How to respond to negative reviews, with 6 examples

How do you respond to a negative review?

Answer a bad review in a few calm lines, and save the long explanation for email. Baymard's 2026 product page research found 89% of the sites it studied don't respond to negative reviews. A few low stars hurt less than they feel. Northwestern's Spiegel Research Center found the chance of a purchase usually peaks at ratings between 4.0 and 4.7, then falls as they near 5.0.

1. Check the order first. Find the order, its tracking and any message from that shopper before you write a word.
2. Reply within a day or two. If the fix takes longer, say what you're doing now and finish the story later.
3. Thank them and name the problem in their words. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, generic, templated replies put off half of consumers.
4. Own your part, and explain the rest. Apologize for what was yours. If the carrier lost a day, say so once, without blaming the shopper.
5. Take the details to email. Give one address, and never post an order number or anything personal. Your apology email carries the rest.
6. Follow up when it's fixed. Edit your reply to add what happened. You may ask once whether they'd like to update the review, with nothing attached.

When one complaint shows up three times, fix the cause too. Three "runs small" reviews call for a size note on the product page, not three apologies.

Negative review response examples you can copy

Swap the bracketed parts, keep one detail from their review near the top, and sign with your name. Each sample below was written for this page.

1. The parcel arrived late

Sample reply: "Sorry for the wait, [name], and thanks for telling us. Your order left us on [date], and the carrier took [number] days longer than it should have. We've emailed you about [what you're doing]. If anything else is wrong, write to [email]. [Your name], [store]"

2. You sent the wrong item or size

Sample reply: "[Name], that one's on us, and we're sorry. You ordered [item] in [size], and we packed [what arrived]. The right one ships [today], and our email explains what to do with the other. [Your name]"

3. It arrived broken or doesn't work

Sample reply: "Hi [name], [product] should never reach you [cracked]. Send a photo to [email] or reply to your order email, and we'll send a replacement or a refund, your choice. [Your name]"

4. It didn't fit or didn't match the photos

Sample reply: "Thank you for the detail on [fit or color], [name]. [Product] runs [small], and we've added that to the size guide. If you'd like [another size], write to [email] and we'll set up the exchange. [Your name]"

5. A mixed three-star review

Sample reply: "Glad the [what they liked] works for you, [name], and thanks for being straight about [what they didn't]. We're [the change you're making]. If you'd like us to [make it right], write to [email]. [Your name]"

6. A review you can't match to an order

Sample reply: "We're sorry to read this, [name]. We can't find an order under this name, so we can't see what went wrong yet. Please write to [email] with your order number, and we'll look into it today. [Your name]"

Don't call a review fake in public. If you believe it is, report it where it was posted. For what a useful good review says, see these customer review examples.

What should you never do after a bad review?

Never argue in public, never trade anything for a better review, and never hide a review because of its stars. In the US, the FTC's rule on consumer reviews covers threats and hiding.

Arguing or threatening. The rule bans groundless legal threats, physical threats, intimidation and public accusations you know are false, used to stop a review or get it taken down. FTC staff put it simply: you can reply in public, and you should watch what you say.

Paying for a change. Shopify's rules for Shop reviews say not to offer "money, discounts, free products, or refunds" to change or remove a review, and Google treats it as fake content. FTC staff add that paying to change or remove a truthful negative review may violate the FTC Act. Fix the problem with no strings attached.

Hiding it for its stars. The rule bars a store from holding back reviews for their rating or negative tone while presenting the rest as most or all of its reviews. A rule you apply to every rating is fine: you may hold back a review with abuse or someone's personal details, one you reasonably believe is fake, or one about something you don't sell.

Burying a bad review under fake good ones breaks the same rule. A knowing breach can bring civil penalties. This isn't legal advice. The honest way to add good ones is asking every buyer, which a review request email does.

How do you reply to reviews on your Shopify store?

You reply where the review lives: in Shopify's Shop channel for Shop app reviews, and in your review app for the reviews on your product pages.

For a Shop app review, go to Sales channels, then Shop, then Reviews, and click the review. Type up to 1,000 characters in "Reply to this review", the reply box, and click Send reply. Shopify may screen it, then it shows under the review in the Shop app and the reviewer gets a notification. If they edit or delete the review, your reply comes down, says Shopify's Help Center.

On your product pages, most review apps let you reply from their review list. In Sledge, a Shopify app with product reviews in every plan, you answer any review from one list in your admin. Open Tools, then Product Review, then Product Reviews. Under Publishing, sort that list by Lowest rating. Click Reply, write in the box and click Save. Your reply shows under the review on your store, marked with an Admin badge.

Reviews that don't publish on their own wait in that list until you click Publish. Publish the genuine low ones too, then reply. Unpublishing a genuine review because it's low is the hiding the rule above is about.

How do you respond to negative reviews on Google?

Google reviews sit on a Business Profile, which Google gives only to a business that meets customers in person during its stated hours. A store that sells only online can't have one, so this part applies once you have a shop or showroom people can visit. Once the profile is verified, these are Google's steps:

1. Go to your Business Profile and select Read reviews.
2. Next to the review, select Reply.
3. Type your reply and select Reply.

Google checks each reply against its content policies, usually within 10 minutes and sometimes up to 30 days. It then shows under the review in your business's name, not yours, and the reviewer is notified. To change it later, select Edit under your reply.

Google's own tips say much the same, plus one: don't use a reply to offer deals. To flag a review that breaks Google's rules, select Report next to it, pick a reason and select Send report. Google's decision on a report can take several days, and you can appeal once if the review stays up.