How to Get Customers to Update Their Negative Google Reviews (2026)

A customer left you a 2-star review three weeks ago. You fixed the problem, apologized, and even gave them a discount on their next visit. They came back, had a great experience, and told you in person how happy they were. But that 2-star review? Still sitting there, dragging your rating down.

Quick Answer: Yes, customers can update their Google reviews at any time, and about a third will do so if you resolve their issue well. The key is a proven sequence: respond publicly with empathy, fix the problem, follow up privately, and then make a gentle, no-pressure request to reconsider the review. Never offer incentives or pressure them. For step-by-step guidance on crafting that initial response, see our complete guide to responding to Google reviews.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• Whether customers can actually edit Google reviews (yes, and how)
• The psychology behind why customers update reviews voluntarily
• A 5-step process that turns negative reviews into updated positive ones
• Word-for-word scripts you can adapt for your business
• Mistakes that guarantee the customer will never update their review

Can Customers Edit Their Google Reviews?

Before anything else, let's address the basic question. Yes, Google allows reviewers to edit their reviews at any time. There's no expiration date and no limit on how many times they can make changes.

Here's what customers can change:

• Star rating (from any number to any number)
• Review text (partial edits or complete rewrite)
• Photos attached to the review

What happens when a review is edited:

• The review date stays the same
• Google may add a small note that the review was modified
• The updated star rating immediately affects your overall average
• Your existing reply to the original review remains in place

The business cannot edit or delete a customer's review. Only the reviewer or Google can make changes. But you have more influence over this process than you might think.

Dealing with a negative review right now? Our free AI review response generator creates a personalized, empathetic response in seconds. No signup required.

Why Customers Update Their Reviews (The Psychology)

Understanding why someone would take time to go back and change a review helps you create the conditions that make it happen.

The Fairness Instinct

Most people have a strong sense of fairness. Psychologists call this "equity theory." When a business resolves a problem genuinely, the customer often feels an imbalance. Their negative review no longer reflects reality, and that inconsistency bothers them.

This is why the most successful review recovery happens when customers update on their own, without being asked. They fix the review because leaving it as-is feels unfair to a business that made things right.

The Service Recovery Paradox

We covered this in our guide on why responding to Google reviews matters, but it's worth repeating here. Research has documented that customers who experience a problem that gets resolved well often become more loyal than customers who never had a problem at all.

This paradox works in your favor. A customer whose complaint you handled exceptionally doesn't just update their review. They often upgrade it to a higher rating than they would have given originally.

The Relationship Factor

BrightLocal's 2024 Consumer Review Survey found that 88% of consumers are more likely to choose businesses that respond to all reviews. But beyond that, a genuine resolution creates a personal connection. The customer goes from an anonymous critic to someone who feels seen and valued.

That personal connection is what transforms "I should update my review" from a fleeting thought into an action they actually take.

The 5-Step Process for Encouraging Review Updates

This isn't about manipulation or pressure. It's about creating the conditions where updating a review feels natural and voluntary.

Step 1: Respond Publicly Within 24 Hours

Your public response is the foundation. It's the first signal to the customer (and every future customer reading) that you take feedback seriously.

Your public response should:

• Acknowledge the specific issue they described
• Express genuine empathy, not corporate boilerplate
• Avoid being defensive or making excuses
• Offer to make it right
• Provide a way to continue the conversation privately

For detailed guidance, our article on responding to negative reviews without being defensive covers this in depth.

Example public response:

"Hi Sarah, I'm sorry your dinner was disappointing, especially the wait time on a Friday night. That's not the experience we want anyone to have. I'd love the chance to make this right. Could you email me at hello@[restaurant].com so we can discuss this directly? We appreciate you letting us know."

The goal here isn't to get the review changed. It's to open the door to a real conversation.

Step 2: Resolve the Issue Completely

This is the step most businesses skip or half-complete. You can't ask someone to update a review if you haven't genuinely fixed their problem.

"Resolving" means different things depending on the complaint:

A vague "we'll do better" isn't a resolution. The customer needs to see that their feedback caused a real change.

