Friday, November 13, 2020

How to respond to a Google review

 This is a difficult question and one should always be careful about how to respond. It depends on the review, but my general response would be this:

I am not sure how to respond. I will say that it is very difficult for a business owner to respond adequately, because you never want to be mean in your response, but if you do not defend yourself then there is nothing preventing the reviewer from continuing their assault on your character and even increasing the severity of what they are saying about you.

I do not think that the solution to this is for Google to remove negative reviews, because then people would just complain about how they were being censored. So I don't know what the answer is.

It is very difficult for a business owner to respond adequately, because you never want to be mean in your response, but if you do not defend yourself then there is nothing preventing the reviewer from continuing their assault on your character and even increasing the severity of what they are saying about you.


Online reviews are the source of great pain and suffering for many businesses, particularly small to medium sized businesses.


Online reviews have always been a part of life on this planet Earth. Humans have been writing them since about 3000 BC when they first discovered how to write with a stylus (pen) or quill (feather). It was not until the rise of the internet that these online reviews became part of human life in ways that we had never before experienced. And it has changed our lives forever.


We humans love online reviews; there is no doubt about it. We all want more positive ones and fewer negative ones.

And this is where the problem starts. We humans have become obsessed with getting more positive reviews and avoiding critical ones. This has resulted in a whole array of behaviour that we call 'review chasing' or 'review begging'.


For example, many business owners will provide discounts, free items and even offer their first born child if it means they can get at least a slightly better review than three stars or less.

And that is the problem. The fact that business owners and managers are willing to go to such great lengths for online reviews has come with a high price tag: it has changed our view of what we should expect from others, especially those who provide us with products or services.

Before the rise of online reviews, most businesses did not offer discounts for positive reviews. Now they do, and it has become an expected part of life.

And this is not just true for businesses but also for the providers of products and services. Many consumers expect discounts, free items or other incentives from service providers in exchange for positive reviews.

The problem with this is that it has fundamentally changed our values. Now, we often have a higher expectation of others than before online reviews became common place.


This is a very complex question. It depends on what you mean by 'respond'. The word has several meanings.

However, it is important to keep in mind that 'respond' also has several meanings. For example, if you mean 'responding with a letter', then there are several ways to do this.

You could respond to the review in a letter.

You could respond in a conversation.

You could respond in a blog.

You could respond on social media.


A lot of people think that the best way to respond to a Google review is with charm. A warm, friendly tone garners more positivity from customers and generates better results in terms of repeat business. There are others who believe that being professional and detached is actually much better than attempting small talk with every person you come across.

I'm inclined to agree with the latter. I mean, think about it: What do you really gain from a warm and friendly tone? One can be kind to people without being overly affectionate. It shows thoughtfulness on your part, not necessarily warmth.

It is also important that you do not put too much stock in what people say. Even if they are trying to be kind, it doesn't mean that their words carry any weight. People can find it very easy to lie online, for many reasons.

For instance, they might be telling you what they think you want to hear. In such cases, no amount of charm will help.

Another possibility: their words might not come from a place of kindness. They may be trying to undermine you or your business.

There are many reasons why people lie online. For instance, they might be trying to impress others with their words.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sayings and Phrases About Grain

"Take it with a grain of salt." Meaning: To be skeptical or cautious about something, as it may not be entirely true or accurate. ...