What NOT to Say in Review Responses: 15 Mistakes That Kill Your Reputation (2025)

You've crafted what you think is the perfect response to that negative review. But before you hit "publish," stop. That response could do more damage than the review itself.

Quick Answer: Never be defensive, argue with customers, share private information, use corporate jargon, or ignore the actual complaint in your review responses. Avoid phrases like "that's not our policy," "you're wrong," or any sarcastic remarks. These mistakes can turn a single bad review into a reputation disaster that drives away potential customers.

In fact, 89% of consumers read businesses' responses to reviews, and a poor response can be worse than no response at all.

In this guide, you'll discover:

• The 15 most damaging phrases to avoid in review responses
• Real examples of review response disasters (and why they failed)
• What to say instead to turn critics into advocates
• A checklist to review before publishing any response

The Hidden Cost of Bad Review Responses

Here's what most business owners don't realize: Your response to a negative review is often more important than the review itself.

Why? Because future customers judge you on how you handle criticism, not whether you receive it.

Consider these statistics:

• 45% of consumers are more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews
• But 78% will avoid a business that responds poorly to criticism
• A defensive response can reduce purchase intent by up to 62%

Your review responses are public customer service demonstrations. Every potential customer can see how you treat people when things go wrong.

The 15 Worst Things to Say in Review Responses

1. "That's Not True" or "You're Lying"

Why it's terrible: Calling customers liars, even indirectly, makes you look defensive and untrustworthy. Future customers will wonder if you'll call them liars too.

Bad example:

"This review is completely false. We have security footage that proves you never visited our store."

Say this instead:

"We're concerned about your experience as it doesn't match our records. Could you please contact us at [email] so we can investigate and make this right?"

2. "It's Not Our Fault"

Why it's terrible: Blame-shifting shows you don't take responsibility. Customers want solutions, not excuses.

Bad example:

"The delivery delay wasn't our fault. Blame the shipping company for losing your package."

Say this instead:

"We're sorry your order arrived late. While it was shipped on time, we understand the frustration of waiting. We're reviewing our shipping partners to prevent future delays."

3. "That's Our Policy"

Why it's terrible: Hiding behind policies makes you seem inflexible and uncaring. Customers don't care about your policies—they care about their problems being solved.

Bad example:

"Our no-refund policy is clearly stated on our website. We cannot make exceptions."

Say this instead:

"We understand your frustration. While we typically can't offer refunds on custom items, let's discuss how we can make this right for you."

4. Passive-Aggressive or Sarcastic Comments

Why it's terrible: Sarcasm in written form often comes across as hostile and unprofessional. It can go viral for all the wrong reasons.

Bad example:

"We're SO sorry our free coffee wasn't up to your incredibly high standards."

Say this instead:

"Thank you for the feedback about our complimentary coffee. We want every aspect of your visit to be excellent and will review our coffee service."

5. "We Have Plenty of Happy Customers"

Why it's terrible: Dismissing one customer's experience by citing others minimizes their concerns and looks arrogant.

Bad example:

"We serve thousands of satisfied customers every month. You're the only one complaining."

Say this instead:

"Your experience matters to us, and we're disappointed we didn't meet your expectations. How can we improve?"

6. Sharing Private Information

Why it's terrible: Revealing order details, personal information, or private conversations violates trust and possibly privacy laws.

Bad example:

"According to our records, John, you ordered the salmon despite your wife mentioning your shellfish allergy during your anniversary dinner."

Say this instead:

"We take food allergies very seriously. Please contact us directly so we can discuss your specific situation privately."

7. "Calm Down" or "Don't Be So Emotional"

Why it's terrible: Telling upset customers to control their emotions is condescending and inflammatory. It never helps.

Bad example:

"There's no need to be so dramatic about a simple mix-up. Please calm down."

Say this instead:

"We understand how frustrating this must be. Let's work together to resolve this issue."

8. Generic Copy-Paste Responses

Why it's terrible: Template responses show you don't care enough to read or address specific concerns. Customers notice.

Bad example:

"Thank you for your feedback. We strive to provide excellent service to all customers. Please contact us at your convenience."

Say this instead:

"Thank you for sharing your experience with our checkout process. We're sorry the long wait affected your lunch break. We're adding staff during peak hours to reduce wait times."

9. "No One Else Has Complained"

Why it's terrible: This invalidates the customer's experience and suggests they're being unreasonable.

Bad example:

"You're the first person to ever complain about our music volume. Everyone else loves it."

Say this instead:

"Thank you for letting us know the music volume affected your dining experience. We'll review our audio levels to ensure comfort for all guests."

10. Legal Threats or Intimidation

Why it's terrible: Threatening legal action against reviewers looks bullying and can backfire spectacularly, often going viral.

Bad example:

"This review is defamatory. Remove it immediately or we'll pursue legal action."

Say this instead:

"We're concerned about some inaccuracies in your review. Could you please contact us so we can address your experience?"

11. "You Should Have..."

Why it's terrible: Blaming customers for not doing something differently shifts responsibility and sounds condescending.

Bad example:

"You should have read the menu description more carefully. It clearly states the dish is spicy."

Say this instead:

"We're sorry the spice level wasn't what you expected. We'll work on making our menu descriptions even clearer."

12. TMI (Too Much Information)

Why it's terrible: Oversharing personal problems or internal issues makes your business look unprofessional and unstable.

