To respond to a Google review, open your verified Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Reply. Write two to four sentences with four parts: the reviewer’s name, the job you did for them, an answer to the one point they raised, and your first name. Under a bad review, own what was really your fault, correct one fact calmly, and ask them to phone or email you. Never offer anything in return for a changed review, and never reply to an extortion burst.
The rest of this post is the wording. Every template below has blanks in square brackets, because a reply only works when it names the real customer and the real job. Copy the shape, not the words.
The four parts of a good reply
My rule is the same four parts in every reply, whatever the rating:
- Their name. Google’s own tips page asks you to address the reviewer by name and acknowledge their specific feedback.
- The job. Not “your recent service”, but “the panel upgrade” or “the furnace that quit on the Sunday”. This is the line that tells a stranger scrolling the profile that a person wrote it.
- The point they raised. One sentence that answers the thing they actually said, good or bad. If they praised the tidy cleanup, say who did it. If they complained about the wait, say what caused it.
- Your first name. Google posts the reply under the business name and does not show your personal name, so the sign-off is the only place the reader learns who answered.
That is the whole formula. Four lines, under a minute to write once you have done a few. Google’s tips page on writing better review replies puts the length rule plainly: keep it short and simple, because people might stop reading a long reply before they reach the main point.
Use the service the customer picked
When someone reviews a service business, Google may ask them to choose the specific service they received, from your own list of services or from common job types for your category. If they write a review, that selection shows on it. So a review might already carry a label like “Water heater installation” or “Roof repair” before you read a word of it. Use that label in the reply. It saves you looking up the job, and it keeps your wording matched to the service the customer named rather than the one you would have guessed.
What happens after you press Reply
These four points come from Google’s Business Profile help page on reading and replying to reviews. They answer most of the “did my reply work?” questions:
- Google checks the reply before it goes up. Replies usually take up to 10 minutes to review, but sometimes up to 30 days. If a reply is not approved, Google asks you to edit it.
- It appears as the business. The reply sits under the customer’s review, with your business name on it.
- The customer is notified. The person who wrote the review gets a notice when you reply.
- They can still change the review. If they do, the review’s date changes to the day of the latest update.
That last point is why the reply to a bad review deserves more care than the reply to a good one. The unhappy customer will read what you wrote, and Google’s tips page says a constructive reply and follow-up may even encourage them to update their review. A defensive reply closes that door.
Google review response templates for each kind of review
| The review | What the reply does | Sentences |
|---|---|---|
| Five stars with detail | Names the job, adds one useful detail | 2 to 3 |
| Stars only, no text | Thanks them, signs off | 1 |
| Four stars with one small complaint | Thanks them, answers the complaint | 2 to 3 |
| A fair complaint | Apologises for the real failure, says what changed, offers contact | 3 to 4 |
| A complaint with the facts wrong | Corrects one fact without accusing, owns any real miss, offers contact | 3 to 4 |
| No record of this customer | Says so politely, invites contact, then report it | 2 |
| A sudden run of one-stars and a demand for money | No reply. Report it | 0 |
Replying to positive Google reviews
Google’s tips page makes a point worth taking literally: instead of sending the same “thank you” to everyone, focus on the reviews where you can share a helpful update or answer a question. A five star review with detail is the best place for that.
Template: five stars, with detail
Thanks, [name]. Glad the [job, e.g. new sump pump] was sorted before [the thing they were worried about, e.g. the spring melt]. [One useful detail, e.g. “The test button is on the side of the unit if you ever want to check it.”] [Your first name]
The third line is the one that earns its place. A plumber in Collingwood, an electrician in Wasaga Beach and a roofer in Thornbury each have a line like that for every common job. Write it once per job type and reuse it.
Template: stars only, no text
Thank you for the five stars, [name]. [Your first name]
One line is right here. There is nothing to answer, and a paragraph under a blank review reads as filler.
How to respond to a negative Google review
Google’s tips for negative replies are short: protect the reviewer’s privacy, avoid personal attacks, acknowledge mistakes you made, do not take responsibility for things outside your control, apologise where it fits, use their name, and reply promptly. If the situation is complicated, Google suggests politely asking the reviewer to contact you by phone or email. The templates below follow those rules.
Template: a fair complaint
[Name], you are right, and I am sorry. [The failure in plain words, e.g. “The crew should have laid floor protection and cleaned the hallway before leaving, and your message should have been returned.”] [What you changed, only if you actually changed it.] I would like to hear the rest and make it right. Please reach me at [phone or email]. [Your first name]
Leave out the excuse. The reader comparing three electricians on a phone in Blue Mountain does not care that the crew was short that week. And never write a “what we changed” line you have not done. The reviewer may come back to check.
