How to Respond to Bad Reviews on Google (Without Making It Worse)
Getting a bad review stings.
It feels personal. It feels unfair. And your first instinct might be to fire back with a sharp response or explain your side of the story in detail.
But here’s the thing: how you reply to a bad review matters more than the review itself.
Handled well, a negative review can actually build trust with potential customers. Handled badly, it can make things worse.
So, how do you respond without adding fuel to the fire?
1. Take a Breath Before You Reply
Don’t respond in the heat of the moment.
A defensive or emotional reply can turn one unhappy customer into a public argument for everyone to see.
Instead:
Wait a little while before replying.
Read the review carefully to understand the real issue.
Decide what outcome you want (a resolution, to clarify, or just to show you care).
2. Keep It Professional (Even If They’re Being Rude)
Remember: your reply isn’t just for the reviewer, it’s for everyone else reading it.
A calm, polite, and professional tone shows that you’re reasonable and care about your customers.
A good framework:
Thank them for their feedback.
Acknowledge their experience.
Offer to continue the conversation privately.
Example:
"Hi [Name], we’re sorry to hear about your experience. This isn’t the level of service we aim for. Please get in touch at [email] so we can put this right".
3. Don’t Argue or Get Into Details Publicly
It’s tempting to explain your side or point out that the reviewer was wrong, but doing that publicly rarely ends well.
If you need to clarify something, keep it short and avoid sounding defensive.
Instead:
"We’d like to understand more about what happened and resolve this for you. Please reach out to us directly."
4. Offer a Path to Fix Things
Even if you can’t fully fix the situation, showing that you’re willing to try makes a big difference.
This could mean:
Offering to redo the service.
Giving them a direct contact for future concerns.
Simply listening and acknowledging their frustration.
Sometimes, unhappy customers will even update or remove their bad review if you handle things well.
5. Learn From It
Negative Google reviews can be painful, but they can also highlight genuine issues you may not have noticed.
Ask yourself:
Is this a one-off, or does it point to a pattern?
Is there something you can improve?
Even the worst review can be an opportunity to make your business stronger.
To Summarise
Bad reviews aren’t the end of the world; they’re an inevitable part of running a business.
Responding with calmness, professionalism, and a genuine desire to help turns a negative into a positive.
Handled well, you won’t just protect your reputation - you’ll build it.
Need help managing your online reputation?
At SO SEO, we help local businesses show up better on Google and look good doing it.
Get in touch today for simple, jargon-free SEO that works.
Should I reply to every bad review?
Responding shows potential customers you care, even if the reviewer doesn’t come back.
Can I ask someone to remove their bad review?
You can’t make them, but if you resolve their issue, they may choose to update or remove it.
Should I reply privately instead?
Use a public response first, then move the conversation to private messages to resolve the issue.
What if the review is fake?
You can report fake reviews to Google, but still reply politely for the sake of anyone reading.