Bad example:

"Sorry for the poor service. Our manager just went through a divorce and half our staff quit last week. It's been really hard for everyone."

Say this instead:

"We apologize for falling short of our usual standards. We're taking steps to ensure consistent service quality."

13. "That's Just How We Do Things"

Why it's terrible: This rigid response suggests you're unwilling to improve or adapt to customer needs.

Bad example:

"We've always charged for extra sauce. That's just how we do things here."

Say this instead:

"Thank you for the feedback about our sauce pricing. We'll consider this as we review our menu policies."

14. Making It About You

Why it's terrible: Turning the response into a story about your feelings or struggles takes focus away from the customer's experience.

Bad example:

"Your review really hurt our feelings. We work so hard and it's devastating to read this."

Say this instead:

"We're disappointed we didn't meet your expectations. Your feedback helps us improve."

15. Arguing About Details

Why it's terrible: Nitpicking facts or correcting minor details makes you look petty and misses the bigger picture.

Bad example:

"Actually, you waited 12 minutes, not 20. We checked our system timestamps."

Say this instead:

"We apologize for the wait. Any delay when you're hungry feels too long. We're working on faster service."

Real Review Response Disasters (And What Went Wrong)

Case Study 1: The Defensive Restaurant Owner

A pizzeria owner responded to a complaint about cold food with:

"Maybe if you didn't live so far away, your food would arrive hot. Not our problem you chose to live in the suburbs. Also, you tipped poorly so what do you expect?"

What went wrong:

• Blamed the customer
• Shared private information (tip amount)
• Used sarcastic tone
• Made it personal

The result: The response went viral, generating thousands of negative comments and a 30% drop in orders.

Case Study 2: The Legal Threat Backfire

A dental office threatened a patient who posted about billing issues:

"This review contains false statements. Remove it within 24 hours or our lawyers will be contacting you. We have your signed forms acknowledging our billing practices."

What went wrong:

• Used intimidation tactics
• Threatened legal action
• Referenced private medical documents
• Sounded bullying

The result: Local news picked up the story, leading to dozens more negative reviews and patient cancellations.

The Psychology Behind Bad Responses

Understanding why we write poor responses can help you avoid them:

1. Emotional Hijacking

When we feel attacked, our amygdala triggers fight-or-flight mode. This emotional state makes rational, professional responses nearly impossible.

Solution: Wait at least 2 hours before responding. Draft your response, then review it when calm.

2. The Curse of Knowledge

You know your business inside-out, so customer confusion seems unreasonable. This leads to condescending explanations.

Solution: Remember customers don't know your processes. Explain without talking down.

3. Ego Protection

Negative reviews feel like personal attacks, triggering defensive responses to protect our self-image.

Solution: Separate your personal identity from your business. Reviews critique services, not your worth.

What Great Review Responses Look Like

Here's the formula for responses that turn critics into fans:

The HEART Method

H - Highlight their concern E - Empathize genuinely
A - Apologize (without admitting fault if untrue) R - Resolve or offer resolution T - Thank them for the feedback

Example:

"We hear your frustration about the long wait time (H), and we completely understand how this impacted your lunch break (E). We're sorry we fell short of providing quick service (A). We've added staff during peak hours and introduced mobile ordering to reduce wait times (R). Thank you for bringing this to our attention—your feedback helps us improve (T)."

Your Pre-Publishing Checklist

Before publishing any review response, ask yourself:

• Would I want to receive this response?
• Am I addressing their actual concern?
• Have I removed all defensive language?
• Is this response personalized, not generic?
• Am I offering a solution or next step?
• Would I be comfortable if this went viral?
• Have I waited at least 2 hours since reading the review?
• Is my tone professional and empathetic?
• Have I avoided all 15 mistakes listed above?
• Would this response encourage others to do business with us?

The AI Solution: Never Write a Bad Response Again

Writing professional responses when you're emotional is hard. That's why smart businesses are turning to AI tools that craft perfect responses every time.

ReplyOnTheFly's AI response generator helps you:

• Generate professional responses in seconds
• Avoid emotional language automatically
• Maintain consistent brand voice
• Never make the mistakes listed above

Try it free: Generate unlimited professional responses with our free tool. No credit card required.

Turning Review Responses Into Competitive Advantage

Your review responses are public demonstrations of your customer service. Every response either builds or damages your reputation.

Remember: Potential customers aren't just reading reviews—they're judging how you handle problems. A professional, empathetic response to a negative review can actually increase trust more than having only positive reviews.

The difference between businesses that thrive and those that struggle online often comes down to how they respond when things go wrong.

Take Action: Audit Your Existing Responses

1. Review your last 10 responses - Do any contain the mistakes above?
2. Update problematic responses - Google allows editing
3. Create response templates - For common situations (but personalize each use)
4. Set up alerts - Respond within 24 hours
5. Consider AI assistance - Remove emotion from the equation

The Bottom Line

What you say in review responses matters more than you think. A single poor response can undo years of reputation building, while thoughtful responses can turn your biggest critics into your strongest advocates.

The good news? Avoiding these mistakes is simple once you know what to watch for. And with tools like ReplyOnTheFly, you can ensure every response strengthens your reputation.

Ready to perfect your review responses? Start with our free AI response generator or learn more about responding to Google reviews effectively.

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Never write another reputation-damaging response. Try ReplyOnTheFly free and let AI craft perfect responses that turn critics into customers.