GuideGoogle & Reviews

Answering an Unfair Review Calmly, or Reporting It

Some reviews are simply wrong. The guest was never there, the dish is not on your menu, or you were closed that day. Even so, the review stays up for now.

Works with ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, including the free versions.

The matching prompt in Prep List writes a calm reply aimed mainly at the guests reading along, and gives you an opinion on whether reporting the review to Google is worthwhile, with the reason to give.

What you get

A factual reply of no more than 80 words
An opinion on whether we should report the review
The reasoning to use when reporting it to Google

What the result looks like

Example for a neighbourhood bistro, shortened

Review (1 star): "The steak was cold and the waiter was rude. Never again!" Our view: We were closed on the Monday mentioned, and there is no booking under that name. Reply: Hello, thank you for your message. We take all feedback seriously and have checked: we were closed on the Monday you mention, and we cannot find a booking under your name. Perhaps there has been a mix-up. Please get in touch with us directly and we will look into it together. Hannah Doyle, The Copper Pot Assessment: Worth reporting, reason "Not a genuine customer experience".

Prompt 203 in Prep List

Reply to an Unfair Review

In the app

The ready-made prompt is part of Prep List.

Already tailored to your restaurant, together with 499 more for reviews, menu, team, Instagram and events.

Get Prep List

Good to know

If there is no evidence of a real visit, or the review is abusive, you can flag it to Google. Giving a clear reason helps the review team check it.

Always stay factual. Guests reading along decide who to believe, and calm sounds more credible.
Do not accuse anyone of bad intent, even if you suspect it. Mention a possible mix-up instead.
Reporting and replying are not either/or. Reply anyway, because a report can take a while.

Frequently asked questions

When can I report a review to Google?

For example when there is no evidence of a real customer experience with your business, when the review is abusive, or when it clearly belongs to another business. Google decides whether it is removed.

Can I offer a guest something to delete their review?

No. Google does not allow incentives for changing or removing reviews, and it can harm your profile.

Also worth reading

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