5 Great Review Response Examples For 2022

It’s 2022 and now more than ever customers are interacting with companies online. So what does that mean for review response management?

Simply put, more and more people are scrutinizing how your company replies to reviews across platforms. You can make a great impact and win customers over with your review response strategy — or make customers turn to your competitors.

Here’s why you should take special care when responding to reviews this year

• 70% of customers read only four online reviews before making a decision about a company. Ensure your voice is heard by replying to each review you receive.
• Customers are 65% more likely to use a business if it has positive reviews. It’s incredibly important to reply to reviews, especially negative ones. You could flip their perspective! 33% of customers who leave negative reviews revise their review to be more positive after receiving a response.
• 53% of customers expect a reply to their negative review within a week. Reply quickly for a better chance at engaging and winning back a customer!

Below, we analyze five different review responses brands have taken already this year. Learn how you can up your review response game by following their lead!

1. The “Everything Was Wonderful” Review

Hopefully, your review profiles are full of reviews that praise your company as much as this reviewer praised their stay at the Viceroy Chicago on Tripadvisor! Even if you have plenty of 5-star reviews, you still should reply to them — especially if they offer as much detail as this one does. That customer already has a great impression of you — replying will put a cherry on top of their already-fantastic experience. Plus, you’ll look good in the eyes of potential customers.

Here’s what the general manager’s reply did well:

• Emphasized how grateful they are for the review in a personal tone.
• Took the opportunity to praise their own staff in a subtle way (“Thank you for recognizing the effort that is put forth to create a memorable stay”).
• By mentioning Jason, they showed they paid attention to the review’s details.

2. The “Blatantly Rude” Review

This reviewer complains about a wait they experienced at Pete’s Fresh Market due to a lack of cashiers — but takes it too far when they comment on a cashier’s appearance. This review seems very combative, so it would’ve been reasonable for the owner to simply report the review for takedown (particularly easy to do on Google Business Profile). Instead, the owner made the most of the moment and spoke directly to those reading who may be on a job search.

Here’s what they did well:

• Apologized immediately.
• Made an excuse, but it was really more of an explanation. Typically you should steer clear of excuses in your response, but since the reviewer resorted to ad hominem attacks, and the national labor shortage is a well-known issue, most potential customers who scroll past will see this as a fair response.
• Seized the opportunity to advertise that they are hiring. They noted the benefits of working there and told people how to apply. Don’t limit yourself to just the situation at hand when replying to reviews — use the topic as a jumping off point to inform other customers of what’s going on at your business!

3. The “Concise But Not Nice” Review

This reviewer didn’t go into much detail about the situation — and one star seems a bit extreme — but the owner didn’t let that stop them from replying!

Here’s what they did well:

• Apologized in a personal way (including a mention of the reviewer’s name).
• Took the opportunity to mention the role their grocery store plays in customers’ lives (“part of your healthy living journey”) — something your company can do no matter the industry.
• Explained how they are aiming to improve in the future.

4. The “Mistakes Were Made” Review

The reviewer complains of the restaurant being overbooked on Valentine’s Day, and this may very well have caused some of the issues they experienced. But every business makes mistakes, and Fogo de Chao’s reply may help the reviewer give the restaurant another chance.

Here’s what they did well:

• Emphasized why this is not representative of their brand (“We always want to offer attentive and helpful service”).
• Explained what they are doing to make the situation better in the future.
• Said they’d like another chance to earn a “five-star level of satisfaction.” It’s likely if the customer returns to the restaurant and has a completely different experience they’ll redo their review.

5. The “Positive Opportunity” Review

This 5-star review was short and sweet — but Naples Luxury Imports (a Florida car dealership) takes it as an opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty.

Here’s what they did well:

• Praised the customer for leaving a review, making them feel listened to.
• Explained they want to do even better on the customer’s return visit — despite the fact they already left 5 stars. This reply strategy will make you look great to potential future customers.
• Plugged their social media pages. It’s never a bad idea to get another follow!