How to respond to a negative review
A negative review left unanswered is the strongest argument a competitor has against you. This page covers the shape of a reply that helps — acknowledge, be specific, move it off the thread — plus a generator that writes a first draft from the review you paste.
A worked example
A one-star review that is mostly a complaint about policy.
The review
One star. Charged me a cancellation fee for moving an appointment I gave you two days notice for. Robbery. Will never come back and telling everyone I know.
A reply that lands
I understand the frustration — being charged when you gave notice feels wrong, and I'm sorry it landed that way. Our policy asks for 48 hours and you gave us two days, so this one should not have been charged; I've refunded the fee and flagged it with the front desk. If you'd like to talk it through, ask for me by name. — [Owner name]
Edit it before you post. The draft gets you past the blank box; the specifics are yours, and they are the part that reads as real.
Three rules that matter more than the wording
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Reply within a day or two, while it is still near the top of the list. A reply a month later persuades nobody.
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Take the details offline by naming a channel — a phone number or a name — rather than negotiating in the thread.
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Do not offer a refund you have no intention of paying. The reply is a public record and the next reader remembers.