WE CARE YOU GROWReview management for small businesses: replying to Google reviews
This guide is for owners who want to keep up with Google reviews without it eating the week. It covers replying and reporting, then the rules Google enforces. It does not cover getting more reviews: KAEWOO does not buy reviews, write them, change ratings or send review-request texts.
Review management means reading new reviews as they come in, replying to them, and reporting the few that break Google's policies. Reply to good and bad reviews alike, and keep each reply short, polite and specific to what the customer said. You cannot delete a review you dislike, but you can report it if it is fake, off-topic or abusive. Paying for reviews, offering discounts for them or asking only happy customers is against Google's rules.
First, what this guide leaves out
A lot of what is sold as review management is really review generation: texts and emails asking customers to leave a review. That is a separate job, and KAEWOO does not do it.
Google allows businesses to ask for reviews, as long as they ask everyone and offer nothing in return. What Google does not allow is buying reviews, rewarding them, or asking only the customers you expect to be happy.
How to reply to a Google review
Once it is a habit, a reply takes about a minute. Doing twenty at the end of a busy month takes far longer, so reply as reviews arrive.
- Open your reviewsSearch for your business name on Google or open Google Maps while signed in, then choose Read reviews on your profile.
- Choose ReplyWrite your reply and post it. It appears publicly under the review, shown as your business rather than your personal name.
- Edit later if you need toYou can edit or delete a reply at any time. The reviewer is notified when you reply, and they can update their review afterwards.
Replying to good reviews
Thank the person by name and pick up on something they said. "Thanks, Priya, glad the gluten-free brownies made it home in one piece" sounds like a person. "Thank you for your feedback, we value all our customers" does not.
A sentence or two is plenty. Google's own advice is to keep replies conversational and not to use them for deals or promotions.
Replying to a one-star review
Wait until you are calm, then reply within a day or two. Acknowledge the problem, say sorry if the shop got it wrong, and offer a way to sort it out away from the review page.
An example for a late order: "Hi Mark, sorry your order took fifty minutes on Friday. We were short-staffed and should have told you when you ordered. If you call the shop and ask for Ana, we'd like to put it right."
Don't argue the details in public, don't share anything private about the customer, and never offer a refund in exchange for changing the review. Future customers read your reply as closely as the review itself.
When you can report a review
You can't remove a review just because it is harsh or unfair. You can report reviews that break Google's policies: spam, fake reviews, reviews from a competitor, hateful or off-topic content, or a review that was meant for a different business.
Report it from your profile or through Google's Reviews Management Tool, which also shows the status of each report. Google says evaluation usually takes several days, and you can appeal a decision once.
Google's review rules in short
These come from Google's policy on fake engagement. Breaking them can get reviews removed and, in some cases, restrictions placed on the profile.
- Don't pay for reviews or offer discounts, freebies or prize draws for them
- Don't ask only happy customers, and don't discourage unhappy ones from posting
- Don't post reviews on behalf of customers or have staff review the business
- Don't leave reviews on a competitor's listing
- Replies are public, so never include a customer's personal details
What KAEWOO does for you
New review alerts and replies are part of every plan. KAEWOO tells you about new reviews, drafts replies and posts them for you. It does not buy reviews, write them for customers, change ratings or send review requests.
- New review alerts
- Low-star review alerts
- Reply to reviews
- Monthly report
Free for up to 3 shops. Starts from your Google Maps listing.
FAQ
Should I reply to every Google review?
It is a good habit, including the five-star ones with no text. Google says replying shows you value feedback. If time is tight, reply to every low rating first, then to reviews that mention a specific dish, person or visit.
Can I delete a bad Google review?
No. Only the person who wrote it can delete it, or Google can remove it if it breaks policy. You can report it, and if Google decides it does not break policy, you can appeal once.
Am I allowed to ask customers for reviews?
Google allows it if you ask all customers and offer nothing in return. KAEWOO does not send review requests. It handles alerts and replies.
How quickly should I reply to a negative review?
Within a day or two is a reasonable aim. A calm reply the next day does more good than a perfect one a month later.
Is online reputation management the same thing?
The term covers more. Some reputation services also try to push down search results about a business. This guide covers the part a shop can handle itself: reading and replying to reviews on its own listings.