How to Respond to Negative Google Reviews: What 977 Salons Taught Us (With Examples)

We looked at 9,492 recent Google reviews of 977 hair salons and barbershops. Two out of three negative reviews never got a reply. Here is what that costs, a simple way to reply, and eight example replies you can adapt.

By Pankaj Aggarwal, Founder, Revfer · October 20, 2026 · 9 min read

Most Negative Reviews Never Get a Reply

A one-star review stings. It is public, it is often unfair, and it sits there while you get on with your day. So most owners do the natural thing: nothing.

We wanted to know how common that is, so we looked at real data. We analysed the 10 most recent Google reviews of 977 hair salons and barbershops, almost all of them in Massachusetts: 9,492 reviews in total. Here is what we found:

• 69% of negative reviews (1 and 2 stars) had no reply from the business. Of 633 negative reviews, only 199 were answered.
• Salons were slightly less likely to reply to a 1-star review (31%) than to a 5-star review (36%).
• Of the 325 salons with at least one recent 1-star review, 62.5% left every one of them unanswered.
• 43% of salons had not replied to any of their 10 most recent reviews, good or bad. Only 14% had replied to all of them.

Negative reviews are not rare, either. Across the full review histories of 1,385 salons, 59% had received at least one 1-star review. If you have not had one yet, you probably will.

Why Your Reply Matters More Than the Review

When someone reads a negative review, they also read what you said, or notice that you said nothing. The reply is your side of the story, and it is written for every future customer, not just the reviewer.

Customers notice:

• In BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey of 1,002 US consumers, 89% said they expect a business owner to respond to reviews.
• 42% said they are unlikely to use a business that never replies, and 80% said they are more likely to use one that responds to every review.
• Timing matters too: 32% expected a reply by the next day, and 81% within a week.

Replying also changes what happens next. Davide Proserpio and Georgios Zervas studied tens of thousands of TripAdvisor hotel reviews and published the results in Marketing Science in 2017. After hotels started responding to reviews, they received 12% more reviews, and their ratings rose by an average of 0.12 stars.

The good news from our data: the salons that did reply were quick about it. The median reply came within about a day, and three quarters arrived within a week. Replying well is a habit, not a heroic effort.

A Simple Way to Reply to Any Negative Review

You do not need a script. You need a structure you can use every time, in your own words.

1. Wait until you are calm. A few hours is fine. A defensive reply posted in anger is the one thing worse than no reply.
2. Thank them, and use their name if it is shown. It costs nothing and sets the tone.
3. Acknowledge the specific problem. Repeat what went wrong in a few words, so they, and every reader, know you actually read it.
4. Apologise for their experience. You can be sorry that someone had a bad visit without agreeing with every detail.
5. Add one or two lines of useful context. What you have changed, what normally happens, or a fact that corrects a misunderstanding. Keep it short and never argue.
6. Move the conversation offline. Give a direct phone number or email and invite them to get in touch. Resolve the details privately.
7. Sign it. A name, ideally the owner's or manager's, makes it personal.

Google's own advice for replies points the same way: be professional and polite, keep it short and simple, make each reply count instead of sending the same thank-you to everyone, and stay conversational rather than promotional.

In our data, replies to negative reviews were naturally longer than replies to positive ones, a median of 74 words against 22. That is about right: three or four sentences, not an essay.

Eight Example Replies You Can Adapt

These are written for a salon, but the structure works for any business. Change the details to match what actually happened. Never paste the same reply under different reviews.

1. Long wait or late appointment

Hi Jordan, thank you for letting us know, and I'm sorry you waited 40 minutes past your appointment time on Saturday. That's not the experience we want anyone to have. We've since changed how we book back-to-back colour appointments so the schedule doesn't slip. I'd love to make it up to you; please call me directly at [phone]. — Maria, owner

2. Rude or dismissive staff

Hi Sam, I'm really sorry you felt brushed off at the front desk. Everyone who walks in should feel welcome, and I've spoken with the team about what happened. If you're willing, I'd like to hear more about your visit so I can put it right. You can reach me at [email]. — Maria, owner

3. Unhappy with the result

Hi Alex, thank you for being honest about the cut. I'm sorry it wasn't what you asked for. When a client isn't happy with a style, we offer a free adjustment within two weeks, and I'd be glad to book that with a senior stylist. Please call us at [phone] and ask for me. — Maria, owner

4. Price or billing dispute

Hi Priya, I'm sorry the final price came as a surprise. Toner and treatments are priced separately on our menu, but we should have confirmed that with you before starting, and we're now doing that for every appointment. If you'd like to go through the charge together, please email me at [email]. — Maria, owner

5. A star rating with no text

Hi Chris, thank you for your rating. I'm sorry we didn't get it right for you, and I'd really like to understand what happened so we can do better. If you're open to it, please call or text me at [phone]. — Maria, owner

6. A complaint you have already fixed

Hi Dana, thank you for flagging the problem with online booking. You were right: our booking page was showing slots that weren't actually available. That's been fixed since last week, and I'm sorry for the wasted trip. We'd love to see you again. — Maria, owner

7. A review that seems to be for another business

Hi Taylor, I'm sorry to hear about this experience. We couldn't find a booking under your name, and we don't offer the nail service you mention, so this may have been meant for another salon. If it was us, please contact me at [phone] and I'll look into it right away. — Maria, owner

Stay polite even when you think the review is a mistake. Readers see the reply, and a calm, factual answer protects you far better than an accusation. If the review breaks Google's rules, report it as well (see below).

