How should I reply to Google reviews, good and bad?

A reply is written for the next customer, not only the reviewer. Someone comparing three restaurants in F-7 will read how each one handles criticism, and a polite, specific response makes a business look cared for. For a positive review, keep it short and personal: thank them, mention the dish, the service or the staff member they named, and invite them back. Avoid pasting the same line under every review; it looks automated and adds nothing. If they wrote in Urdu or Roman Urdu, answer the same way.

For a negative review, wait until you are calm. Start by acknowledging the experience, even if you disagree with parts of it. State the relevant facts plainly — the delivery was late because of a road closure, the price had changed after the budget — without accusing the customer of lying. Then move the conversation private: give a number or ask them to message you on WhatsApp so you can fix it. If you do resolve it, the customer may update the review by choice; never offer a discount or gift in exchange for changing or removing it, because Google treats that as review manipulation.

Some reviews need extra care. Clinics, lawyers and other professionals should never confirm in public that the reviewer was a patient or client, or mention any detail of their case; reply in general terms about your standards instead. Reviews that are clearly fake, abusive or from a competitor can be reported to Google through the profile, though removal is not guaranteed and takes time. In the meantime a measured reply still protects you. Set aside ten minutes on a fixed day each week to answer new reviews, so none waits long enough to look ignored.