Step 3: Deliver the Resolution and Confirm Satisfaction

After you've resolved the issue, confirm that the customer is satisfied. This is a separate conversation from the resolution itself.

Don't skip this step. If you resolve the issue but never check back, the customer may not realize the problem was actually fixed. Or they may have lingering frustrations you didn't address.

A simple message works:

"Hi Sarah, just following up. We adjusted our Friday staffing based on your feedback, and your server wanted me to pass along a personal apology. I hope that makes things right. Is there anything else we could have done better?"

Wait for their response. If they're satisfied, move to Step 4. If they're not, go back to Step 2.

Step 4: Make a Gentle, Optional Request

Only after the customer has confirmed they're happy with the resolution should you mention the review. This is where tone matters enormously.

The request should be:

• Brief (one or two sentences)
• Framed as optional ("no pressure")
• Focused on their updated experience, not your rating
• Never paired with an incentive

What to say:

"I'm glad we could make this right. If your experience with us has changed, we'd appreciate it if you considered updating your review, but no pressure at all. Either way, we're just happy you gave us a second chance."

What NOT to say:

"Since we fixed your issue, could you change your review to 5 stars? It's really hurting our business." ❌

"We gave you a refund, so it's only fair you update your review." ❌

"If you update your review, we'll give you 20% off your next visit." ❌

The first two are pressuring. The third violates Google's review policies against incentivized reviews.

Step 5: Make It Easy

If the customer agrees to update their review, don't make them figure out how. Many people don't know the exact steps.

Share these simple instructions:

1. Open Google Maps on your phone
2. Tap your profile picture (top right)
3. Tap "Your contributions"
4. Tap "Reviews"
5. Find the review and tap the three-dot menu
6. Select "Edit review"
7. Update your rating and text

You can send these steps in a follow-up message. Some businesses create a simple one-page guide with screenshots. The easier you make it, the more likely they'll follow through.

Even easier: Use our free Google review link generator to create a direct link for your business. When you send this link to a customer who already left a review, Google automatically opens the edit modal for their existing review. No navigating through menus, no finding their review manually. One click and they're ready to update.

Word-for-Word Scripts You Can Adapt

Here are complete scripts for common scenarios. Adapt these to your business and situation.

Script 1: After Resolving a Service Issue

"Hi [Name], thank you for giving us another chance after your last visit. We took your feedback seriously and made changes to our [specific area]. I hope your recent experience was more in line with what you'd expect from us. If you feel your review no longer reflects your experience, we'd welcome an update, but there's absolutely no pressure. Thanks again for your patience with us."

Script 2: After a Product Replacement or Refund

"Hi [Name], I'm glad we were able to [replace the item / process the refund / fix the issue]. We appreciate your patience while we sorted it out. If you'd like to update your Google review to reflect the resolution, we'd appreciate it, but we completely understand if you'd rather not. We're just happy we could make it right."

Script 3: After a Longer Recovery Process

"Hi [Name], I wanted to follow up one more time. When you first reached out, you mentioned [specific issue]. Since then, we've [specific changes made]. I hope these changes have made a difference. If your feelings about our business have changed, updating your Google review would mean a lot to our small team, but no obligation at all. Thank you for pushing us to be better."

Script 4: When the Customer Brings It Up First

Sometimes customers will say something like, "I should update that review!" When this happens, respond warmly but don't oversell it.

"That would mean a lot to us, but only if you genuinely feel differently. We'd rather have an honest review than a forced positive one."

This response builds trust. It shows you care more about authenticity than your star count.

When NOT to Ask for a Review Update

There are situations where asking will backfire or is simply wrong.

Don't ask if:

• You haven't fully resolved the issue. Asking before the problem is fixed comes across as caring more about your rating than their experience.
• The customer is still upset. If they express ongoing frustration, asking them to update the review will feel tone-deaf and manipulative.
• The complaint was valid and nothing changed. If the customer had a legitimate grievance and your business hasn't made any real changes, you don't deserve an update.
• You'd be the third or fourth person to ask. If multiple people from your business have already brought up the review, stop. You've crossed into harassment territory.
• It's been more than 60 days. After two months, the customer has moved on. Reaching out about an old review feels strange and desperate.

