Mastering Negative Review Responses
Negative reviews happen to every business. How you respond can turn critics into advocates and show potential customers your professionalism.
The Golden Rules
- Respond within 24 hours—speed shows you care
- Stay professional—never get defensive or personal
- Take it offline—provide contact info for resolution
- Thank the reviewer—even for criticism
- Address specifics—show you actually read their feedback
Template 1: Service Issue
Hi [Name],
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're genuinely sorry that our service didn't meet your expectations.
Your feedback about [specific issue] is important to us, and we'd like to make this right. Please reach out to [Name] at [email/phone] so we can discuss how to resolve this for you.
We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to improve.
— [Your Name], [Title]
Template 2: Misunderstanding/Confusion
Hi [Name],
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry for any confusion regarding [issue].
To clarify, [brief explanation]. We'd love the chance to discuss this further and ensure we've addressed your concerns. Please contact us at [phone/email] at your convenience.
We value your business and hope to serve you better in the future.
— [Your Name], [Title]
Template 3: Valid Criticism (You Made a Mistake)
Hi [Name],
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and please accept our sincere apology for [specific issue].
You're right—we should have [what you should have done]. We've already taken steps to ensure this doesn't happen again, including [brief action taken].
We'd like to make this right for you personally. Please contact [Name] at [email/phone] so we can discuss next steps.
We appreciate your patience and the opportunity to learn from this.
— [Your Name], [Title]
What NOT to Do
- ❌ Copy-paste the exact same response to every review
- ❌ Argue or get defensive
- ❌ Blame the customer
- ❌ Ignore the review
- ❌ Offer incentives for review removal (against terms of service)
Turn Negatives Into Positives
When you resolve a complaint successfully, politely ask if the customer would consider updating their review. Many will—and an updated review showing great resolution is incredibly powerful social proof.
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