This is a very common and frustrating situation for business owners.
Here is the direct answer, followed by the steps you should take.
π The Direct Answer
Unfortunately, you cannot directly contact the reviewer (e.g., get their email or phone number) through Google.
For privacy reasons, Google does not share a user’s personal contact information with business owners. This is to protect the reviewer’s privacy.
β What You Can (and Should) Do Instead
Your most powerful tool is the public reply. How you respond is visible to everyoneβthe original reviewer and, more importantly, all future customers. A professional reply can often turn a negative situation into a positive one for your business’s reputation.
Here is how to handle it:
1. Reply Publicly and Professionally
Log in to your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) to find the review and post a reply.
Tips for a good reply:
- Be Prompt: Try to reply within 24-48 hours.
- Be Polite and Professional: Do not get angry or defensive. Thank them for their feedback, even though it’s negative.
- Example: “Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.”
- Acknowledge and Apologize: Show empathy for their bad experience.
- Example: “We are very sorry to hear that your visit did not meet your expectations.”
- Don’t Ask for Personal Info: Do not ask them to post their phone number or email in the public reply.
- Offer to Take it Offline: This is the most crucial step. It shows you want to solve the problem. Provide your contact information and invite them to contact you.
- Example: “We take this feedback very seriously. We would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about what happened and make this right. Please contact us directly at [[email protected]] or call us at [Your Business Phone] and ask for [Your Name/The Manager].”
- Sign Off: End it professionally.
- Example: “Sincerely, [Your Name] and the [Your Business Name] Team.”
Why this works: Even if the original reviewer never contacts you, all future customers will see that you are a responsible business that takes customer service seriously and works to fix problems.
2. Flag the Review (Only if it Violates Policy)
You can ask Google to remove a review only if it violates Google’s content policy.
You cannot remove a review just because it is negative, you disagree with it, or it’s a bad opinion.
Valid reasons for removal include:
- Spam or Fake: Clearly fake, written by a bot, or part of a “review-bombing” campaign.
- Off-Topic: The review is about a different business or a personal rant unrelated to their experience with you.
- Harassment or Hate Speech: The review contains threats, profanity, or discriminatory language.
- Conflict of Interest: The review was written by a competitor or a disgruntled ex-employee.
How to flag it:
- Find the review in your Google Business Profile.
- Click the three-dot menu next to the review.
- Select “Report review” (or “Flag as inappropriate”).
- Choose the reason it violates policy.
Note: Google may take several days or weeks to review the request, and there is no guarantee they will remove it. You should still reply to it publicly while you wait.
Would you like help drafting a professional reply to the review? If so, you can share what the review says (without any personal names).