If you run a business, sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with negative reviews. No business owner ever is thrilled about this, but it is what it is.
According to Statista, 45% of customers tell family and friends first when they’ve had a bad experience. Another 32% reach out to the company directly by leaving an online review, sending an email, or picking up the phone.
You can sit and think that these reviews are undeserved. And maybe sometimes they are. But they’re also a good opportunity to reflect on your business. Maybe something isn’t working as well as you thought?
Before you jump in to fix the situation, it’s important to know how to respond to negative reviews without making your customers even more upset.
That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this article. Read on!
Depending on how you look at it, bad reviews can have both a negative and positive impact on your business. Let’s go over both the pros and cons of negative feedback.
➖ The downsides:
➕ The upsides:
We’ve looked at how negative reviews affect your business. Now, let’s focus on what to say—and how to say it. Here are the best practices for responding, along with real examples.
The first and most important thing—take a deep breath. Don’t start typing up your response when your emotions are running high.
Yes, negative reviews hurt. But you should never take them personally. Even though it might feel like an attack, most reviewers are commenting on a single experience, not judging your entire business or your worth as a business owner.
If you react emotionally, you risk escalating the situation and damaging your reputation. Instead, give yourself a moment to cool off. This will help you respond thoughtfully and professionally, which will reflect much better on your business.
Once you’ve taken a moment to breathe, approach the review with curiosity instead of defensiveness.
Ask yourself: What might have led to this experience? Is there something we can learn from this feedback? Even if the customer seems unreasonable, try to understand their perspective. Maybe something indeed has gone wrong?
Start your response by acknowledging the reviewer’s feelings and showing empathy. You don’t have to fully agree with their version of events, but recognizing their frustration or disappointment shows that you’re listening and that you care. Sometimes, a simple “We’re sorry to hear this” can go a long way in diffusing tension and opening the door to a constructive conversation.
You don’t want public beef, especially if you want to protect your business reputation. So, it’s always a good idea to take the conversation with a complaining customer offline.
If the issue is complex, emotional, or requires sharing personal information, move the conversation to email or a phone call.
For example, in your written acknowledgment of the negative review, apologize briefly and ask the customer to email you at your business address so you can resolve the situation privately.
Diamond Advanced Aesthetics clinic in New York, U.S., provides a good example of how to invite the customer to discuss the situation privately. 👇
This may also be necessary if you need to protect the customer’s privacy or require details like an order number or account information to locate their record.
If you’re working with other businesses, offering a video call can be a more personal and professional way to address concerns. A scheduling tool like YouCanBookMe (YCBM) can help by making it easy to set up a time that works for both sides.
You can also use YCBM as your online booking system, meaning you can manage all your client appointments from one nifty platform. As the Diamond Advanced Aesthetics example above shows, even a small technical glitch in an online booking system can quickly lead to frustrated customers and negative reviews. Choosing a dependable tool like YCBM can help you avoid those kinds of booking scenarios that can lead to bad reviews.
Timing matters when replying to negative reviews. Aim to respond within 24 to 48 hours so customers—and anyone else reading—can see that you take feedback seriously and care about resolving issues promptly.
That said, don’t rush to fire off a reply the moment you spot a bad review. A hasty or emotional response can make things worse. Take the time to understand what happened, gather any necessary details from your team, and craft a thoughtful response that reflects your professionalism and commitment to customer satisfaction.
Don’t slip into “corporate robot” mode when responding to negative reviews. Your response should reflect your brand’s voice while remaining respectful, calm, and understanding. Avoid blaming the customer, using defensive language, or sounding sarcastic (even if the review feels unfair).
Stay human and warm—that’s the best way to defuse tension. And remember, future customers might come across your response. If the vibe feels more wild card than business owner, they’ll likely think twice about choosing your business. As tempting as it might be to fire back at difficult reviewers, keep your cool and stay professional.
The Massage Centre in London, UK, provides a good example of using warm, polite language and demonstrating an understanding of the client’s situation. 👇
If you messed up, say so.
Trying to dodge or downplay a legit complaint almost always backfires. People can tell when you’re making excuses, and they won’t like it. Instead, be real.
A simple acknowledgment—like “We missed the mark here, and we’re sorry”— can actually earn you more respect than pretending everything’s fine.
Nobody’s perfect. Owning your mistakes shows you’re honest and willing to make things right.
Sometimes, there’s a good reason things went wrong. But there’s a fine line between explaining and making excuses.
It’s okay to give a little context. Maybe your team was short-staffed that day, or there was a tech glitch. Just keep it brief and don’t try to shift the blame. People want to know what happened, but they also want to feel like you’re focused on fixing the problem, not defending yourself.
Don’t just say “sorry” and call it a day.
If there’s a way to fix the problem, offer it! That could mean a refund, a replacement, or just taking the time to personally follow up. Even if you can’t fully resolve the issue, showing that you’re trying goes a long way.
Here’s what this yoga studio in Washington, DC, said in their response to the review about "hidden pricing.” 👇
They not only provided the website link where all the information about the current rates is available, but also included their email and phone number in case the customer wants to discuss the different pricing options available. The owner’s response was polite and professional, despite signs that the negative review may have been unfounded.
