Quick Answer: First work out if the person was ever really a customer. If they weren’t, or the review breaks Google’s rules, report it through your Business Profile and appeal if Google turns you down. If it’s genuine, you probably can’t get it removed, so write a short, calm reply that deals with the problem. Whatever you do, don’t reply angry. If you already have, you can edit or delete your reply.
A 1-star review stings, especially when it’s unfair and you can see it every time you look yourself up.
Your first instinct will be to write back straight away and put the record straight. Don’t. Have a cup of tea first, because the next few steps depend on what kind of review this is.
Is it a genuine review or a fake one?
Check your own records first. Look at your bookings, invoices, texts and emails for that name. Then ask your team if anyone remembers them.
Next, click on the reviewer’s name and look at their profile. Google doesn’t publish a checklist, so these are only rules of thumb:
- It’s a brand new account with no other reviews.
- They’ve left a run of 1-star reviews in a short time.
- The review is vague, with no detail about the job or the visit.
- You’ve had several bad reviews appear at once.
Bear in mind that a genuine customer might use a different name on Google, so don’t assume a stranger is a fake.
What will Google actually remove?
Google only removes reviews that break its policy. A negative review isn’t grounds on its own, and Google says it doesn’t get involved in disputes between businesses and their customers.
The policy covers things like:
- Fake reviews and rating manipulation, including competitors posting on your listing to damage you
- Harassment, hate speech and offensive language
- Personal information, such as a member of staff’s phone number
- Criminal allegations with nothing to back them up
- Off-topic rants and advertising
So “they were rude and overcharged me” from a real customer is going to stay, even if you disagree with every word.
How do I report a Google review?
There are two ways:
- From your profile: go to business.google.com, open your reviews, click report next to the one you want flagged, then choose a reason.
- From the Reviews Management Tool: confirm your account, pick your business, choose to report a new review for removal, then choose a reason.
Pick the reason that really fits. You can use the same tool to check on it: “Decision pending” means Google hasn’t looked yet, and “Escalated” means your appeal has gone further and the final decision will come by email. I checked these steps against Google’s help pages in November 2026, but its screens do change.
What if Google says no?
If the status changes to “Report reviewed - no policy violation”, you get one appeal. Go back into the tool, choose the status option, select the review and submit the appeal form. You can select up to 10 reviews, which helps with a mass attack.
Because you only get one go, use it well. Say what’s wrong, which rule it breaks and what you’ve checked. For example: “We have no record of this person in our bookings for the past three years, and they’ve left similar reviews on five other businesses this week. This breaks Google’s fake engagement policy.”
Google says it typically takes several days to look at an appeal, and its appeals page says decisions can take up to five working days. Don’t send duplicates while you wait for a decision.
Should I reply to a fake review?
You can. Some agencies say replying hurts your report, but I couldn’t find that on Google’s help pages. If you do reply, keep it short and factual, as other customers will read it:
“We can’t find any record of working with you, and we keep records of every job. If we’ve got this wrong, please get in touch on the number on our profile so we can look into it.”
That tells readers what they need to know, without accusing anyone of anything.
How do I reply to a genuine bad review?
This is where you can turn it round, because everyone who reads the review afterwards will read your reply too. A calm, sensible reply shows them how you handle a problem.
Google’s advice is sensible here: keep it personal, apologise where it’s right to, and admit mistakes, but don’t take the blame for things outside your control. Don’t share private details, and move anything complicated to a phone call or email.
Something like:
“Hi Dave, I’m sorry about the delay on your job, as that’s not the service we aim for. I’d like to put it right, so please give me a ring on the number on our profile.”
Then actually ring them, or wait for their call, and sort it out. The reviewer gets told about your reply and can edit their review afterwards.
Whatever you write, don’t offer them money or a discount to change or remove it. Google bans that.
What if someone demands money to remove reviews?
This is review extortion: a sudden wave of 1-star and 2-star reviews, followed by a demand for money, goods or services to take them down.
Google’s advice is clear. Don’t engage and don’t pay, because paying can encourage more and doesn’t guarantee anything gets removed. Instead:
- Screenshot every demand, with the dates, times and sender details.
- Copy direct links to the reviews.
- Note when the reviews and demands started, and anything you know about who’s involved.
- Send it all through Google’s extortion report form.
Google says it will investigate and tell you the outcome, but it doesn’t give a time frame.
What if my good reviews have disappeared?
Google’s automated spam checks can occasionally remove genuine reviews. If that’s happened to you, contact Google support. Reviews removed for breaking the rules aren’t restored, though.
A new review can also take a while to appear, as policy checks can delay it by a few days. Your average score can take up to two weeks to catch up.
How much damage does one bad review do?
Less if you’ve got plenty of good ones around it. Three 5-star reviews and a 1-star average 4.0. Ninety-nine 5-star reviews and a 1-star average 4.96.
So the best protection is a steady flow of honest reviews from real customers. I’ve written how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules, and it’s the thing I’d start this week.
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