The four rules every reply follows
- Keep it to one to three sentences. Long replies read as defensive.
- Mention something specific from the review, so it's clearly not copied and pasted.
- Never argue, blame the customer or share their details in public.
- Never promise a refund or discount in a public reply; offer to talk instead.
Replies to 5-star reviews
Thank them, name what they liked, and invite them back:
- Café: “Thank you, Priya! So glad the cold coffee hit the spot. See you again soon.”
- Restaurant: “Thanks a lot, Rahul, for the lovely words about the dal makhani. Our kitchen team will be thrilled.”
- Salon: “Thank you, Sneha! Happy you loved the new cut. We'll see you for the next trim.”
- Shop (Hinglish): “Thank you so much, Amit ji! Aapko naya phone pasand aaya, sunke bahut accha laga. Phir zaroor aaiye.”
- Café (Hinglish): “Shukriya, Neha! Masala chai pasand aayi, yeh sunke din ban gaya. Jaldi milte hain.”
Replies to 4-star and mixed reviews
Thank them, accept the small complaint without excuses, and say what you'll do:
- Restaurant: “Thank you, Karan. Glad you enjoyed the biryani, and sorry about the wait on a busy Sunday. We're adding a person at the counter on weekends.”
- Gym: “Thanks, Pooja! Good to hear you like the trainers. You're right about the AC in the cardio area, and it's being serviced this week.”
- Shop (Hinglish): “Thank you, Vikas ji. Billing mein der ke liye sorry, weekend pe ek extra counter shuru kar rahe hain.”
Replies to 1-star and 2-star reviews
Apologise plainly, don't argue the details in public, and offer a direct way to talk:
- Restaurant: “We're sorry, Anjali, the food arrived cold. That isn't the standard we aim for. Please call us on the number on our profile so we can make it right.”
- Salon: “Sorry to hear you weren't happy with the colour, Ritu. We'd like to understand what went wrong; please message us and we'll find a time to talk.”
- Shop: “We apologise for the trouble with the exchange, Mr Shah. Please visit or call and ask for the manager, who will sort it out personally.”
- Café (Hinglish): “Sorry, Rohan, aapka experience accha nahi raha. Hum isse theek karna chahte hain, please humein call ya message kijiye.”
Replies for clinics and pharmacies
Health businesses must be careful: never confirm in public that someone is a patient, and never mention a treatment, a medicine or a health detail, even if the reviewer did. Keep replies general:
- Good review: “Thank you for your kind words about our team. We're glad you had a good experience with us.”
- Bad review: “We're sorry to hear this and take every concern seriously. Please contact our front desk so we can look into it privately.”
Replies to reviews with no text
Many reviews are just stars. Reply anyway, briefly: “Thank you for the 5 stars, Meera! Hope to see you again soon.” For a low star rating with no words: “Sorry we let you down. We'd really like to know what happened; please get in touch.”
Should I reply in Hinglish or Hindi?
Reply in the language the customer wrote in. If they wrote in Hinglish, an English reply can feel cold, and a Hinglish one sounds like a real person at the counter. If they wrote in Hindi, reply in Hindi. When in doubt, use simple English: everyone reading after them can follow it.