Example replies
Before you copyEdit every reply to fit: only promise actions, refunds or policies that are true for your business, and replace anything in [brackets].
Restaurant, restroom complaint
Thank you for flagging the restroom, [Name]. You're right that it wasn't up to standard that evening. We've added a mid-shift restroom check to our closing list and a sign-off sheet on the door so it doesn't slide during a rush. If you're willing to give us another try, I'd like to hear how it compares. You can reach me directly at [phone]. [Manager name]
Hotel, room not cleaned well
[Name], I'm sorry the room wasn't ready the way it should have been, especially the bathroom and the hair you found on the pillowcase. That isn't acceptable. Our housekeeping lead re-inspected that floor the next morning and we've added a second check on every room before it's released. Please contact our front desk manager at [email] so we can follow up with you personally.
Gym, equipment and locker room
Thanks for telling us about the wipe stations running empty and the state of the locker room on Saturday. We've moved restocking to every two hours on weekends and added a staff walk-through at noon. Members shouldn't have to hunt for spray. If you spot anything else, the front desk will log it on the spot. [Name], General Manager
Salon, short and direct
Hi [Name], thank you for the honest feedback about hair on the floor and stations between clients. You shouldn't sit down in someone else's trim. We've reset our sweep-and-sanitize routine between every appointment. I'd welcome the chance to show you the difference. [Owner name]
Cleaning company left a mess
[Name], a cleaning service leaving a kitchen worse than it found it is exactly the kind of thing we should hear about, so thank you. I'd like to understand what happened on that visit and make it right. Please call me at [phone] or email [email] with a good time to talk. [Owner name]
You checked and found no issue
Thank you for the review, [Name]. After reading it I walked the dining room and patio myself, and I'm also asking our closing team to log each table check so nothing gets missed. If there was a specific spot that bothered you, I'd like to know. Please reach out at [email] and I'll look at it personally.
Why a specific fix beats a defense
A cleanliness complaint is one of the few negative reviews that new customers read as a warning about their own visit. Someone deciding where to eat, stay or get a haircut won’t weigh your side of the story against the reviewer’s. They want to know whether the problem is still there. A reply that names the exact spot (the restroom, the pillowcase, the wipe station) and says what changed answers that question. A reply that says “we clean every night” answers a question nobody asked.
Keep it tight. For a hygiene complaint, a good reply is usually one sentence of thanks, one sentence naming the issue, one or two sentences on the fix, and a way to reach you.
Check before you write
Go and look first, ideally the same day and at the same time of day the reviewer visited. If the reviewer is right, your reply can say so with a concrete detail. If you can’t find anything, say that you looked and what you are doing to keep it consistent, without calling the reviewer wrong. Readers notice when an owner bothered to check.
What to leave out
- Staff names. “Our evening cleaner missed it” shifts blame onto someone who can’t answer, and readers see it as passing the buck.
- Arguments about the photo. If they posted one, it stays unless it breaks a content policy.
- Discounts or a free return visit in the reply. Anything that looks like a reward for changing the review crosses Google’s incentive rules.
- Health code language you aren’t sure about. Stick to what you did.
After the reply
The reviewer is notified when you reply and can update their review whenever they like. If they come back and see a difference, some will say so on their own. Don’t ask them to change it as part of fixing the problem.
If it doesn't work
- The reply never appeared: Google can take up to 30 days to review a reply. If it wasn't approved, you'll be asked to edit it, so remove anything that reads as an attack.
- The review describes a place you don't run, such as a different branch: report it instead of replying, since content must be based on an experience at that location.
- The review uses profanity to insult staff: report it under the profanity policy, then post a short, calm reply in case it stays up.
- You can't find a cause: say you looked and what you found, without calling the reviewer wrong.
Questions owners ask
Should I mention our health inspection score in the reply?
Only if it adds something and you can state it plainly, such as a recent passed inspection. Leading with it can read like you are telling the customer they imagined the problem. A sentence about what you cleaned or changed after reading their review lands better.
The reviewer posted a photo of a messy table. Can I ask Google to remove it?
Photos can be reported from the business's media in Google Maps using the menu next to the photo. Google removes content that breaks its policies, not content that is simply unflattering. A photo of a dirty table from a customer's visit usually stays.
Can I say it was a busy night and staff couldn't keep up?
Briefly, yes, if it's true, but pair it with what you are doing about it. An excuse with no fix attached tells readers the problem will happen again on the next busy night.
Do I reply to every cleanliness review, even old ones?
Reply to recent ones first and to any that describe something specific you have since fixed. An old review answered with a clear note about a fix still helps readers who find it today.
Sources
- Manage customer reviews (support.google.com)
- Prohibited and restricted content (support.google.com)
- Report or fix content on Google Maps (support.google.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.