How should I respond to a negative Google review?

Should I reply publicly to a bad review?

Yes, almost always. Google’s help page on managing reviews says a reply shows customers you value their feedback, and we think a calm, specific reply does more for the next reader than the review does harm. Reply once, briefly, and don’t get into a back-and-forth in the thread.

What should I never say in a reply?

Anything that confirms private details about the customer or the visit, and anything defensive. Google’s tips for review replies say to be professional, keep it short, never share a reviewer’s private information and avoid personal attacks. If the situation is complicated, ask the reviewer to contact you directly by phone or email rather than litigating it in public. And never offer a discount or refund in the reply to get the review changed. That’s an incentive, and Google’s policy bans it (more in how to get more Google reviews).

Can I get a review removed, and when does it count as fake?

Sometimes, but only through Google, and only when the review breaks Google’s policy, not simply because it’s negative. Google’s Maps content policy defines fake engagement as content that isn’t based on a real experience, and its help page on managing reviews says you can flag a review you believe violates its policies. A one-star review from an actual customer who had a bad experience isn’t eligible for removal just because you disagree with it.

What if someone threatens fake reviews unless I pay?

Don’t pay. Flag the review through Google’s own reporting tool the moment it appears, since a threatened or posted review with no real visit behind it is exactly the fake engagement Google’s policy above prohibits. Keep records of the threat itself in case you need them later. Paying to make a threat go away doesn’t make the underlying claim more or less true, and it tends to invite a repeat.

Should I reply to every review, even the good ones?

The good ones are worth a reply but don’t need one the way a bad review does. A short, specific thank-you costs little and says the same thing the harder replies say: a real person reads these. What matters more is never leaning on the unhappy ones. Google’s Maps policy bans discouraging negative reviews, and the FTC’s 2024 rule bars businesses from using groundless legal threats, physical threats or intimidation to stop a negative review or get one taken down.

If the review is in Spanish, should I reply in Spanish?

Yes. Answer in the language the review was written in; it reads as more genuine to the reviewer and to anyone else reading in Spanish. The rules on tone and privacy above apply either way.

Clinics need one more step. Confirming anything about a specific visit, even in a polite reply, runs into patient-privacy rules that a general review policy doesn’t cover, so get your reply approach reviewed on its own before you settle on one.

AI Front Desk writes replies to your Google reviews in your voice, so a reply goes out quickly without you drafting each one from scratch.