Respond to every negative review promptly, professionally, and without defensiveness. Acknowledge the experience, express genuine concern, and offer to resolve the issue offline by providing a direct contact. Keep the public response brief because it signals to future customers how you handle problems, not just to the reviewer.
Never argue or blame the customer publicly, even when the complaint is inaccurate. A measured, professional response to a negative review can actually increase trust with potential customers who read it. Community Proud helps develop review response templates and an ongoing strategy for both positive and negative reviews as part of our Google Business Profile management service.