Template: a complaint with the facts wrong
Hi [name], I am sorry the [bill, delay, result] came as a surprise. [The one fact, stated neutrally, e.g. “Our quote said damaged roof decking would be priced separately once the old shingles were off, and we found soft sheathing on the back slope.”] [The part that was your fault, if any, e.g. “We should have called you from the roof before replacing it.”] I would be glad to go through it with you at [phone or email]. [Your first name]
Correct one fact, not five. A reply that argues every line looks like a fight, and the stranger reading it sides with the customer. If part of the complaint is fair, say so in the same reply. Google’s example for this is a business that has to cancel because of bad weather: explain what you can and cannot control, without taking the blame for the weather. A roofer or landscaper who has to move a job for wind or rain can use the same shape.
What never goes in a response to a negative review
- Anything in exchange for changing the review. Google treats incentives to post, change or remove a review as fake and misleading content, and says it is strictly prohibited. “We will refund the service call if you update your review” is that trade. Fix the problem, and leave the review to the customer.
- Their private details. No address, no invoice amount, no history. Google’s first rule for negative replies is to never share a reviewer’s private information.
- A promotion. Google asks for replies that are conversational, not promotional, and specifically says to avoid offering deals in a reply.
- A second round. One reply. If they answer back, move it to the phone.
Template: someone who was never a customer
Hi [name], we cannot find a job under this name. If we did work for you, please reach us at [phone or email] so we can look into it. [Your first name]
Then report the review. Our guide to getting a fake Google review taken down covers what Google removes and what evidence helps. The reply stays up in the meantime, so anyone reading sees the business answered.
When not to reply at all: an extortion burst
Some reviews should get no reply. Google’s page on negative review extortion scams describes the pattern: a sudden increase in 1-star and 2-star reviews, then someone demanding money, goods or services to remove them. Google’s instruction is not to engage and not to pay. Take screenshots of every message showing the date, time and sender, copy a direct link to each review, and file the merchant extortion report form linked from that page.
Speed, and who owns the job
Reply to every review within 24 hours, positive or negative. That is the standing advice across this blog, and the ranking reasons for it are covered in our Map Pack tactics for Georgian Bay businesses, so I will not repeat them here.
The writing is the quick part: the four-part pattern takes a minute once you have done a few. The part that needs a decision is who replies. My advice:
- Give one person manager access to the profile, rather than sharing the owner’s Google login.
- Put the replies on a fixed day, twice a week, so the 24-hour target is a habit instead of a memory test.
- Keep the templates above in a note on that person’s phone, one per row of the table, with your job-type detail lines added.
Should a reply include keywords like the town and the trade?
Only where a real person would say them. “Glad the furnace is running again before the cold” is a sentence. “Thanks for choosing us for furnace repair Collingwood” is a keyword pasted into a thank you, and it cuts against Google’s own advice to be conversational. I have not measured a ranking effect from the wording of a reply, so I would not write for one.
Where replies fit, and where we come in
Replies are the half of reviews you can do yourself in an evening. The other half is volume, and it matters here: the median Collingwood service business holds just 15 reviews, according to our study of Collingwood review counts. On a profile that short, each reply is a large share of what a new customer reads.
If you want both halves handled, look at our Google review management for trades, the Review Engine. Every finished job triggers the review ask, and it includes reply templates for every new review, at $149 a month with no contract. If reviews are one item on a longer list, start with our Collingwood SEO playbook for service businesses, which puts reviews in order with the profile, citations and site work.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to reply to every Google review?
No rule forces you to, but Google’s tips page says replies show customers their feedback matters, and a profile with no replies looks unattended. A one-line thanks with your first name is enough under a star-only review. Save the longer replies for the reviews where you have something to add.
Can I edit or delete a reply after it is posted?
Yes. Go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, and select Edit under your reply. Delete is in the same place.
My reply never showed up. What happened?
Google checks replies against its content policies before they post. Most clear within 10 minutes, but some take up to 30 days, and a reply that is not approved comes back for you to edit. Check that you replied from the verified Business Profile and not from a personal Google account.
Should I use the same reply for every review?
No. Google advises against sending the same “thank you” to everyone, and a page of identical replies reads as automated. Keep a template per review type and change at least the name and the job every time.
Should I reply to an old negative review?
If it still shows near the top of your reviews, yes. Keep it short: acknowledge it, say what has changed since if something has, and give a way to reach you. The reviewer is notified of your reply, and Google says a constructive reply may even encourage a customer to update their review.
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