How to reply to a bad review (with examples you can adapt)

When someone leaves you one star, they're not your only audience. Everyone who reads the review afterwards also reads your reply, and that's where you win or lose them.

The four-part reply

1. Use their name and thank them. It costs nothing and shows a person is reading.
2. Name the actual problem. Not "your experience", but "the order that arrived a week late".
3. Say what you did or will do. A refund, a call, a change to how you work. Be specific.
4. Give a way to reach a person. An email address or phone number, not "contact us through our website".

Keep it under 100 words. Long replies read as defensive.

Example: late delivery

Hi Marte, thanks for telling us. Your order left our warehouse on time but sat at the courier's depot for four days, and we should have told you instead of letting tracking go quiet. We've refunded your shipping and moved northern Norway to a faster courier from next week. If anything else is off, email me directly at kari@yourshop.com.

Example: rude staff

Thomas, I'm sorry. Being spoken to like that at the counter isn't acceptable, and I've talked to the team member involved. I'd like to make it right in person: if you're willing, call me on 400 00 000 and I'll sort out your repair at no charge. Jonas, store manager.

Example: refund dispute where you disagree

Hi Sara, thanks for the review. Our records show the return arrived after the 30-day window, which is why the refund was declined. That said, I can see the delay came from the post office, so we've approved it as a one-off. You should see it on your card within 5 working days.

Notice the last one doesn't argue in public. It states the fact once and moves to the fix.

What not to do

• Don't reveal private details. No order contents, addresses or anything the customer didn't share.
• Don't accuse the reviewer of lying. If you believe a review is fake, flag it for moderation and reply briefly and politely anyway.
• Don't offer something in exchange for changing the review. On ReviewFolk that breaks our guidelines, and readers can usually tell.

Reply to good reviews too

A short, specific thank-you on positive reviews ("glad the Guji worked well as filter, it's our favourite this month too") shows readers you pay attention all the time, not only when something goes wrong.