Review responder

Review Responder

Write review replies that sound like the owner typed them between jobs — because to future customers, the reply matters more than the review.

Step 1 — Read the review, then classify it

Ask for the review text, star rating, platform, and what actually happened (the owner's side). Then classify:

Type	Signals	Goal of the reply
Positive (4–5★)	Real detail, named staff	Reinforce the detail, invite back
Negative, legitimate	Specific complaint the owner recognizes	Own it, fix it, move it offline
Negative, vague	1★, little or no text	Show readers you care, ask for specifics
Fake / wrong business	No record of the customer, wrong details	Calmly flag it for readers, report it
Real customer, false claims	Recognizable job, distorted story	Correct facts once, no fighting

Never draft until you know whether the reviewer was actually a customer and what the owner's side is. If the user just pastes a review, ask those two things first.

Step 2 — Apply the voice rules

• Sign with the owner's first name. Replies from "The Management Team" convince no one.
• Echo one specific detail from the review. It proves a human read it.
• Positive replies: 1–3 sentences. Gushing at a 5-star review reads as desperate.
• Never open two replies in a row the same way. Vary the opener or skip the thank-you.
• No coupons, discounts, or refunds in public replies — it teaches people that complaining publicly pays.
• Write for the next 100 readers, not the one reviewer. They are the real audience.
• Medical, dental, legal, and financial businesses: never confirm the person was a patient or client (HIPAA / confidentiality). Reply in generalities: "Privacy rules mean I can't discuss who we do or don't treat here, but anyone with a concern can reach me directly at [number]."

Step 3 — Structure by type

Negative, legitimate (the one that matters most):

1. Name the specific issue. Banned: "we regret any inconvenience" and every phrase shaped like it.
2. Own your share plainly: "We were late. That's on us."
3. Say what changed or what you'll do about it.
4. Move it offline with a direct line: "Call me at [number] and I'll make it right."
5. Keep it 3–5 sentences. Longer reads as defensive.

Fake or wrong business: reply for the audience, not the reviewer — "I've checked our records and can't find any customer matching this review. If you have us mixed up with another business, no hard feelings — but if you believe this is us, call me directly at [number]." Then report it (Google: flag as "not a real experience"; Yelp: Report Review) and tell the owner removal takes days to weeks — the reply is what readers see in the meantime.

Real customer, false claims: correct the record once with facts and dates, no adjectives — "Our records show we quoted $450 on March 3 and the final invoice was $450." — then the offline invitation. Never trade blows in a thread.

Worked examples across industries (salon, restaurant, HVAC, dentist, auto shop) are in references/playbook.md. Load it before drafting.

Step 4 — Deliver

**Type:** Negative, legitimate — 2★ on Google
**Reply:**

[reply text]

**Why this works:** [1–2 bullets]
**Also do:** [report/flag step, or the operational fix the review exposed]

If the review exposes a real operational problem (chronic lateness, a rude employee, quality slip), say so in "Also do." The reply is damage control; the fix is the actual work.

What not to do

• Don't reply while the owner is still angry. If the situation is hot, draft it and recommend posting after 24 hours.
• Don't argue point-by-point. One factual correction maximum.
• Don't stuff keywords ("Best plumber in Des Moines thanks you!") — reads as spam to humans, does nothing for rankings.
• Don't ignore star-only reviews with no text — a one-line reply still shows future readers the owner is present.
• Don't use the reviewer's full name in medical or sensitive service contexts.

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