The short answer: reply within a day or two, in 40 to 120 words, signed with your first name. Thank them or say sorry for the specific thing, give one calm fact at most, say what you'll do, and give a direct number so the rest happens offline. Never call the reviewer a liar, never mention solicitors, never post their address or what they paid, and never offer money or a discount for changing or removing the review. Google only removes reviews that break its policies (for example no such customer, harassment or personal information): report those in the Reviews Management Tool.
Jump to: Reply writer · Seven kinds of review · What never to write · Before and after · Getting one removed · Other platforms · Getting more good reviews · Using AI · FAQ
Free review reply writer and checker
Pick the kind of review, add a few details, and it writes a public reply, a private message to send the customer and whether to report it. Then edit the reply and it checks it for the mistakes below. You can also paste a reply you've written yourself and press Check. Everything stays in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Seven kinds of bad review, and a reply for each
Work out which kind it is before you write a word. Match the review to a job in your diary or invoices first: the name on Google is often a partner, a tenant or a nickname.
| Kind | Example | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fair complaint | "Leak came back after a week." | Say sorry for the specific thing, offer the fix, give a number. |
| Not accurate | "Overcharged!" (the price was agreed in writing) | Thank them, one neutral fact, offer to talk. |
| 1 star, no comment | A rating and nothing else | Short and neutral: ask what went wrong. |
| Not a customer | No job under that name or for that work | Say you can't find the job, invite contact, report it. |
| Mixed | "Good work but late twice." | Thank them, own the weak point, say what's changed. |
| Damage, injury, safety or legal threat | "They flooded my kitchen." | Minimal reply, call them, speak to your insurer first. |
| Abusive | Slurs, threats, someone's address | Report it. One line or no reply. |
1. Fair complaint
Sorry, Priya. A leak coming back a week later isn't the standard we work to. I've called and left a message, and we'll come back free of charge to put it right. You can reach me directly on 07700 900123. Dave, owner
Apologise for the leak, not "any inconvenience". Then fix it. Don't ask them to change the review: plenty of people update it on their own once the job is right, and a fixed problem with your reply under it reads better than a five-star review.
2. Negative, and it isn't accurate
Thanks for your feedback, Mark. We agreed the price in writing before starting and didn't add any extras, but I'm sorry you're unhappy with the cost. I'd be glad to go through the invoice with you by phone: 07700 900123. Dave, owner
One fact, not a list. A line-by-line rebuttal looks like a row, and readers side with whoever sounds calmer. If you can't say it without sounding annoyed, leave the fact out and just offer the call.
3. One star, no comment
Hi Jo, we're sorry to see a low rating. We'd like to know what went wrong so we can put it right. Could you contact me on 07700 900123? Dave, owner
A rating without text is allowed, so it won't be removed for that alone. If you can't match the name to any customer, use the next reply and report it.
4. You can't find them as a customer (possible fake)
Hi Alex, we can't find a job under this name or for the work described, so we'd like to understand what happened. Could you contact me on 07700 900123 so we can look into it? Dave, owner
Don't write "fake" or "competitor" in public. If it turns out to be a real customer under another name, you've lost nothing; if it isn't, readers can see you checked. Then report it.
5. Mixed review
Thanks for the kind words about the finish, Tom, and you're right that we were late twice. That's not good enough. We now text an arrival time on the morning of every job. Dave, owner
6. Damage, injury, a safety problem or a legal threat
Hi Sam, we take this seriously and I've contacted you directly to arrange a time to talk. You can also reach me on 07700 900123. Dave, owner
That's all. Don't admit fault, describe what happened or offer money in public before you've spoken to your insurer: most liability policies expect you not to admit liability without their agreement. If there's a live risk (a gas smell, exposed wiring, water near electrics), contact the customer today. If you think it's a gas leak, they should call the gas emergency number (0800 111 999 in Great Britain) first.
7. Abusive or threatening
Report it (harassment, hate speech or personal information all break Google's policies). If you reply at all, one line: "We've reported this review. If you were a customer, please contact us on 07700 900123." Don't repeat anything they said.
What never to write
| Don't | Why |
|---|---|
| "This is a lie" / "fake" / "competitor" / "troll" | Readers can't check who's right, so they judge the tone. Say you can't find the job instead. |
| "My solicitor will be in touch" / "defamatory" | Looks like bullying to every future customer. Threatening reviewers is review suppression under the US FTC rule, and the UK regulator (CMA) lists suppressing negative reviews as banned too. |
| "We'll refund £50 if you take this down" | Never link money, a discount or free work to the review. Google bans it, and so do the UK's DMCC Act 2024 (from 6 April 2025) and the US FTC rule (from 21 October 2024). |
| The customer's address, street, postcode or what they paid | Their privacy, not yours to share. Google can reject replies with personal information. |
| Their health, family, tenants, money troubles | Even if it explains the job. It never helps you and always looks bad. |
| "We apologise for any inconvenience" / "sorry you feel that way" | Reads as a non-apology. Say sorry for the specific thing. |
| "It was our fault the ceiling came down" | An admission of liability in public. Talk to your insurer first. |
| CAPITALS, "!!", "you never", "you agreed" | Shouting and arguing. State facts as "we": "We agreed the price in writing". |
| "Regards, The Management" | A first name and role ("Dave, owner") sounds like a person who'll sort it out. |
| A 300-word essay | The longer the reply, the more defensive it reads. 40 to 120 words. |
Before and after
The review: "Avoid. Charged me £400 for a 20 minute job and left a mess. Wouldn't recommend."
