How to Reply to Google Reviews: Wording for Contractors

Synopsis

To reply to Google reviews well, contractors should answer every review within a week, in their own voice, naming the job and the area. Thank the good ones in a sentence or two, and move any complaint off Google to a real name and phone number. Never argue in public, and never repeat anything private about the customer.

Below is the exact wording we use when we set this up for trades, ready to copy: replies for five-star, four-star, three-star, angry and fake reviews, plus the text message that asks for a review in the first place. Every template is short on purpose. Change the details every time, because a reply that reads like a template is worth less than no reply.

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Why Replies Matter More Than Most Owners Think

A homeowner choosing between three plumbers on Google Maps reads the reviews, and then reads how the owner answered them. In our experience, a calm, specific reply to a two-star review tells that homeowner more than another five-star review would, because it shows what happens when something goes wrong.

Replies also give Google and AI answers something to read. "Thanks for having us replace the hot water tank in Tuscany" tells a reader, and a machine, what you do and where you do it. "Thanks!" tells them nothing.

Google's own guidance for business owners covers replying from your Business Profile in Manage customer reviews. The wording below is how we fill that box.

The Five Rules We Follow

1. Reply to every review within a week. Good, bad and blank star-only ones. A wall of unanswered reviews reads as a business nobody is minding.
2. Sound like the owner. First person, the owner's name at the end, the words they would use on a job site.
3. Name the job and the area, naturally. "The furnace swap in Evergreen", not a list of keywords. Once per reply is plenty.
4. Never argue, and never share private details. No invoice amounts, addresses, dates of visits or "as we discussed". If the customer did not post it, you do not either.
5. Move complaints offline with a real person. A name and a direct number, not "please contact our office".

Copy-Ready Replies, Review By Review

Replace the parts in brackets. Keep each reply under about 60 words.

A five-star review that names the job

Thanks, [first name]. Glad the [job, e.g. kitchen rough-in] in [area] came together the way you wanted, and thanks for making room for the crew. If anything needs a second look, call me directly. [Owner name]

A five-star review with no detail, or stars only

Thank you, [first name]. We appreciate you taking a minute to leave a review, and we are glad the job went well. We are here whenever you need us again. [Owner name]

A four-star review with a small complaint

Thanks for the honest review, [first name]. You are right about [the specific thing, e.g. the cleanup on day two], and I have talked to the crew about it. Glad the [job] itself is working well. If there is anything still bothering you, call me at [real number]. [Owner name]

A three-star review, mixed

Thank you for the feedback, [first name]. I am sorry the [job] was not everything you expected. I would like to understand what we could have done better and make it right where we can. Please call me at [real number]. [Owner name]

A one-star review, angry

Wait a few hours before replying. Then:

[First name], I am sorry about your experience. This is not the standard we hold ourselves to, and I want to sort it out properly. Please call me directly at [real number] so we can talk it through. [Owner name], owner

Do not explain, correct the facts or mention the invoice in public. Readers judge the reply, not the dispute. If you fix the problem, the customer may update the review on their own; do not ask them to change it in exchange for anything.

A review from someone who was never a customer

We cannot find a record of working with you under this name, and we would like to understand what happened. Please call me at [real number] so we can look into it. [Owner name]

Then report it through your Business Profile. Google explains how in Report inappropriate reviews. Reviews from competitors and people with a conflict of interest are against Google's policy; reviews you simply disagree with are not.

A review that praises a staff member by name

Thank you, [first name]. I will make sure [staff first name] sees this; it is great to hear. Glad the [job] in [area] went smoothly. [Owner name]

Use the first name the customer used, and nothing more about the employee.

How To Ask For Reviews, The Right Way

Most good contractors have fewer reviews than they deserve because nobody asks at the right moment. The moment is the end of the job, when the customer is standing in a finished room or has hot water again.

Ask every customer the same way. Google's Maps content policy says businesses must not "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers", must not offer "payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" for a review, and should not "require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises". So no "text us if you were happy", no gift cards, and nobody standing over the customer while they type.

The text the crew sends at the end of the job (under 300 characters):

Hi [first name], thanks for having us out today. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other Calgary homeowners find us: [review link]. Thanks, [owner name], [business]

One follow-up, three days later if there is no review (once only):

Hi [first name], just a reminder in case it got buried: [review link]. No worries if not. [Owner name]

A card to hand over: business-card size, a QR code that opens your review link, and one line such as "Tell other homeowners how we did." Google's Tips to get more reviews explains where to find your review link.

Do not ask customers to mention a staff member, a service or a keyword in their review. The same Google policy says not to request that specific content be included.

What We Never Do

• Write, buy or swap reviews, or ask friends and family to post them.
• Offer anything in exchange for a review, or for changing a bad one.
• Ask only the customers we think are happy.
• Paste a customer's name, address or job details into an AI tool beyond what is needed to draft one reply.
• Reply with the same sentence to every review.

Where This Wording Comes From

This is the review system we set up in a Get Found job: the text, the card, replies to every existing review and a reply template in the owner's voice, alongside a rebuilt Google Business Profile and service pages. If you would rather have your social media kept up as well, that is our social media management, and if you want AI to draft these replies in your words at your desk, that is AI set up at your desk.

FAQ