Stay measured, always
No sarcasm, no capitals, no exclamation marks. If you are still annoyed, write it and send it tomorrow.
Guide · Replying
How to respond to a fake Google review
Written by Evelon Digital ·
Short answer
Reply once, calmly, and write for the next prospective customer rather than the reviewer. Note that you cannot locate a matching customer record, invite direct contact, and avoid accusations you cannot support or details that identify anyone. Report the review separately — the reply and the report are different jobs.
Your reply is for the audience, not the reviewer
The person who wrote a fake review is not going to be persuaded. Everyone else reading your profile might be, and most of them weigh how a business handles criticism at least as heavily as the criticism itself. That single shift — writing for the reader, not the writer — solves most reply problems on its own.
It also sets the tone. A calm, specific, slightly boring reply reads as a competent business. A long rebuttal reads as a business with something to defend, even when it is completely in the right.
Replying does not affect a report. You can and generally should do both: reply publicly for the audience, and report the review through the proper channel on the policy ground that fits.
Principles for a reply that helps
Do not accuse what you cannot show
"This review is fake and we know who wrote it" invites a fight. "We cannot locate a booking matching this name" is factual and lands harder.
Protect privacy — theirs and your other customers'
Never publish names, phone numbers, addresses, invoice numbers, medical or financial details, or anything about a different customer's visit.
Acknowledge the concern, not the claim
You can take an issue seriously without conceding it happened: "the experience described is not what we aim for".
Move it to a private channel
Offer one clear route — a phone number or email — and stop there. Do not negotiate in public.
Reply once
One reply, plus a brief update only if something genuinely changes. Threads make the review more prominent, not less.
Example replies you can adapt
Original wording written for this guide. Adjust them to sound like your business, and delete anything that is not true of your situation.
"Thank you for the feedback. We have checked our booking and invoice records and cannot find a visit matching this name over the period described, so we are not able to look into the specifics. If we have missed something, please contact us on [phone] or [email] and we will review it properly."
"We are sorry to see a one-star rating here. Without any detail we cannot identify the visit or what went wrong, and we would genuinely like to. If you would share what happened with us at [email], we will look into it."
"Thanks for taking the time to write. The service described here is not one we offer, so we suspect this review may have been intended for another business. If you did deal with our team, please get in touch at [phone] so we can find the record and address it."
"We appreciate the feedback. This appears to relate to employment with us rather than a customer experience. We take concerns from current and former team members seriously and would encourage anyone with an issue to raise it with us directly at [email]."
"We do not think it is appropriate to discuss the personal comments made here. Our team is held to a professional standard and we take any specific concern about service seriously. If there is a genuine issue with an order or visit, please contact us at [email]."
"Thank you for telling us, and I am sorry your visit fell short. You are right that the wait on Saturday was too long; we have changed our roster for peak periods since. If you would like to talk it through, please call me on [phone] and ask for [role]."
The last example is included on purpose. If it turns out the review was genuine, a reply in that register is the one you will be glad is public.
Phrases to avoid
- "This review is fake" — an allegation about a person you cannot substantiate publicly
- "We know this is from a competitor" — the same problem, with a defamation risk attached
- "We have reported you to Google" — it does not help the report and looks combative
- Anything naming the reviewer, their booking, their address or their medical or financial details
- "As I already explained to you on the phone…" — confirms a relationship and drags a private exchange into public view
- Legal threats of any kind in a public reply
Do this alongside the reply
1
Screenshot the review first
Reviewer name, rating, full text, date, and the direct link. Do it before you reply, because reviewers sometimes edit after a response appears.
2
Search your records and write down what you find
A dated internal note saying which systems you searched and that nothing matched is far more useful later than a memory of having checked.
3
Report on the policy ground that fits
Usually fake engagement or conflict of interest. Our guide to removing a fake Google review sets out how to frame it.
4
Tell your team what the public line is
One agreed sentence, so nobody improvises a second reply or argues with the reviewer from a personal account.
5
Keep asking genuine customers for reviews
Recent authentic reviews do more for how the profile reads than any single reply. Never incentivise them.
6
Review the outcome in a fortnight
If the review is still up and the report went nowhere, decide then whether to escalate or to let the profile do the work.
Guide FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I respond to a fake Google review?
Usually yes. A short, factual reply reassures the prospective customers who read it, and it does not affect your report. Keep it calm, avoid allegations you cannot support, and offer a direct contact route.
Does replying stop the review being removed?
No. A reply does not block or weaken a report. It simply means anyone reading the review in the meantime sees a professional response next to it.
Can I say publicly that the review is fake?
Better not. Stating that a named or identifiable person fabricated a review is an allegation you may not be able to substantiate. Saying you cannot find a matching customer record makes the same point safely.
Should I mention that I have reported the review?
No. It does not assist the report and it makes the exchange adversarial in front of your prospective customers.
What if the reviewer replies again and escalates?
Do not continue the thread. One reply is enough, and further exchanges push the review up the page. Keep screenshots of any escalating content, which may itself engage Google's harassment provisions.
Can I delete a review from my own profile?
No. Businesses cannot delete reviews. You can reply, and you can report a review that breaches policy — only the reviewer or Google can remove it.
About this guide
Written by Evelon Digital, a Sydney-based Australian digital reputation agency working with businesses across Australia. We are an independent service and are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for Google. Google decides whether content is removed, and no provider can guarantee a removal or a decision date. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Questions about your own case? Call 1300 182 204, email info@evelondigital.com.au or request a free assessment.
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