Guide

How to respond to your business's Google reviews

Replying to Google reviews is one of the most worthwhile jobs for a local business: every reply is read by the customer who wrote the review and by everyone who is deciding whether to visit you.

This guide gives you a simple way to reply to any review, the most common mistakes and examples you can adapt.

Why it pays to reply to every review

A listing with replies shows there is someone on the other side who listens. People reading your reviews do not only look at the average rating: they look at how you react when things go well and, above all, when they go wrong.

Replying also makes you read what your customers say on a regular basis, and that is usually where the best clues for improving are.

The structure of a good reply

Say thank you, using the customer's name if they have made it visible.
Mention something specific from their review (the dish, the service, the room). It shows the reply was not copied and pasted.
If there is a complaint, acknowledge it without excuses and explain what you are going to do or how they can contact you.
Close by inviting them back and sign with the real name of someone on the team.
Keep it short: two to four sentences are enough in most cases.

How quickly to reply

The sooner the better: a reply within a day or two shows you are paying attention. What matters is consistency; replying every week is better than doing it all at once every few months.

If you get a lot of reviews, set aside a fixed moment (for example, every morning when you open) and work from drafts so you do not start each reply from scratch.

Example replies

“Spectacular food, and the waiter recommended a wonderful wine. We'll be back.”

Example replyThank you so much for your review! We're glad the wine was a good choice; we'll let the front-of-house team know. Hope to see you again soon. — Marta

“Lovely place and good food, but the portions seemed small for the price.”

Example replyThank you for telling us about your visit. We've taken note of the portions: we're reviewing them with the kitchen. We're glad you liked the place and the food. — Marta

“I booked for 6 and when we arrived there was no table. Nobody offered us a solution.”

Example replyYou are absolutely right and we are sorry: not having your table and not offering you a solution is not acceptable. Write to us at hello@yourbusiness.com and we'll talk it through and make it up to you. — Marta

Common mistakes

Copying and pasting the same reply on every review.
Arguing in public or contradicting the customer point by point.
Giving the customer's personal details or details of their visit that they did not mention.
Replying only to negative reviews (or only to positive ones).
Promising something that then does not happen.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reply to a Google review from my phone?

Yes, from the Google Maps app or from your Business Profile in Search, as long as you are an owner or manager of the listing. With Repoo you can also review and publish from your phone.

Can I edit a reply once it is published?

Yes. Google lets you edit or delete your replies at any time from your Business Profile.