How to Respond to a One-Star Google Review
Apr 24, 2025
PR
You just woke up, get your usual morning coffee, and notice its rich flavors. As you continue to enjoy it, you wonder what makes this coffee brand so good. So there you are at 6 in the morning, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, running a quick Google search. There you find it, the brand of the coffee you just drank.
But here's the thing: you notice a one-star Google review right on top of the Google search. Actually, not just one, but a few. Suddenly, that delicious coffee hits differently. You almost wished you had never looked it up in the first place.
That's the power of a bad review. It doesn't matter how good your product is, or how much effort you put into it. A one-star review on Google can shift your brand's perception, especially when these reviews are the first thing people see when googling.
Why your digital reputation matters
Let's face it, most people don't purchase or inquire without googling your business first. Your digital presence is your first impression now, and if people find one-star Google reviews or unresolved complaints, it sets the tone before you even had the chance to speak for yourself.
Here's the kicker: people trust reviews. Way more than you think. Recent studies even suggest that roughly 95% of customers read Google reviews before deciding to purchase, and most of these people trust these reviews as much as personal recommendations. This means that even if you have hundreds of happy customers who didn't leave a review, one person's bad experience can be very significant.
Negative reviews can even impact your SEO. Google favors sites with positive feedback over those with negative feedback. So, a pattern of unanswered or poorly handled review can be detrimental to your business.
Responding to negative Google reviews
I assume the reason you are reading this is that someone left your business a one-star Google review and now you are figuring out what the heck to do with it. You have probably treated all your customers very well, so it feels really unfair.
Here's the deal: ignoring it won't make it disappear. In fact, a thoughtful and timely response can turn this negative situation into an opportunity. Here's how to approach it:
Respond quickly
Try to respond within 48 hours of the bad review. This shows the customer that you care about the feedback and are proactive. A study showed that 53% of customers expect a business to respond to negative reviews within a week, but 63% say that a business never responded to their complaint.
Offer a solution
Most people don't leave one-star reviews just for the sake of doing it, it's their last resort at resolving a complaint. Maybe their order never arrived, or their reservation got cancelled last minute. Whatever the case, the core issue is usually the same: they want their complaint taken seriously, and they want it resolved.
Don't be generic
Let's be honest, your customers have probably talked to enough chatbots to last a lifetime. They've been through the “we’re sorry to hear that” auto-responses, clicked through endless loops of AI replies, and gotten more frustration than actual help. The last thing they want is another copy-pasted message pretending to be a real person.
If there's one thing you should take away from this, let it be this: a one-star Google review is not the end of the world, depending on how you handle it. Handled poorly, a bad review can cause your business real damage. You need to show that you genuinely care about their complaint and handle it as such.
That said, let's be real, not all reviews are fair. Some people leave one-star reviews out of spite, regardless of how good your service was. Others might never have been actual customers. So what can you do when the review wasn't just negative, but downright inaccurate?
Can Google reviews be removed?
Here's something you need to know if you're wondering how to remove Google reviews: There is no current method where you can remove Google reviews right away.
However, while you are not able to delete them yourself, Google does provide a way to remove reviews that are inaccurate under the right circumstances. So, while you can't remove reviews yourself you can report reviews that you feel are unfair and harming your business.
How To Remove a Google Review
While it currently isn't possible to remove reviews yourself, there is a way to report reviews that are dragging your business down. This will help restore your digital reputation and bring positive reviews more to the foreground.
Reporting the review
When you find a negative review, especially when it's fake, inappropriate or just harming your business in any way, report it. This will tell Google to look at it and determine whether or not to take it down. You can start this process by filing a Google report here.
Awaiting Google's decision
It can take anywhere from a week to a month before you hear Google's decision about the review. If Google decides that this review does violate their policies, the review will be removed. This is currently the only way to remove Google reviews.
Encourage positive reviews
The more positive feedback you get, the better. Since in many cases Google will not decide in your favor, it's good to have positive reviews that suppress these negative ones. Try to encourage your customers with a positive experience to leave feedback. Think of things like offering a small discount to those who give you a five-star review on Google.
Hire Google review experts
When you work with us, you won't have to worry about handling negative reviews, encouraging positive feedback or monitoring Google for mentions of your business.
We offer Google review services that oversee your business profile on Google. We will take care of responding to both negative and positive reviews and file removal requests.