How to reply to Google reviews: templates for 5-star, 1-star and fake reviews

People reading your Google reviews also read your replies. A thoughtful reply to a bad review can build more trust than a dozen five-star ratings with no response.

Here's a simple approach for each type of review, with templates you can adapt.

General rules

Reply to every review, good or bad, ideally within a couple of days.
Use the reviewer's name and mention something specific they said.
Keep it short. Three or four sentences is plenty.
Never share private details such as order numbers, phone numbers or medical information in a public reply.
Don't copy-paste the same reply everywhere. Readers notice.

5-star reviews

Thank them, mention a detail, and invite them back.

Thank you, Priya! We're glad the new display worked out for your showroom. Hope to see you again for the next season's stock.

3- and 4-star reviews

Thank them, acknowledge what fell short, and say what you're doing about it.

Thanks for the honest feedback, Rahul. You're right that the waiting time on Saturday was too long. We've added an extra person at the counter on weekends. Hope your next visit is quicker.

1- and 2-star reviews

Stay calm. You're writing for future customers as much as the reviewer.

Apologise for the experience, without arguing about details in public.
Show you take it seriously.
Move the conversation offline.

We're sorry to hear this, Amit. This isn't the experience we want anyone to have. Could you message us on WhatsApp at [number] so we can look into your order and put it right?

If you fix the issue, it's fine to ask politely whether they'd consider updating their review. Never offer money or discounts in exchange for changing a review.

Reviews you believe are fake

Sometimes a review comes from someone who was never a customer, or is clearly spam.

Check your records first. Make sure it really isn't a customer.
Report it through Google Business Profile as violating Google's review policies.
Reply briefly and factually while it's under review:

We can't find any record of a visit or order under this name. If we've missed something, please contact us at [number] so we can help.

Don't accuse the reviewer or reply angrily, even if you're sure the review is fake.

Reviews with no text

A short reply is enough: "Thank you for the rating, Sneha! See you again soon."

Making it a habit

Turn on review notifications in Google Business Profile.
Give one person ownership of replies, with a backup.
Keep a shared document of your best replies to adapt, not to copy word for word.
Review the feedback monthly. Repeated complaints are a free list of things to fix.

Replies cost a few minutes each, and they're one of the few parts of your Google listing you fully control.