20 Google review response examples to steal (for good, bad, and average reviews)

If you’re a business owner or marketing manager, you know that online reviews can make or break your reputation. And when it comes to reviews, Google is one of the most impactful sites there is. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to reply to Google reviews like a pro. Whether they’re good, bad, or average, you need to know how to handle them. But it’s not always easy to know what to write. To help you out, we’ve put together 20 great Google review response examples. So take a look, get inspired, and start using them to reply to your business reviews.

Note: Even with great examples to hand, replying to all your reviews can be time-consuming. To help you reply to reviews 3x faster, we launched AI Reply Assistant. See how you can generate personalised, unique review responses in just one click.

Writing a good response to a Google review can be tricky – how do you make your customer feel heard and respected, while also showing that you took their feedback seriously? A good response strikes the perfect balance between authenticity, diplomacy, and respect. To do this, you should keep these five best practices in mind when replying to your customer reviews.

Responding to reviews in a timely manner is an important part of developing a strong relationship with your customers. In fact, 52% of customers expect a reply within 7 days of leaving an online review.

When customers take the time to leave feedback, they want to know that their opinion matters and that you care about what they have to say. By responding in a timely fashion, you show them that you respect their voice, their opinions, and value the time they took out of their day to provide feedback.

Plus, having quick reactions can remind potential customers that great customer service isn’t just something you talk about – it’s actionable and something your business stands by. Being proactive about reviews also helps you understand customer wants or needs so that your business can continue to improve. All in all, being timely when replying to Google reviews is essential for creating lasting relationships with your customers while building trust and credibility.

Personalising replies to your business’s Google reviews is a great way of demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction and building customer loyalty. With personalised responses, you can address every review in an individual manner, making sure customers receive tailored replies catered to their particular experience with your business.

Adding a personal touch doesn’t have to be time-consuming. It can be as simple as using the customer’s name and pinpointing specific things they mentioned in their review. It shows that you’re not just wheeling out a standard stock response, but have taken the time to really acknowledge their feedback and craft a thoughtful reply. This leaves a lasting impact on your customers, and also makes a great first impression for people encountering your business for the first time.

Being authentic in replies to customer reviews can make all the difference for your business. When customers leave reviews, it’s because they’re taking their time to interact with your business. So showing appreciation for that feedback and expressing genuine sincerity is paramount.

If a customer can tell that you’re truly listening to their opinion, then it can encourage them to keep interacting with your business and maybe become a repeat customer. Responding thoughtfully and honestly will also put you miles ahead of the competition. After all, customers appreciate feeling like more than just another purchase – so give them something truly valuable: authenticity.

Acknowledging customers’ opinions when replying to Google reviews is an essential part of providing good service. By acknowledging the customer’s opinion, you show them that their voice and experiences are valued. This encourages customers to leave more reviews, builds trust with potential customers, and may even help increase your ratings on Google.

Acknowledging what your customer says is even more important when it comes to negative reviews. No one wants to hear negative feedback about their business, but if you ignore the bad parts of a review you can give the impression you’re simply sweeping it under the rug. By showing you take notice of the not-so-great stuff (and proposing a solution, but more on that later), you’ll do wonders for your online reputation and maybe even win back some unhappy customers.

Courtesy is essential when responding to Google reviews, since it reflects the personality and culture of your business. Kindness can go a long way when managing customer relationships – especially online ones. Reviews often contain negative comments, but taking the time to show customers your appreciation for their feedback – even if that feedback has been critical – will make all the difference.

Demonstrating respect and courtesy in all interactions makes customers feel valued and cared for, which encourages them to spread good vibes about their experience at your business, creating more positive reviews in the future. Being polite and patient sets a professional tone that goes beyond just Google reviews; it has a subtle but powerful impact on how customers view you as a business.

Now we’ve covered what makes a good review response, it’s time to dig into some specific examples that you can use for your own reviews. Let’s start off on a good note and see how you can reply to positive feedback.

This example is great for when a customer leaves a 5-star review, but doesn’t necessarily give you a lot of information to work with. Remember that even if it only took a couple of minutes, every review requires your customers to take time out of their busy day. Showing your gratitude for that (particularly if it’s a great review) is an essential ingredient of any review response.

Repeating what specifically contributed to your customer’s good experience plays two roles here. First, you’re showing them that you took the time to fully read their review and didn’t just skim through it. Second, you’re reiterating these positive parts of your business to any potential customers who might be reading, reaffirming that your business is the one they should choose.

Of course, customers always know that they’re welcome to use your business again, but a reminder helps them to feel even more valued (and might increase the chance of them actually coming back).

Simple, but effective. Using your customer’s name makes the online exchange feel that little bit more personal and helps build a human connection. Plus, it’s another indication that you’ve actually read their review and listened to what the customer has to say.

Giving an update does two things. First, it shows the customer (and anyone else reading) that you are always working to improve your offering. Second, it gives the customer a great incentive to come back again. They obviously enjoyed the spa the first time around, and next time they can experience a new treatment that wasn’t available before. A win-win.

