Prado Digital · Guide

How to respond to a bad Google review, with examples

A one-star review lands while you're on the tools, and by smoko you've written three angry replies in your head. Don't post any of them. Your reply gets read by the homeowners who look you up after this, deciding whether to ring you, and they want to see someone calm who sorts things out.

The best reply to a bad Google review is calm, short and public, then takes the rest offline with a phone number. Below you'll find what to put in, what to leave out, and replies you can copy for a fair complaint, an unfair one, your own mistake and a complaint about the price. For replying to every kind of review, good and bad, see our main guide on how to respond to Google reviews. And if you'd like the good reviews to bury the odd bad one, that's what our Google review requests after every job, done for you are for.

Calm, short, public, then offline

business.gov.au, the Australian Government's site for business owners, says much the same about negative reviews (read 31 Oct 2026). Respond "promptly but take the time to draft a carefully written response", stay professional and don't get into a public argument, because it could hurt your reputation. It also says to "offer to discuss the issue by phone or email" and to "give an explanation and a solution (where possible)".

That gives you four parts:

Calm. Thank them for the feedback, even through gritted teeth.
Short. Two to four sentences. Google says long replies "might overwhelm" people.
Public. Own what went wrong and say what you'll do about it, so the next reader sees it.
Offline. Give your business phone number and ask them to call, so the details get sorted on the phone and stay off Google.

The customer gets a notification when you reply, and once Google approves it, your reply sits under their review for everyone to read. Google checks replies first, which usually takes up to 10 minutes and sometimes up to 30 days.

Before you write anything

Leave it till knock-off. Finish the job you're on, drive home, then come back to it with a clear head.

When you do, check your notes, quotes and texts for the job so you know exactly what happened. Work out which kind of review it is: a fair complaint, one you think is unfair, a mistake on your end, or a gripe about the price. Each one needs a slightly different reply, and there's an example of each below.

If you think the review breaks Google's rules, like a fake review from someone you never worked for, you can report it as well. Our guide on how to remove a Google review covers what Google takes down. Post your calm reply in the meantime, so anyone who reads the review sees your side of it while Google decides.

What to leave out

How not to respond to a negative review comes down to a short list. Leave these out every time

The argument. Who said what, and who's right. Have that conversation on the phone, if at all.
Their private details. Google says to never share the reviewer's private info. No address, no invoice amount, nothing about the job they didn't bring up first.
Blame for things you didn't control. Google's tip is to admit mistakes you made but not to take responsibility for things outside your control, like a supplier delay or the weather.
Sarcasm and "as per our conversation". Anyone reading can hear the tone, even if you can't.
The sales pitch. Google says there's no need to offer deals or promotions in a reply.
Anything in exchange for changing the review. No discount, refund or free work tied to them editing or taking it down. Google's rules ban offering incentives for the "revision or removal of a negative review".

Sign it with your first name. Google suggests signing with your name or initials, and "Dave" reads like a person who'll pick up the phone.

Examples of replies to bad Google reviews

Change the details to suit, and write each one fresh. Readers can spot a copy-and-paste reply, so put their name and the actual job in every one.

Example: a fair complaint

The customer's right. You were late, left a mess or didn't call back.

Sorry Kylie, you're right. We should have called when we were running late, and leaving the offcuts on your driveway wasn't good enough. I've talked to the crew about both. Please call me on [business phone] so I can make it right. Dave

Example: one you think is unfair

You see it differently, and you might be right. Don't say so in public.

Thanks for the feedback, Paul. I'm sorry you weren't happy with how the job went. I'd rather talk it through properly than go back and forth here, so please give me a ring on [business phone] and we'll work out what we can do. Karen

It doesn't agree or disagree. The next reader sees an owner who wants to fix things and a phone number, and that's what they're looking for.

Example: a mistake on your end

You got something wrong in the work itself, like the wrong fitting or a measurement out.

Sorry Michelle, we fitted the wrong tapware and that's on us. I've ordered the right ones and I'd like to come back and swap them over at no cost. Please call me on [business phone] to book a time. Sam

Only say what you'll do if you're going to do it. A promise in a reply is public, and the customer will hold you to it.

When the complaint is the price

"Way too expensive" is one of the hardest reviews to answer, because it feels like an attack on your quote. Keep the reply calm and factual, and don't argue the quote in public. You won't win the argument on Google, and the next customer doesn't need to see the numbers.

Thanks for the review, Greg, and sorry the price wasn't what you were hoping for. We give a written quote before we start, and I'm happy to go through yours with you line by line. Give me a call on [business phone]. Ben

Only keep the written-quote line if that's how you work. Leave out what they paid, what the job "should" cost, and any comparison with other tradies. If you did go over the quote, say so plainly and say what you'll do about it.

After you put it right: can you ask them to update the review?

Yes, you can tell them. Once the problem's fixed, business.gov.au suggests following up with the customer, because "they may be willing to update their review".

Keep it simple. Let them know the job's sorted, and that Google lets them edit their own review if they'd like to. Google's help page on editing a review says: "After your review is published, you can edit it or change the rating and pictures that you included" (Google Maps Help, read 31 Oct 2026).

On a computer they open Google Maps, select Menu, then Your contributions and Reviews, then More next to the review and Edit review.

On an Android phone it's Contribute, View your profile and See all reviews, then the same More and Edit review.

When they edit it, the date of the edit shows as the review's post date, so the updated review shows with a fresh date.

Something like this, by text or email, once

Hi Kylie, all done and the driveway's clear. Thanks for giving us the chance to fix it. If you ever feel like updating your Google review, Google lets you edit it. Either way, thanks again. Dave

Three things to keep it fair and inside Google's rules

Never offer anything. No discount, refund or freebie for changing the review
Never press. Ask once, and if they don't change it, leave it. Your reply is still there doing its job
Never ask only the unhappy ones. If you ask customers for reviews, ask all of them the same way. Google's rules say a business must not "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers"

COMMON QUESTIONS

Should I reply to a bad Google review?

Yes. business.gov.au says to respond to every review, positive and negative. A calm reply shows the next customer how you handle a problem.

How long should a reply to a bad review be?

Two to four sentences. Thank them, own what went wrong, say what you'll do, and give your phone number. Save the details for the call.

Can I ask a customer to change a bad review?

You can tell them the problem's fixed and that Google lets them edit their own review. Never offer anything in exchange, and only ask once.

Can I delete a bad Google review?

No. Only the person who wrote it can edit or delete it. Google removes reviews that break its rules, and you can report those.

Tough reviews, your call

One bad review hurts most when it sits next to only a handful of good ones. And when you're flat out, chasing every customer for a review is the first thing that slips.

We send the review request after every job, to every customer, and every new review gets a reply written for you. The tough ones are your call: write your own answer, or let a standard reply go up. Nobody on your crew has to remember to ask, and your only job is the one you're on. That's Google review requests after every job, done for you, for less than one small job a month.