8. An angry, exaggerated review

Hi Morgan, I'm sorry your visit left you this upset. That's never what we want. I'd prefer to sort this out properly rather than here, so please call me directly at [phone] and I'll make time to talk it through. — Maria, owner

Do not answer point by point. A short, calm reply makes the business look reasonable, and future readers can judge the rest for themselves.

What Never to Write

• Arguments or sarcasm. Even when you are right, winning the argument loses the reader.
• Private details. Never mention appointment details, health information, or anything else the reviewer did not share publicly.
• Accusations. Do not call someone a liar or a competitor in a public reply. If you believe a review is fake, report it.
• Offers in exchange for changing the review. Google strictly prohibits offering incentives for reviews.
• Copy-paste replies. BrightLocal found that 50% of consumers are put off by generic or templated replies. In our data, only about 4% of salons that replied regularly used the same text for most of their replies, so specific replies are already the norm.
• Advertising. A reply to a complaint is not the place for this week's offer.

When to Flag a Review Instead

Google only removes reviews that break its policies. It says plainly: do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it. But some reviews do qualify. Google's policy for Maps contributions prohibits, among other things:

• Fake engagement: content not based on a real experience at your business
• Conflict of interest: for example, reviews from competitors or current or former employees
• Off-topic content: reviews that are not about an experience at your location
• Harassment, hate speech, and personal information

To report a review, open your Business Profile, go to your reviews, select the report option next to the review, and choose the reason. Google says evaluation typically takes several days, and if a report is rejected you can appeal once through its Reviews Management Tool.

Reply anyway while you wait. A short, factual reply protects you whether or not the review comes down.

Make It a Habit, Not a Crisis

The salons in our data that replied did not need hours to do it; they replied within a day or so, in a few sentences. What separates them from the 43% who replied to nothing is a routine:

• Turn on review notifications in your Business Profile so you see new reviews the same day.
• Reply to every negative review within a day or two, using the structure above.
• Reply to positive reviews too, briefly and specifically, so a reply on a negative review doesn't stand out as defensive.
• Look for patterns. If the same complaint shows up three times, the fix is in the business, not in the reply.

The hard part isn't writing the reply; it's remembering to, on a busy day, every time. That's the part worth automating: a tool that notices the review and hands you a draft, so all that's left is reading it and approving.

Speed matters for other customer questions too; we look at the cost of slow answers in The True Cost of After-Hours Customer Inquiries. And if you use AI to help with replies, it only works if it knows your business: see Train AI on Your Business.

What This Looks Like With Revfer

Revfer watches your Google reviews and drafts a reply the moment a new one lands, in your voice and responding to what the customer actually said. You read it, change anything you like, and approve. The reply then publishes directly to your Google Business Profile. Nothing is posted until you approve it.

Unlimited review reply drafts are included free; you copy the draft and post it yourself. Premium publishes approved replies to Google for you.

Never leave a review unanswered: start free →

About Our Data

We analysed the 10 most recent public Google reviews of 977 hair salons and barbershops, collected in April 2026: 9,492 reviews in total. 957 of the 977 businesses are in Massachusetts, the rest in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. A review counted as answered if it showed an owner reply. Reply times were measured from the review to the owner's reply. The share of businesses with at least one 1-star review comes from the star breakdown of 1,385 salons' full review histories. All figures are aggregates; no business or reviewer is identified. Results describe this sample of salons and may differ for other industries and regions.

Sources

1. Revfer analysis of public Google reviews of 977 hair salons and barbershops (April 2026). See About Our Data above.
2. BrightLocal. (2026). "Local Consumer Review Survey 2026": 1,002 US consumers; 89% expect an owner response; 80% more likely to use a business that responds to every review; 42% unlikely to use one that never replies; 32% expect a reply by the next day and 81% within a week; 50% put off by generic or templated replies. brightlocal.com
3. Proserpio, D., and Zervas, G. (2017). "Online Reputation Management: Estimating the Impact of Management Responses on Consumer Reviews." Marketing Science. Summary: informs.org
4. Google Business Profile Help. "Read and reply to reviews" and "Tips to write better review replies." support.google.com
5. Google Business Profile Help. "Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile." support.google.com
6. Google. "Maps user-generated content policy: Prohibited and restricted content." support.google.com

About Pankaj Aggarwal
Pankaj Aggarwal is the founder of Revfer. He has spent more than 20 years building enterprise software and IoT systems and holds more than 10 US patents. He writes about how small businesses can put AI to work without having to become AI experts.