Including your company values in your review replies helps to build your brand reputation, while also providing key information to would-be customers checking you out online. Take the example above. If someone is looking for somewhere to stay with their dog, they no longer need to call or email and double-check. From this reply, it’s clear that dogs are not just tolerated at the hotel, but are welcomed with open arms.

Making reference to a real person impacted by the positive review serves as a good reminder that there are real people behind your business. Showing the impact a good comment can have on your staff might encourage others to leave their feedback too. It only takes your customer a couple of minutes, but can make someone’s entire day that little bit brighter.

No one wants to get bad reviews for their business, but the reality is that not everyone will have a positive experience with you. When that happens, it’s important to know how to reply. Here’s some inspiration for how you can reply.

A simple “sorry” can go a long way. Often, when people feel disappointed by a business, all they really want is for the company to recognise that it didn’t live up to their expectations. Whether you believe that’s the case or not, what’s important is how your customer feels about it.

There are actually two solutions offered in this response. The additional training to avoid having the same problem in the future, and a discount on a future stay to make up for the guest’s inconvenience. Offering a solution to your customer shows that you take their feedback seriously and aren’t just paying lip service to their concerns. This can have a great impact on customer retention, as it makes it more likely that even dissatisfied customers will give you another chance.

Inviting a personal conversation with the customer is another way of showing that you really care about the issue at hand. It demonstrates to the customer that you care about their experience and are willing to take the time to listen to their concerns and try to fix the problem. This can go a long way in building loyal customers, and is a way of going above and beyond (so much so that the customer might even tell their family and friends).

This works well in instances where the customer has left a bad review but not given you much information. If they get back to you, it allows you to address the customer’s concerns in a more personalised manner, so you can provide a tailored response that meets their specific needs. It could also provide valuable feedback that may help you to improve your products and services.

This response is a good option if the issue the customer raised isn’t an easy fix. It shows that you’re proactive in doing something about it, even if you’re not quite there yet. Including a specific action here is key, as it makes it clear that this is an ongoing process that will take some time to improve.

This is a good approach as it shows future customers reading the review that this bad experience was a one-off. In fact, you’re so confident in your service that you want the customer to come back and see for themselves. It’s a great response for when something happened that was completely out of your control, for example, bad weather that meant you were extremely understaffed or emergency repairs to essential facilities.

Sometimes bad reviews can be scathing, but you should always keep your cool and remain professional. No matter how rude the review might be, a negative response from you will only hurt your reputation.

Providing your name helps give a personal touch to review replies, and is especially important when responding to negative feedback. it demonstrates that you’re taking ownership of the situation, builds trust with the customer and allows them to feel more comfortable approaching you with future concerns.

Show customers you care by explaining how you’ll address their concerns and resolve the issue. Demonstrate your commitment to customer feedback and satisfaction, while showcasing that your business is open to making changes. This can help build a positive reputation and bring in new customers.

Average reviews can be the trickiest of all to respond to, since they often lack the specificity of positive or negative reviews. This can make it more difficult to identify and address any issues the customer may have had, or to provide a meaningful response. Here are some average Google review response examples to help you out.

Even if the review isn’t the most complimentary, it’s still important to acknowledge the time the person took to leave it. It’s an easy way to offer a more detailed response than a simple “thanks”, while also showing that you appreciate your customers.

Highlighting the more positive parts of an average review helps to emphasise them to any potential customers reading. As well as showing you actually read the review and didn’t just write a generic response, it can also help to divert attention away from the less impressive parts of their feedback.

Even though it’s good to start with the positive parts of a review, if the customer includes some negative feedback it’s important to acknowledge it. It can help you build trust with customers by showing that you are open to feedback and that you empathise with their frustrations.

Given the choice, most businesses would prefer a 5-star review over average feedback. Even when a review doesn’t quite match up to where you want to be, showing customers a willingness to provide an outstanding service goes a long way in growing your online reputation, attracting customers and getting the glowing feedback you deserve.

Struggling to keep up with replying to your reviews? You’re not alone. That’s why we created AI Reply Assistant – so you can quickly generate unique, personalised and meaningful responses in a fraction of the time it takes to write them from scratch. Rather than pump out generic replies, this smart AI-powered tool picks out specific topics and sentiments from each review to create thorough, human-like responses that your customers will love.

Allowing you to generate a reply in just one click, AI Reply Assistant takes the stress out of managing lots of customer reviews in one go, giving you time to focus on the important stuff. And don’t worry: you have complete control over every response before it’s sent, so you can make sure it perfectly matches your brand’s unique voice and tone.

The online reviews your business receives are a valuable asset, as they can help boost your reputation, help you get found online, and build trust with potential customers. It’s important to respond thoughtfully to both positive and negative feedback so that you maintain a good relationship with existing customers while also attracting new ones.

With the right response strategies in place, Google review responses can be an effective tool for improving customer experience and building brand loyalty. We hope that these Google review response examples have given you a solid starting point for creating great review responses of your own.

Next up, learn how to reply as efficiently as possible, so you can get back to doing what you do best. Head on over to our article, ‘5 time-saving strategies for responding to online reviews’ to find out how!