Situations that come up
The product that ran out
A customer who comes for a particular pastry and leaves without it will say so. Say thank you, explain in one sentence how you produce (in batches, to order) if useful, and offer pre-ordering where it exists.
The wait at the counter
On Sunday morning or at school pick-up time, the queue grows. Acknowledge the inconvenience without launching into an explanation of how the workshop is organised.
The welcome judged cold
This is delicate, because it is an impression. Thank them for the feedback, say you are discussing it with the team, and avoid contesting how the customer felt.
The opening hours that don’t match
The customer came during a closure your listing didn’t show. Apologise, correct the listing straight away, and make it a habit before every public holiday.
Three reply templates to adapt
Fill in the fields (optional)
An empty field stays in square brackets in the text: fill it in before publishing. Read it over and change a few words, a reply that looks written for this person beats a copy-paste.
Product sold out
The customer didn’t find what they came for.
Hello [first name], thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that [problem]: we do everything to have enough to satisfy everyone, but it sometimes gets away from us. You can write to us at [contact] if you would like to reserve your next order. [business name].
Wait at the counter
The criticism is about the queue or the service time.
Hello [first name], thank you for taking the time to write to us. The wait you describe, [problem], is not pleasant and we are discussing it with the [business name] team. We hope to see you again soon.
Thank-you
Positive review.
Thank you [first name] for your words! Knowing that [specific point] pleases you warms the hearts of the whole [business name] team. See you very soon.
Other cases (fake, unfair, no comment reviews): the twelve general templates.
Where to put your review QR code
- At the till, on the counter, near the card terminal or the tip jar.
- On the paper bag or the cake box, with a short sentence.
- On the loyalty card or the pastry order card.
The direct link, the QR code and an A4 poster with your name are made here: Google review link and QR code (free, no account). The same QR code for all your customers, with no sorting.
To check on your Google listing
- Your hours, with the weekly closing day and the annual holidays.
- Public holidays and exceptional closures, to review before every long weekend.
- Recent photos of the window display and of the products of the day, not only of the front of the shop.
To go through the rest: the 17-point listing check-up. A complete listing doesn't guarantee a better ranking, it mostly keeps you from losing a customer over wrong info.
To avoid
- Offering a pastry in exchange for a review: Google refuses it.
- Answering the customer in public about what they bought or their habits.
- Leaving end-of-year holiday hours uncorrected after the period.
Google's rules change: read its official help from time to time. More details: getting more Google reviews, honestly. These tips are practical, they don't replace legal advice.
A review to deal with now?
With a free SwimUp account, you paste the review and get a tailored reply draft (3 per day). Always read it over before publishing. No bank card. SwimUp also offers paid services around Google reviews, shown on the home page.
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