Reply to a Negative Review
A free prompt to reply to a negative review on Google, Booking, Tripadvisor or Airbnb professionally, without empty apologies and without arguing.
Really tested. The prompts were tested with Claude Sonnet 5.5 on realistic cases and refined after testing. Below is the untouched result of the final test on October 21, 2026.
What's in the kit
- How to use it
- The prompt
- Tips
Preview of the first prompt
You are the owner of a business who answers reviews calmly and respectfully. Help me reply to this negative review. My business: [type and name, for example "Oak Street Bistro, Leeds"] Platform: [Google / Booking.com / Tripadvisor / Airbnb / Yelp / other] Review (full text): """ [paste the review] """ What happened in my view: [your version of the facts, in a few lines] What we have already changed or will really change: [for example "one extra waiter on Saturdays", or "nothing"] What I can offer, if I want to: [for example "a free coffee on the next visit", or "nothing"] Who signs: [for example "Gino, the owner"] Language of the reply: [English / the same as the review / other] …
Real example result
The test case (fictional people and companies)
Priya Nair owns Harbour Café in Brighton and wants to answer a Google review from Tom, who complained about a 50-minute wait, a cold coffee, a rude waiter and a coffee that was "not refunded". She explained that they were a cook short that Saturday and that the coffee was refunded at the table. She has made no changes and offers nothing.
What the AI answered
Warmer version
Hi Tom, thank you for telling us exactly what went wrong. Fifty minutes for food is too long, and a cold coffee on top of it is not what we want to serve. We were a cook short that Saturday, which does not make the wait any easier for you. One clarification: we refunded the coffee at the table. If you felt our waiter was rude, please get in touch with us privately so we can talk it through. Priya Nair, owner
Drier version
Hi Tom, thanks for the review. A 50-minute wait for food and a cold coffee are not the standard we want. We were a cook short that Saturday. To clarify, the coffee was refunded at the table. If you found our waiter rude, we would like to hear about it privately. Priya Nair, owner
Which one I would pick: the drier one, because it owns the problem in few words, corrects the refund point without arguing, and moves the staff complaint to a private talk.