Review Response Templates

Your review responses are read less by the reviewer and more by the next customer deciding whether to call you. These are patterns, not scripts to paste. Fill in the real specifics every time, because ten identical replies read as a machine and undo the trust you're building. Reply to every review within a day or two.

01Positive review

Greet by name, mention the specific job, add one genuine human line:

"Thanks, [Name]. The crew mentioned [specific detail about the job], so we're glad it came out well. Appreciate you taking the time, and call us anytime."

Vary your openings across replies. Ten reviews that all start with "Thank you for" look automated.

02Positive review with no text (just stars)

Still worth a short, warm reply:

"Thanks for the five stars, [Name]. It was a pleasure working with you, and we're here if you need anything down the road."

03Negative review (a real customer)

Acknowledge, own your share, take it offline, never demand removal:

"[Name], you're right, and I appreciate you telling us. [Specific thing] shouldn't have happened, and we've [concrete fix]. I'd like to make it right. Please call me directly at [number] and ask for [your name]."

04Negative review (mixed or partly unfair)

Own the real part, correct the record briefly and calmly:

"[Name], thanks for the honest feedback. You're right about [the real part], and we should have handled it better. Our records show [brief factual correction], but that doesn't change the frustration, and I'm sorry for it. I'd like to talk it through: [number]."

05A review you don't recognize

Respond factually without confirming the person was a customer. This protects you if you later report it:

"[Name], I want to look into this, but I can't find a customer or job matching this name in our records. If you worked with us, please call me at [number] so I can help. If this was meant for another company, I'd appreciate you checking."

06The rules behind the patterns

• Match the length of your reply to the length of the review.
• Keep negative-review replies calm. The next reader is watching how you handle a problem.
• Let service words appear naturally when they fit. Don't stuff keywords.
• Never ask a reviewer, in public, to take their review down.

The full playbook for responses is in responding to reviews like an owner. Negative reviews have real stakes, covered in the response that wins the next customer, and when a review is fake or breaks policy rather than just critical, see what you can and can't remove.