It's 11 p.m. and the review is one star, two sentences: the crew left a mess and nobody called back. You remember the job: there was drywall dust on the stairs, and that part's fair. But the office did call, twice, and you've already typed three paragraphs saying so.
Don't post it. The reviewer gets a notice when you reply, and the next homeowner deciding whether to call you can read it.
Should you reply to a bad review at all?
Yes. Google's advice to owners is to reply and share their perspective. It says a mix of good and bad feedback often feels more trustworthy.[1]
A reply shows publicly under the review, as your business and not under your own name.[2] The reviewer is notified and can edit the review afterward.[2]
80% of consumers are more likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews; 89% expect owners to respond.
Source: BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey · (opens in a new tab)
So answer the good reviews too, briefly and in your own words. I'd still wait until morning. Google says a prompt reply shows you value the feedback,[1] and prompt can mean 8 a.m.
How do you respond to a negative Google review, and what do you leave out?
Four short parts: thank them, name the one fact you can stand behind, offer to fix it by phone, and sign your name. That shape is mine, but Google's tips agree: keep it short, acknowledge real mistakes, and move a complicated story to phone or email.[1]
Pull the job file before you write: dates, the call log, texts, photos. If the customer is half right, own that half and leave the rest for the call.
A reply from an electrical company in Columbus
- Thank: Hi Dana, thanks for letting us know.
- One fact: You're right about the dust on your stairs, and I'm sorry. We should have cleaned it before we left.
- Fix it offline: I'd like to make that right. Please call the office and ask for me, and we'll pick a time to come back.
- Sign: Mike, owner
Illustrative example
Leave these out:
- Private details. Google's tips say never to share a reviewer's private information.[1] I'd add the address, the price and the last name.
- Accusations and threats. The FTC's reviews rule bars a groundless legal threat, a physical threat or intimidation aimed at stopping a review or getting it removed.[3] The same goes for a public accusation you know is false or make with reckless disregard for whether it's true.[3]
- Offers of money or free work. Google calls free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a new, changed or removed review strictly prohibited.[1] The FTC says paying to change or remove a truthful negative review may violate the FTC Act.[3]
If you owe the customer a fix, I'd do it on its merits and not mention the review. None of this is legal advice.
Which reviews should you report to Google?
Google says you can report any review, but only ones that break its content policy are eligible for removal. It asks you not to report one just because you disagree with it, and says it doesn't get involved in conflicts between businesses and customers.[4]
Google's policy list is long.[5] These are the entries I'd check first, in my words, not Google's:
- Fake or biased: not based on a real experience, or a conflict of interest, like a competitor, a current or former employee, or a relative.
- Off-topic: political or social commentary, or a personal rant.
- Attacks: threats, harassment, profanity meant to offend, or accusations of a crime or unethical conduct with nothing behind them.
A review that describes a bad experience respectfully is allowed, and the policy says so in its offensive-content section.[5] So I wouldn't report the dust-on-the-stairs review. I'd answer it.
A review from someone who was never a customer is different. Check your job records and call log first, in case a spouse booked the job or the person only asked for a quote. If nothing matches, I'd report it and reply with one neutral line: we can't find a job under this name, so please call the office.
How do you report one, and what happens next?
Open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews, and select Report next to the review. Pick the reason that fits and send it.[4] Evaluation typically takes several days, Google says, and the status shows in its Reviews Management Tool.[4]
If Google finds no violation, you get one appeal in the same tool, and it can cover up to ten reviews. The result comes by email, and a review that doesn't break the policies stays up.[4] If your screens look different, follow Google's page.
What if the review is false and Google leaves it up?
Google has a separate legal reporting page.[6] If you pick Maps there, its legal reasons include a court order and defamation, which it describes as typically a false statement that damages a reputation.[6] Whether a review is defamatory is a legal question, so ask a lawyer.
A different case is extortion: a sudden burst of one- and two-star reviews that may be followed by a demand for money or favors to take them down.[7] Google has its own report form for it, and says not to engage or pay. Screenshot every message from the person demanding money.
How do you get ready for the next one?
Google says a bad review isn't necessarily a sign of poor practice, but it can show what customers expect.[1] I'd treat it like a punch-list item. For the dust-on-the-stairs review, that's two rules: sweep up before the crew leaves, and text after every voicemail.
Then keep asking every customer, not only the ones you expect to be happy. Google bars discouraging negative reviews and selectively soliciting positive ones.[5] Our post on asking for Google reviews has the scripts and the rest of the rules.
If you'd like a second pair of eyes on the whole profile, our local SEO audit checks reviews alongside listings and service pages. The Expert Action Plan ($149) is the complete report plus a 30-minute consultation, and neither can get a review removed.
Removal is Google's call, not yours
Google decides which reviews come down, and it says only ones that break its policies are eligible.[4] Offering an incentive for a removal is against Google's rules,[1] and Google says paying someone who demands money doesn't mean the reviews come down.[7]