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How to respond to a negative review: templates

A public reply to a bad review is written for the next customer reading it as much as for the reviewer. Keep it short and calm, acknowledge the problem without arguing, keep personal details out, and move the fix to a private conversation.

Updated 11 October 2026

Template

Subject: Public reply to review

Hi {reviewer_name}, Thanks for taking the time to tell us, and I'm sorry we got this wrong. {issue_acknowledgement}. I'd really like to put it right. Could you email me at {support_email} with your order number? I'll look into it personally. {agent_first_name}, {workspace}

Subject: Public reply to review

Dear {reviewer_name}, Thank you for your feedback, and please accept our apologies. {issue_acknowledgement}, and this falls short of the service we aim to provide. We would welcome the opportunity to resolve this. Please contact us at {support_email}, quoting your order number, and a senior member of the team will respond directly. {agent_first_name} Customer Service, {workspace}

Subject: Public reply to review

Sorry to read this, {reviewer_name}. {issue_acknowledgement}. Please email {support_email} with your order number and I'll sort it out. {agent_first_name}, {workspace}
{reviewer_name}
The name shown on the review. Use only what the reviewer chose to display.
{issue_acknowledgement}
One sentence naming the problem without admitting more than you know, such as "A two-week wait for a birthday present is far too long".
{support_email}
Your customer service email address.
{agent_first_name}Filled by Hobson
The first name of the person replying. Hobson fills this for replies drafted inside Hobson.
{workspace}Filled by Hobson
Your shop name. Hobson fills this.

When to use it

  • A customer leaves a one or two star review on Google, Trustpilot or a product page.
  • The review is about a real problem you can put right.
  • You want to show future customers that you respond and fix things.

If the customer has emailed or messaged you directly, use the complaint escalation template for the private reply. Complaint escalation

UK consumer law

Since April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans fake reviews and concealing or suppressing genuine negative ones. You can reply publicly and fix the problem privately, but do not offer a refund or discount on condition that the review is removed or changed. This is a general guide, not legal advice.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Find the customer

    Search Shopify by name and order date so you know what happened before replying. Do not post anything you found in the public reply.

  2. 2

    Wait an hour

    Reply within a day or two, but not while you are annoyed. A defensive public reply does more damage than the review.

  3. 3

    Write the acknowledgement

    Name the problem in one plain sentence. Do not argue the facts in public, even if the review is unfair.

  4. 4

    Fix it privately

    If the customer gets in touch, treat it as an escalated complaint and fix the problem properly.

Common mistakes

  • Posting the order number, address or any personal details in a public reply.
  • Arguing with the reviewer or correcting their account line by line.
  • Pasting the same reply under every bad review, which readers notice straight away.
  • Offering a refund in exchange for removing the review. Under UK law that can count as suppressing a genuine review.

What they usually ask next

I've emailed you as asked Complaint escalation

Related templates

All complaints and reviews templates

Questions

Reply to any review that describes a real problem. A calm, short reply shows future customers that you fix things, which matters more than the star rating on one review.

You can fix the problem and let them decide whether to update it. Making a refund or discount conditional on removing or changing the review risks breaching UK rules on suppressing reviews.

Reply calmly to say you cannot find an order matching the review and invite them to get in touch, then report it to the review platform through its own process.