The best review response template is a skeleton, not a script: thank the customer, name one specific detail from their review, and give a next step. The industry changes the detail and the next step. A restaurant names the dish, a salon names the stylist, a dental practice names nothing about the care at all.
Below are starting points for five industries. Each has a positive and a negative version, and each has one rule that matters more than the wording.
Why copy-pasted replies backfire
Readers scan your replies to judge whether a human is behind the profile. When ten reviews get the identical "Thank you for your feedback!" the replies stop counting as evidence of anything.
Treat every template below as a first draft. Swap in the detail the customer gave you, cut anything that doesn't fit, and keep it under four sentences. Our posts on replying to a positive review and a negative review cover the general structure these templates build on.
Restaurants
Positive: "Thanks, [Name]. Glad the [dish] landed. We'll tell the kitchen. Hope to see you back for [seasonal item]."
Negative: "You're right that [the wait / the cold plate] wasn't up to our standard. Please email [contact] with the date and we'll look into it."
The rule: never argue about a busy night. Everyone is busy on a busy night. More in review management for restaurants.
Salons and spas
Positive: "Thanks, [Name]. [Stylist] will be thrilled you love the colour. See you for the touch-up."
Negative: "Sorry the cut wasn't what you pictured. We'd like to fix it. Please call [number] and ask for [manager] so we can book a correction."
The rule: offer to redo the work rather than a discount, and don't name the staff member in a negative reply. Crediting people in public is for praise. See review management for salons and spas.
Dental and medical practices
Positive: "Thank you for the kind words. We're glad your visit went well."
Negative: "We take feedback seriously. Please contact our office manager at [number] so we can talk this through."
The rule: never confirm the person is a patient, never mention treatment, and never repeat their details. Even "glad your root canal went well" can disclose protected health information. The dental practice playbook goes through exactly what to avoid.
Auto repair
Positive: "Thanks, [Name]. Glad the [brake noise] is gone. Call us if anything feels off."
Negative: "We want to understand the billing. Please call [number] with your work order and [manager] will go through it with you."
The rule: price disputes are the most common one-star complaint in repair, so offer a conversation about the invoice rather than defending it in public. The full approach is in our auto repair shop guide.
Home services
Positive: "Thanks, [Name]. [Technician] will be pleased you noticed the tidy workspace. Call us any time."
Negative: "Sorry the job ran past the window we gave you. That's on us. Please call [number] so we can put it right."
The rule: answer the schedule complaint directly. Late arrival is the most common home-service gripe, and a reply that skips it looks evasive.
Four-star and three-star reviews
Mixed reviews are the easiest to ignore and the most useful to answer. Thank the customer for the praise, pick up the one thing they flagged, and say what you're doing about it: "Glad the haircut worked out. You're right the wait was long, and we've added a second chair on Saturdays." Only promise the change if you've actually made it.
What no template should include
- An offer of money, a discount or a freebie in exchange for editing or removing the review. Google treats that as manipulation.
- Any claim that the reviewer is lying, even when you're sure.
- Personal details about the customer or their visit.
- A reply written in anger. Draft it, wait a day, then post.
Cut the volume of replies you have to write
Every private complaint that reaches you before it becomes a public one is a reply you never have to write. With Starboard, every customer gets the same star prompt and chooses whether to post publicly or send a private note to you, so some problems arrive in your inbox first. Nothing is hidden or filtered, and public reviews still need an answer.
Pick your industry, rewrite the template in your own voice once, and save it as your starting draft. Then change the detail every time.