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👉 Looking for more ways to turn challenging situations into opportunities? Check out our guide on how to improve client experience for actionable tips. |
If multiple team members respond to reviews, make sure everyone’s on the same page.
Your replies should sound like they’re coming from the same business, not a random mix of tones or attitudes. Create a simple guide or a few response templates so your team knows the tone, wording, and approach to use.
Consistency makes your business look professional and trustworthy, and avoids any awkward “who wrote that reply?” moments.
💡 Pro tip: While you’re creating templates for responses, why not also create a simple process for asking happy customers for reviews? It’s one of the best ways to build up positive feedback over time. Check out our practical guide on how to ask clients for reviews without feeling pushy or awkward.
Your response isn’t just for the upset customer—it’s for every potential customer reading that review.
Most people checking reviews want to see how you handle problems. So, take the time to craft the perfect response. But also make the necessary changes within your business to ensure the situation doesn’t happen again.
In many cases, a thoughtful reply can outweigh the negative review itself!
When replying to bad reviews, what you don’t do is just as important as what you say. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
Now that we’ve covered the dos and don’ts, let’s look at some real-world examples of companies handling bad reviews. For each example, we’ll explain why we like it, why we don’t, and what could have been done better.
First up, we’ve got Headquarters Inc., a bookkeeping service based in Calgary, Canada. In this case, we’re not looking at a specific review, but the bigger issue—they’re flat-out ignoring a flood of negative feedback. Multiple 1-star Google reviews mention poor service, high fees, and messed-up tax filings.
👍 What we like: Not much! They aren't really engaging with negative reviews.
👎 What we don’t like: They’re ignoring serious complaints. Silence makes it look like they don’t care or can’t defend themselves.
💡 What could be done better: Acknowledge each review, apologize, and invite customers to discuss the issues privately to find solutions.
Next, we’ve got Porch, a popular restaurant in Calgary, Canada. A customer left a detailed 3-star review, praising the atmosphere and service but criticizing the food as overly salty and bland.
👍 What we like: They acknowledged the issues and invited the customer to continue the conversation privately by providing an email.
👎 What we don’t like: They could have acknowledged the reviewer by name, as that would have made their response even more personalized!
💡 What could be done better: Start the review with the name, especially important when it’s clearly visible in the profile. And also thank the reviewer for the detailed feedback.
Next, we’ve got Bon Bon Hair Salon in New York, responding to a frustrated customer who left a 1-star review after a color correction appointment didn’t meet her expectations.
👍 What we like: They responded directly to Julieta, used her name, and clearly explained why the desired result couldn’t be achieved in one session. They also clarified the challenges involved in color correction, which helps manage expectations for future readers.
👎 What we don’t like: The response was overly long and leaned a bit defensive. Instead of focusing on finding a solution or offering a follow-up appointment, it came across as justifying what went wrong. Repeatedly.
💡 What could be done better: Keep the response shorter and more empathetic. Acknowledge the customer’s frustration and offer a next step. It can be a discounted follow-up or a personal consultation to fix the issue.
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⭐ Tip: Salon owners, replying to reviews helps with reputation. But to really stand out online when people search for services like yours, see our guide on how to rank for ‘salon near me’. |
Another example of responding to a negative review is by London City Smiles, a private dental practice in London. A 1-star review from an unhappy customer claimed the hygienist wasted time and didn’t deliver the full paid session.
👍 What we like: They followed key best practices by apologizing, acknowledging the complaint, and offering to move the conversation offline via email. This helps prevent a public back-and-forth and shows they are open to resolving the issue.
👎 What we don’t like: They didn’t directly address the reviewer’s specific concern about not receiving the full treatment time. Instead, they focused on wanting to always provide a great experience for customers, which can feel a bit generic.
💡 What could be done better: Briefly acknowledge the exact issue mentioned in the review before inviting the customer to continue the conversation privately.
Another example of responding to a negative review comes from Simply Maid, a house cleaning service in Sydney, Australia. One customer left a 1-star review complaining about poor cleaning quality, a short visit time, and feeling it wasn’t worth $190.
👍 What we like: They acknowledged the complaint, apologized, and offered to resolve the issue by inviting the customer to contact them directly.
👎 What we don’t like: The response was delayed by several months, so whatever solution they offered no longer felt relevant. They also didn’t directly address the specific concerns mentioned (short visit time, poor cleaning results), which made the apology feel generic.
💡 What could be done better: Respond promptly, address the key details mentioned in the review, and explain how the company plans to prevent similar issues in the future.
You can’t stop negative reviews, but you can control how you respond. Thoughtful, timely replies show customers (and everyone reading) that you care about making things right.
If you’re a small business owner whose bread and butter is running client meetings and appointments, you might want to consider using a tool like YouCanBookMe. It’s an online scheduling solution that not only makes it easy for clients to book with you but also handles meeting confirmations and reminders automatically, including SMS notifications.
And here’s a bonus: you can even use those SMS or email follow-ups to ask for reviews, helping you build a stronger reputation over time.