What to Say When Responding to a Bad Review
A harsh review can feel personal, especially when it's about work you're proud of. The right response shows future customers you're professional and willing to make things right.
Use these when
- Replying publicly to a critical review
- Reaching out privately to resolve the issue
- A review contains factual errors
- A customer had a genuinely bad experience
Skip these if
- Don't get defensive or argue in public
- Don't ignore it and hope it disappears
- Don't offer excuses instead of solutions
15 replies to choose from
I'm sorry to hear about your experience — this isn't the standard we aim for. Please reach out directly so we can make this right.
Solid public response, invites private resolution.
I'm really sorry we let you down here. I'd love the chance to fix this — please message me directly.
Sincere, ownership-focused.
Thank you for the honest feedback. We'd like to understand more and make things right — please reach out when you can.
Gracious and open to dialogue.
Really appreciate you flagging this — this isn't what we want your experience to be, and we'd love to fix it.
Warm, keeps things human.
We take feedback seriously and have already addressed the issue you mentioned. Please reach out if you'd like to discuss further.
Shows action was taken.
Hey, sorry this didn't go the way it should have — let's chat and see how we can fix it.
Direct, personal touch.
Sorry about your experience — please contact us directly so we can resolve this.
Quick and to the point.
We stand by our service, but we're happy to discuss your specific experience privately.
Use when the review contains inaccuracies.
Thanks for sharing this. We've looked into it and would like to offer a resolution — please message us.
Professional, solution-oriented.
This is disappointing to read, and I'm sorry it happened. Please give us a chance to make it right.
Strong ownership tone.
Well, that's not the five-star experience we were going for — let's fix this together, message us anytime.
Only for lighthearted brands, defuses tension.
We appreciate all feedback, good and bad. Please reach out so we can address your concerns directly.
Neutral, professional tone.
We've made changes based on feedback like this. We'd welcome the chance to show you the improvement.
Confident and forward-looking.
We looked into this and our records show a different experience — happy to clarify privately.
Use carefully, only if review is inaccurate.
We'd like to make this right — please DM us your order details.
Efficient call to action.
Make it fit your exact message
Common questions
- Should I respond to every negative review?
- Yes, a calm, professional response shows other customers you take feedback seriously.
- How fast should I respond to a bad review?
- Within 24-48 hours if possible, before it sits unanswered too long.
- Should I offer a refund or fix publicly?
- Acknowledge the issue publicly, but move specifics like refunds to a private message.
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