A customer review might be written for your business, but the person who left it isn’t the only one reading your response. Potential customers see those conversations too.
A thoughtful reply can show that your business is active and attentive, appreciates positive feedback, and handles problems professionally. Responding to reviews is an important part of managing your online reputation, whether the review is positive or negative.
Quick Answer: What Makes a Good Review Response?
When responding to customer reviews:
- Reply to both positive and negative feedback.
- Personalize your response when possible.
- Stay calm when a review is critical.
- Keep private information out of public replies.
- Move complicated situations to a private conversation.
- Look for patterns in the feedback you receive.
- Report reviews only when they appear to violate the platform’s policies.
Your responses don’t need to be lengthy paragraphs, either. A brief and genuine response is usually plenty.
DO Respond in a Timely Manner
Responding within a reasonable amount of time shows customers that someone is paying attention. Timely responses and replying to reviews (of all ratings) shows customers that you value their feedback.
You don’t have to stop everything the moment a notification comes in, but setting aside some time each week to respond to reviews can help your business be more engaged. For a negative review, taking a little time before responding can actually help. Read it, gather any relevant information, and make sure you’re responding to what happened instead of reacting to how the review made you feel.
DO Personalize Your Replies
A page full of identical “Thanks for your review!” responses can quickly start to feel automated. When possible, refer to something the customer actually mentioned. If they complimented a team member, service, meal, or part of their experience, acknowledge it. You can also use the reviewer’s first name when appropriate.
Personalizing your responses doesn’t need to get long; one specific detail is typically enough to show that someone actually read the review. If you use AI tools to help you draft responses, make sure you give the final version a human edit. The response should still come from you and sound like your business instead of having the same template under every review.
DO Thank Customers for Positive Feedback
Positive reviews deserve responses! Thank the customer for taking the time to share their experience and acknowledge what they enjoyed. If it feels natural to the nature of your business, you can also let them know you’d be happy to see them again.
DON’T Get Defensive About a Negative Review
A harsh review can feel very personal, especially when you’ve put years into building a business. Responding while you’re angry rarely improves the situation.
Address the concern calmly, correct factual misunderstandings when necessary, and apologize when an apology is appropriate. You don’t need to agree with every accusation or accept responsibility for something that was outside your control. For complicated disputes, invite the customer to continue the conversation by phone, email, or another private channel. Moving these sensitive situations offline is generally more productive than arguing publicly.
Remember that your response has two audiences: the unhappy customer and everyone who might read the exchange while researching your company.
DON’T Share Private Details to Prove Your Point
Sometimes a business owner knows information that changes the story behind a negative review. That doesn’t mean it belongs in a public response.
Avoid posting personal information, account details, appointment information, health information, or other private facts about a customer in an effort to defend the business. This is particularly important for businesses that handle sensitive client or patient information.
You can still say that you’d like to discuss the situation further and provide an appropriate way for the reviewer to contact you privately.
DON’T Try to Remove Every Negative Review
A negative review isn’t automatically eligible for removal.
If a review contains spam, prohibited content, harassment, or another clear policy violation, use the platform’s reporting process. On Google, businesses can flag reviews that violate its content policies, but Google states that a review should not be reported simply because the business disagrees with it or dislikes what it says.
For legitimate criticism, a professional public response is usually more useful than trying to make the review disappear.
DO Pay Attention to Patterns
One negative review may reflect one person’s experience, but several reviews mentioning the same problem might deserve a closer look.
Repeated complaints about slow communication, confusing pricing, missed appointments, cleanliness, or another part of the customer experience can reveal something worth addressing behind the scenes. Love them or hate them, reviews are a valuable form of customer feedback.
Treat Your Response as Part of the Customer Experience
You can’t control every review your business receives, but you can control how you respond.
Be appreciative when customers have something positive to say, professional when criticism arrives, and willing to move sensitive or complicated conversations out of public view. Keep responses personal enough without feeling like every review requires an essay.
Over time, thoughtful responses create a public record of how your business communicates with the people it serves. That can tell prospective customers a lot before they ever call, visit, or make an appointment.
This community resource is made possible through the generous support of local WhirLocal sponsors.