For more on handling negative reviews gracefully regardless of the outcome, read our guide on what NOT to say in review responses.

Real Numbers: What to Expect

Let's set realistic expectations. Not every negative review will get updated, and that's fine.

Based on industry research and aggregated data:

• About 33% of customers will consider updating a review after a successful resolution
• Of those, roughly 70% actually follow through on the update
• The average rating increase on updated reviews is 2.5 stars (e.g., 2-star becomes 4 or 5-star)
• Businesses that respond to all reviews within 24 hours see the highest update rates
• Speed of initial response is the strongest predictor of whether a customer will update

For context, the Harvard Business Review found that hotels that began responding to reviews saw their overall ratings increase over time, in part because of the service recovery effect we've described here.

Even when a customer doesn't update their review, your public response still matters. Every future customer reading that review will also read your response. A thoughtful reply to a negative review can build more trust than a page full of unanswered 5-star reviews. Our guide on 1-star review response examples has templates you can use.

The Compounding Effect

Here's what most business owners miss. Getting one or two negative reviews updated per month doesn't just improve your star rating mathematically. It changes the narrative on your profile.

When a potential customer scrolls through your reviews and sees negative reviews that have been updated to positive, it tells a story. It says: "This business listens, fixes problems, and earns second chances."

That story is worth more than a perfect 5.0 rating, which many consumers find suspicious anyway. A 4.6 with visible recovery is more trustworthy than a spotless 5.0.

For more on how reviews affect your search visibility, see our article on reviews and local SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a customer edit or update their Google review?

Yes. Google allows reviewers to edit their reviews at any time. The customer needs to go to Google Maps, find their review under "Your contributions," tap the three-dot menu, and select "Edit review." They can change the star rating, rewrite the text, or both. There is no limit on how many times a review can be edited. The business cannot edit or remove a customer's review, but they can influence the outcome by resolving the issue and politely asking the customer to consider updating their feedback.

Is it against Google's policies to ask a customer to update their review?

No, asking a customer to update their review is not against Google's policies, as long as you don't offer incentives. Google prohibits review gating (only asking happy customers to leave reviews) and paying for reviews, but asking a customer who already left a review to reconsider their rating after you've resolved their issue is perfectly acceptable. The key is to resolve the problem first and make the request optional, not pressured.

How long does it take for an updated Google review to show?

When a customer edits their Google review, the changes typically appear within a few minutes to a few hours. In rare cases, it can take up to 24 hours for the updated text and star rating to appear publicly on your Google Business Profile. The review date does not change when a review is edited, but Google may add a note indicating the review was modified.

What percentage of customers will update their negative review?

Based on industry data, roughly 33% of customers who left a negative review will consider updating it if the business resolves their issue satisfactorily. A study by Harvard Business Review found that effective service recovery can make customers more loyal than if the problem had never occurred. The success rate depends heavily on how quickly you respond, how genuinely you address the concern, and whether the customer feels heard rather than pressured.

Should I respond to a negative review publicly before contacting the customer privately?

Yes, always respond publicly first. Your public response shows future customers that you take feedback seriously and act on it. Keep the public response short and empathetic, acknowledge the issue, and mention that you'd like to make it right. Then reach out privately to resolve the details. This two-step approach protects your reputation publicly while allowing a more personal resolution privately.

Conclusion

Turning a negative review into an updated positive one isn't about tricks or pressure. It's about doing what you should have done in the first place: listening to the customer, fixing the problem, and following up.

Key Takeaways:

• Customers can edit their Google reviews at any time, with no limit on changes
• About 33% will update their review after a genuine resolution
• The 5-step process: respond publicly, resolve fully, confirm satisfaction, ask gently, make it easy
• Never offer incentives or pressure customers to change reviews
• Speed matters: responding within 24 hours nearly doubles your recovery rate
• Even when reviews aren't updated, your public response shapes how future customers see you

The best review management strategy isn't chasing perfect ratings. It's building a pattern of genuine responsiveness that turns critics into advocates.

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