The reply most people write first:
This is completely untrue!! You were told the price BEFORE we started and you agreed to it. The job took 2 hours not 20 minutes as your neighbour at 14 Oak Road will confirm. Some people just don't want to pay for skilled work. If you post lies like this again you'll be hearing from our solicitor. Regards, The Management
The reply that wins the next job:
Thanks for your feedback, Lee. The price was agreed in writing before we started, but I'm sorry the visit felt poor value, and I'm sorry we didn't leave the area tidy. That's not good enough and I've passed it on. I'd be glad to go through the invoice with you: 07700 900123. Dave, owner
The first one gets eleven warnings from the reply checker: double punctuation, capitals, "you were told", a neighbour and their address, "lies", a solicitor, no apology, no contact, no named sign-off, and more about the reviewer than the business. The second owns the part that's fair (the mess), states one fact calmly and gives a way to talk.
Getting a review removed from Google
Google removes reviews that break its policies, not ones that are unfair or one-sided. Reasons that do count include fake engagement (no such customer, or the same person posting several times), off-topic content, a conflict of interest (a competitor or ex-employee), harassment or hate speech, and personal information.
- Open Google's Reviews Management Tool (search for it, or go to Business Profile help → "Manage reviews"). Sign in with the account that manages your Business Profile and pick the business.
- Choose report a new review for removal, click Report next to the review, pick the reason and Submit. (You can also report from your profile: Read reviews → the report flag.)
- Check back in the same tool. The status shows Decision pending, Report reviewed – no policy violation, or Escalated – check your email.
- If it stays up, you get one appeal per review: "Appeal eligible reviews" in the same tool, up to 10 at a time.
Reply publicly anyway while you wait. If it's removed, your reply goes with it. Never pay a "review removal" service that promises results: no one outside Google can guarantee it.
Facebook, Checkatrade, Trustpilot and others
The same reply works everywhere; only the reporting route changes. Use each site's own report or dispute button, and read its review policy first. On trade directories such as Checkatrade, raise a dispute through your member account rather than asking the customer to take the review down: the site decides, and the customer is entitled to have a genuine negative review published. In the US, Yelp, Angi, Houzz and Nextdoor all let a business reply publicly and flag reviews that break their rules.
The best answer to one bad review: twenty good ones
Most happy customers never leave a review unless asked. Send a short message on the day you finish:
Hi Sam, thanks again for having us to fit the new radiators. If you're happy with the work, a quick Google review really helps a small business like ours: [your review link]. If anything isn't right, please tell me first so I can sort it. Dave
Two rules keep it legal and honest: ask every customer, not only the ones you expect to be happy (asking selectively can make your reviews misleading), and offer nothing in return (no discount, prize draw or "£10 off your next job"). Never write reviews for customers or get friends to. Your review link is in your Business Profile under "Ask for reviews".
Using ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude to reply
AI is good at taking the anger out of a reply. It can also make things up, so give it the facts and tell it not to add any. A prompt that works:
Write a reply to this Google review for my trades business. UK. 40-120 words, signed "[first name], owner". Rules: thank them or apologise for the specific problem, at most one calm fact, what I'll do, my direct number [number]. No accusations, no legal talk, no prices or addresses, don't ask them to change the review, don't admit liability. Use only the facts I give you. Then write a short private text to the customer. Review: [paste] What happened, from my side: [two or three lines] What I'm willing to offer: [return visit / call / nothing]
Leave the customer's surname, address and job details out of what you paste. Then run the result through the checker.
Get a calm reply to any review in a minute. Our free Trades Skills include review-reply for ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude: paste the review and what happened, and it sorts the review, writes the public reply and a private follow-up, tells you whether to report it, and checks for the mistakes on this page. It also writes your ask-for-a-review message. Set-up takes about 3 minutes, no coding.
Trades Skills Pro adds complaint-handler for the complaint behind the review (what you owe the customer, a fair offer and the letters), plus job-handover, customer-terms, change-order and price-rise.
FAQ
Should I reply to a bad Google review?
Yes, almost always. Google tells the reviewer when you reply, and future customers read the replies more closely than the reviews. A calm, short reply that offers to put things right shows them what you're like when something goes wrong. The exception is abusive or threatening reviews: report those and keep any reply to one line.
Can I get a bad Google review removed?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, for example fake engagement (no such customer), off-topic content, a conflict of interest, harassment or personal information. Report it in the Reviews Management Tool and check its status there. If Google finds no violation you get one appeal. A review isn't removed because it's unfair or you disagree with it.
How do I reply to a 1-star review with no comment?
Keep it short and neutral: say you're sorry to see a low rating, that you'd like to know what went wrong, and give a direct number. If you can't match the name to any job, say so politely and report it as possible fake engagement.
How do I respond to a fake review?
Don't call it fake in public. Say you can't find a job under that name or for the work described and invite them to contact you. Then report it. Readers see a calm business, and if it's a real customer under a different name, you haven't insulted them.
Can I offer a refund if they remove the review?
No. Never link money, a discount or free work to changing or removing a review. Platforms ban it, and UK and US fake-review laws cover it. Fix the problem on its merits and let the customer decide whether to update their review.
Should I mention a solicitor if the review is defamatory?
Not in your public reply. Legal threats in public look bad to every reader and can count as review suppression. If a review makes a serious false claim, report it to the platform and get advice privately.
Sources, checked 27 October 2026: Google Business Profile Help, Read and reply to reviews and Report inappropriate reviews; Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Schedule 20 (fake reviews, in force 6 April 2025) and the CMA's fake reviews guidance; FTC Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (in force 21 October 2024). This page is general information, not legal advice. If a review makes a serious false claim about you, or a customer alleges damage or injury, speak to your insurer or a solicitor.