Write a review reply

Negative review response template

Hi {first name}, thank you for taking the time to tell us about {the specific problem, in a few words}.

We're sorry your {visit / order / experience} went this way. It's not what we want for anyone who {comes in / works with us / uses {product}}.

We'd like to hear more and look into it. Please contact us at {email or phone} and ask for {name}.

{Your name}, {business}

Review reply examples

How to respond to reviews: what makes a good review reply

• Write for the next customer, not just this one

  A review reply is read by everyone who looks you up later. They're checking whether you listen and stay calm. A short, specific reply does more for your rating than a long defense.

• Name one specific detail

  Mentioning the cold fries, the loud AC or Mike's same-day visit proves a person read the review. Keep it to a few words. Repeating the whole complaint back makes it louder.

• Apologize for the experience, not the facts

  “We're sorry your visit went this way” is sincere and safe. “We gave you food poisoning” admits something you haven't checked. Never admit fault or liability in public, and never argue.

• Take problems offline with a real contact

  Give a named person and an email or phone number. The reader sees you tried to help, and the details, like refunds, order numbers and account info, stay out of public view.

• Keep positive review responses short and specific

  Thank them, name the thing they liked, and invite them back. No discount codes, no upsell and no copy-pasted “Thanks for the 5 stars” on every review.

• Reply soon, and reply to all of them

  Aim for a day or two, while the customer still cares. A reply a month later reads like damage control, not care.

You manage a business's online reviews. Write the public reply to the review below. Review type: {review type — negative review | positive review | mixed review}. If the review clearly reads otherwise, go by the review.

Rules:
- Reply as the business ("we"). Use the reviewer's first name if it's shown; otherwise open without a name.
- Mention one specific detail from the review in a few words, so it can't be mistaken for a template. Don't repeat the whole review back, and don't mention the star rating.
- Negative: thank them, acknowledge the main problem, and say you're sorry about their experience. Don't argue, make excuses, dispute their account or admit fault or legal liability. Invite them to continue privately: "Please contact us at {contact}".
- Positive: thank them, name the specific thing they liked, and invite them back. No discounts, no upsell.
- Mixed: thank them for the praise, then acknowledge the problem in one sentence and offer {contact}.
- Never invent facts: what happened, refunds, fixes, staff actions or policies. Only mention a fix if the text says it happened. Use {placeholders} for anything missing.
- Never share customer details, order numbers or account information in public.
- 35–80 words. Plain and warm, like a real owner wrote it. No "We value your feedback", no "We strive to", no "sorry for any inconvenience", no "make this right", no exclamation marks, no em dashes.
- Sign off with the business name if given, otherwise "{your name}, {business}".

Return only the reply. No other text.

Replace {contact} in the snippet with your real support email or phone once, and every reply is ready to post.

Use it where you work

• In Google Business Profile and Yelp

  Paste the review into the reply box, select it, and press your shortcut. The review turns into your reply in place. Fill in anything in braces, read it once, and post.

• In App Store Connect

  Work through new App Store reviews in one sitting. Each reply names the reviewer's actual issue and points them to your support email.

• In your helpdesk

  When Trustpilot or review alerts land in Zendesk, Help Scout or Front, draft the public reply right there before you follow up privately.

• Complaint response

  Paste a complaint email, form message or letter, plus your notes. You get a reply that owns the problem, fixes it and says what happens next.

• Apology email to customer

  Paste your notes: what went wrong, who it affected and what you're doing about it. You get a sincere apology email that owns the mistake, with a subject line.

• Empathy statements

  Paste a blunt or defensive support reply and get the same answer with specific, human empathy statements in front of it. The facts and the fix stay exactly as they were.