Replyra Guides
Sooner or later, a review shows up that just isn't true — a one-star from someone who was never a customer, a complaint about a competitor's mistake, or a rant that's wildly out of proportion to what actually happened. Your first instinct is to argue. That's the instinct to resist. The review is public, but so is your reply, and future customers will read both.
If a review violates a platform's policy (no real transaction, hate speech, spam, obviously the wrong business), report it through Google Business Profile, Yelp, or Facebook's built-in flagging tools. Removal can take days or never happen, so write your public reply in the meantime — don't leave it sitting unanswered while you wait.
Even when a review is unfair, a defensive or sarcastic reply is what people remember — not the original complaint. State what actually happened, once, without adjectives like "ridiculous" or "completely false."
"This is a completely fake review. We have no record of this person ever visiting. Shameful that people lie like this online."
"We've checked our records and have no booking under this name for that date. If you did visit us, please email [address] with your receipt or appointment time so we can look into it properly."
A flat "this never happened" reads the same whether it's true or not. Naming a specific, checkable detail — a booking system, a date range, an invitation to follow up — signals to anyone reading later that you have nothing to hide.
Don't post someone's phone number, order details, or account info in a public reply, even to prove they're wrong — it can violate the platform's rules and makes your business look worse, not theirs. Move specifics to a direct message or email.
One clear, calm reply is enough. Going back and forth in the comments with a reviewer — even a dishonest one — reads as your business being difficult, not the reviewer.
"Sorry to see this, David — we don't have a record matching this visit under your name or a linked booking. Happy to look into it directly if you email us at [address] with more detail."