be worth it. The ticket is valid all day and includes the temporary exhibition: we would be glad to welcome you back to make the most of it.”
Why it works: It explains what the price includes without arguing, with facts that must be true for your venue.

★☆☆☆☆ One star, no text

The review: (One star, not a word.)
The reply: “We are sorry your visit did not live up to your expectations. If you would like to tell us what went wrong, we would be glad to hear from you at [your email address].”
Why it works: Without text, there is nothing to answer point by point: open the door to a private conversation, and stop there.

★★☆☆☆ A refund demand

The review: “Half the rides were closed and nobody warned us. I want a refund.”
The reply: “We are sorry about the closed rides and that you were not told before buying your tickets. So that we can look at your request, please write to us at [your email address] with your booking reference.”
Why it works: A refund is never negotiated in public: no amount, no booking details on Google. The reply moves the discussion to a private channel.

Difficult reviews

★☆☆☆☆ A review with the facts wrong

The review: “Closed at 4 pm on a Saturday even though Google says 6 pm!”
The reply: “We are sorry for the wasted trip. We do close at 6 pm on Saturdays; that day, the site closed early because of a storm warning, announced on our website and at the entrance. We should also have changed our hours on Google that day: we will from now on.”
Why it works: It corrects the facts calmly, explains, and admits what really went wrong. The next reader sees the venue's version, without a fight.

★☆☆☆☆ A review that is not from a customer

The review: “Avoid at all costs, worst place in the region.” (No booking, no visit matches.)
The reply: “We cannot find any trace of your visit and would like to understand what happened. Please write to us at [your email address] so we can look into it.”
Why it works: Never accuse anyone in public. Reply short and neutral, then report the review to Google if it breaks its rules (see below).

★☆☆☆☆ An insulting review

The review: (Insults aimed at the staff.)
The reply: “We read every comment, but we will not let our team be insulted. If something went wrong during your visit, we are ready to talk about it at [your email address].”
Why it works: Firm, polite, short. Then report it: Google removes reviews with insults or harassment.

★★★★☆ A review in Spanish

The review: “Visita muy agradable, aunque las explicaciones solo estaban en francés.”
The reply: “¡Muchas gracias por su visita y por su comentario! Tiene razón: hemos transmitido al equipo su sugerencia sobre las explicaciones en otros idiomas. Esperamos volver a recibirle pronto.”
Why it works: A reply in the customer's language is read by every visitor who speaks it. Write it in that language, and check it with a translation if you need to.

Example replies for your sector

A theme park, a campsite and a restaurant do not receive the same reviews. Each of these pages gathers replies to the reviews its sector receives most.

What never to write

The same reply under every review: customers notice, and so does the reader scrolling through them.
“We apologise for the inconvenience” and nothing else: it says that nobody read the review.
A justification that turns into an argument: the customer is not the only one reading, and readers take their side.
The customer's details: their booking, their order, their full name.
An offer in exchange for changing or removing the review: Google forbids it.

A fake or abusive review: report it

Google removes reviews that break its rules: fake reviews, spam, conflicts of interest (a competitor, a former employee), insults, harassment, personal information. It does not remove a review because it is negative, or because you disagree with it.

In your Google Business Profile, open the list of reviews.
On the review, choose “Report review”, then the reason that fits.
Reply anyway, short and neutral: the review stays visible while Google examines it.

Your replies, written for you

Paste your reviews into the free generator, one or several at once, or have the free audit write the replies to every review of yours still unanswered.

Write a reply Get my free audit

And to get more reviews: your review link and QR code, free

Frequently Asked Questions

Does replying to reviews improve my Google ranking?

Google lists replying to reviews among the ways to look after your listing, without saying what weight it has in the ranking. Its weight with the customers reading is certain: they see a venue that answers.

Can I delete a bad review?

No: only its author can. You can report it to Google if it breaks its rules (fake review, insults, conflict of interest), and reply to it in any case.

Should I reply to old reviews?

Start with those of the last few months, which are still read. A reply to a review several years old is rarely seen.

Can I change a reply once published?

Yes. In your Google Business Profile, a reply can be edited or deleted at any time.

How long should a reply be?

Two to four sentences. Long enough to name what the customer said, short enough to be read to the end.