How to respond to Google and Facebook reviews, good and bad

Why replies matter

A reply isn't only for the person who wrote the review. It's for everyone who reads it later while deciding where to eat, drink or stay. A calm, helpful answer to a bad review can say more about your venue than the review itself.

Google's own guidance points the same way:

• Google says replying to reviews shows you value customers' feedback, and that positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out.
• The person who wrote the review is notified when you reply, and they can still change their review afterwards. Google notes that a positive reply and a follow-up may encourage them to update it.
• Replies are public, and they appear as your business, not under your personal name.

Reviews also teach you things. If several people mention slow service on Saturdays, that's free advice about your rota.

You don't have to reply to every single review. Google itself says to reply when you have something new or relevant to share, and that you don't need to thank every reviewer publicly. For most independent venues, though, replying to every complaint and every detailed review is a good habit. Once you know how to reply to Google reviews quickly, a short thank you to everyone else takes seconds.

Replying to good reviews

A good reply to a good review takes a minute. Use a simple pattern:

1. Thank them, by first name if it's shown.
2. Mention one specific thing they enjoyed, so it's clearly not copied and pasted.
3. Add something useful or new, like a dish they might try next time or something coming up.
4. Sign off with your name.

For example, for a review praising your Sunday lunch and the service:

Keep it short and warm. Google's advice is to be a friend, not a salesperson: your reviewers are already customers, so there's no need to offer deals or promotions.

Replying to bad reviews calmly

How do you respond to a Google review that stings? The same way you'd handle the complaint in person: calmly, honestly and with a way to put it right.

Before you reply

• Wait until you're calm, but don't leave it long. Google recommends replying in a timely manner. Within a day or two is a good aim.
• Check what happened. Look at the booking, the till receipt and the rota, and talk to whoever was working. Google suggests checking your records about the reviewer and their visit.
• Imagine saying it face to face. If you wouldn't say it to the guest across the bar, don't write it.

A simple structure for a difficult reply

1. Thank them for taking the time to tell you.
2. Apologise where it's due, and show you understand how they felt.
3. Deal with the point honestly and briefly. Admit mistakes. If something was outside your control, explain what you can and can't do, without making excuses.
4. Say what you've done about it, but only if something has really changed.
5. Take it offline by inviting them to email, call or ask for you next time.
6. Sign it with your name. Google suggests signing replies with your name or initials so they feel genuine.

Here's an example for a complaint about a long wait with nobody checking on the table:

And one for a review you can't match to any visit:

When a review breaks the rules

You can report a review, but only reviews that break the platform's rules get removed. Google is clear that you shouldn't report a review just because you disagree with it, and that it doesn't get involved in disagreements between businesses and customers.

• On Google: go to your Business Profile (see the steps below for how to find it), select Read reviews, select Report next to the review, choose a reason (such as spam) and select Send report. Google says checks typically take several days, and you can follow progress in its Reviews Management Tool. If a report is turned down, you get a one-time appeal.
• On Facebook: open your Page's Reviews, select See all next to Recent reviews, then select Options in the top-right corner of the recommendation, choose Report post and follow the instructions. Facebook checks reports against its Community Standards. It also says it doesn't verify whether people who recommend a Page actually bought anything or used the service.

While a report is being checked, a short, calm public reply is still worth posting, so readers can see your side.

Where to reply on Google and Facebook, step by step

How to respond to Google reviews

Here's how to reply to a review on Google. Before you start, your business must be verified on Google, and you need to be signed in to the Google Account that manages its Business Profile (Google's name for your venue's listing on Search and Maps).

On Google Search:

1. Search Google for my business, or for your venue's name and town.
2. On your Business Profile, select Read reviews.
3. Next to the review you want to answer, select Reply.
4. Type your reply, then select Reply again to post it.

In the Google Maps app:

1. Tap Business at the bottom right. If you manage more than one venue, tap the down arrow at the top and choose the right one.
2. Tap Reviews.
3. Next to the review you want to answer, select Reply, then type and post your reply.

What happens next:

• Google checks your reply against its content policies. That usually takes up to 10 minutes, but can occasionally take up to 30 days. If a reply isn't approved, you'll be asked to edit it.
• Your reply appears publicly under the review, shown as your business rather than your own name.
• The reviewer gets a notification that you've replied.

To change a reply later, go back to Read reviews, select Edit under your reply, make your changes and select Update. To remove it, choose Delete instead.

How to reply to recommendations on Facebook

Facebook calls reviews "recommendations". They sit on your Page's Reviews tab, as long as recommendations are turned on.

1. Switch into your Page. On a computer, click your profile photo in the top right, click See all profiles and choose your Page. In the Facebook app, tap the menu or your profile picture and switch to your Page from there.
2. Open Reviews. On a computer, it's below your Page's cover photo (you may need to click More first). In the app, look for Reviews on your Page.
3. Reply in the comments under the recommendation while you're using Facebook as your Page, so your answer comes from the business rather than your personal profile. Facebook's Help Centre doesn't set out this step, so what you see may differ slightly.

If there's no Reviews tab, recommendations may be switched off. To change that on a computer, switch into your Page, click your Page's profile photo in the top right, then Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Page and tagging, and use the switch for "Allow others to view and leave reviews on your Page?". Bear in mind that turning recommendations off removes your rating and reviews from your Page.

What not to say

• Anything private. Don't mention booking details, phone numbers, what's on your CCTV or anything else personal. Google's advice is never to share a reviewer's private information.
• Anything that starts an argument. No accusations, sarcasm or point-scoring. Stay polite even when the review isn't.
• Blame aimed at named staff. Deal with team issues privately, not in public.
• Offers to change or remove a review. Under Google's rules, offering freebies or discounts in exchange for posting, changing or removing reviews counts as fake engagement and is strictly prohibited. UK consumer law has also banned fake reviews and hidden incentivised reviews since April 2025, and the Competition and Markets Authority's guidance explains what that covers.
• A sales pitch. Save offers for your posts, not your replies.
• The same reply every time. Copy-and-paste answers suggest nobody read the review.
• Excuses with no apology, or promises you can't keep.
• Fake reviews of your own. Never write reviews for your own venue or ask staff and friends to post them.