Review Response Playbook
Data Source
brandscoreapp.com | 2026
For multi-location food brands, the review section of your delivery and Google profiles is not an afterthought, it is your front-of-house. More customers read your responses than you realise, and how you respond signals professionalism, accountability, and brand character.
Yet across the UK food and hospitality sector, the majority of brands are still leaving reviews unanswered for days — or not at all. With platforms like Uber Eats, Just Eat, Deliveroo and Google all factoring response behaviour into their ranking algorithms, this is a direct revenue issue, not just a reputational one.
This playbook gives your team 30 ready-to-use, brand-appropriate response templates — covering every major scenario you'll encounter. Each response follows the same underlying principles:
- Acknowledge — recognise the experience the customer had
- Respond — be specific, not generic
- Act — tell them what you're doing about it, or invite further contact
- Close — end on a forward-looking note
BrandScore Tip
BrandScore's AI response generator applies these principles automatically — generating personalised, brand-consistent replies within seconds of a review landing, across all platforms simultaneously. Your team simply reviews and approves. Response times drop from hours to seconds.
01. Responding to 5-Star Reviews
Turning happy customers into loyal advocates
Five-star reviews deserve more than a copy-paste 'thank you'. A warm, specific response shows genuine appreciation — and it's visible to every future customer reading your profile.
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — Delivery, Dessert Brand
"The waffles arrived hot and perfectly packaged. This is the third time I've ordered and it never disappoints. Highly recommend!"
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you so much — three orders in means the world to us! We work hard to make sure every delivery arrives the way it left our kitchen, so it's great to know that's coming through. See you on the next one! 🧇
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — Dine-In, Restaurant
"Staff were brilliant, food came out quickly, and everything tasted fresh. Will definitely be bringing the family again."
✦ Suggested Response
We love hearing this — a table full of happy faces is exactly what we aim for. Your kind words will absolutely be shared with the team. We look forward to welcoming you and the family back very soon!
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — Café, First Visit
"First time visiting and honestly blown away. The coffee was great and the pastries looked incredible. Already planning my next visit."
✦ Suggested Response
First visits are special — and we're so glad this one landed well! Our team puts real effort into every cup and every bake, so thank you for noticing. We'll have everything ready for round two whenever you're in the area.
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — Fast Food, Speed of Service
"Ordered on Uber Eats and the food arrived in 20 minutes. Still hot, nothing missing. 10/10 operation."
✦ Suggested Response
20 minutes and nothing missing — that's the dream! Our kitchen team will be delighted to see this. We know how important it is to get deliveries right, and it's great to know it's coming through. Thank you for taking the time to rate us.
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — General Compliment
"Genuinely one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Came for a work lunch and everyone at the table was impressed."
✦ Suggested Response
That's a brilliant compliment — impressing a whole table is no small feat! We hope the work lunch was a success on all fronts. Whenever the team needs feeding again, you know where we are. Thank you!
Principle: Always name something specific from the review — 'we're glad the waffles landed well' beats a generic 'thanks for your kind words' every time. It signals that a real person read what they wrote.
02. Responding to Food Quality Complaints
Accountability without excuses
Food quality complaints are the most common negative review type for UK delivery brands. The worst thing you can do is be defensive. The best thing you can do is direct, take responsibility, and offer a path to resolution.
★ Customer Review — 1-Star — Cold Food on Delivery
"Food arrived cold and the portion sizes were tiny compared to the pictures. Really disappointed."
✦ Suggested Response
We're really sorry about this — cold food on delivery is never acceptable, and we completely understand the frustration. This isn't the standard we hold ourselves to. Could you reach us directly at [email] so we can look into what happened and make it right? We'd genuinely like to resolve this for you.
★ Customer Review — 2-Star — Food Quality
"The burger was dry and overcooked. It looked nothing like the photos. Doubt I'll be ordering again."
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you for the honest feedback — this is really useful for us even though we're sorry the experience didn't land. Dry or overcooked food is not what we want going out, and we'll be raising this with the kitchen team directly. If you're open to it, please message us at [email] — we'd like the chance to do better by you.
★ Customer Review — 2-Star — Missing Items
"Half my order was missing. Tried to call the restaurant but no answer. Very frustrating."
✦ Suggested Response
We're really sorry — a missing part of your order combined with no response from us is a poor experience, and we own that. Please email us directly at [email] with your order reference and we'll sort this out for you properly. Thank you for giving us the chance to make it right.
★ Customer Review — 1-Star — Portion Size
"Tiny portions for the price. Not worth it."
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you for the feedback — value for money matters, and we're sorry this visit didn't feel like it delivered. We'd welcome the chance to hear more. Please reach out at [email] so we can understand your experience better. We take this seriously.
★ Customer Review — 3-Star — Inconsistency
"Sometimes it's amazing, sometimes it's average. Wish the quality was more consistent."
✦ Suggested Response
This is really fair feedback and something we're actively working on. Consistency is one of the hardest things to get right across a busy kitchen, but it matters — you should get the same great experience every time. Thank you for continuing to give us a chance, and please do let us know at [email] if a visit ever falls below standard.
Principle: Never blame the platform, the driver, or the customer. Own the outcome, investigate the cause, and make it easy for the customer to contact you directly.
03. Responding to Service Complaints
Turning friction into trust
Service complaints — slow wait times, unhelpful staff, disorganised front-of-house — are often harder to respond to than food quality issues. They tend to feel more personal. The key is empathy first, defensiveness never.
★ Customer Review — 2-Star — Slow Service, Dine-In
"Waited 45 minutes for food. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. Staff didn't seem to notice or care."
✦ Suggested Response
45 minutes is far too long, and we're sorry. That's not the experience we want anyone to have, regardless of how busy the floor is. We're looking into what caused delays during that session. If you'd like to share more detail, please contact us at [email] — your feedback is helping us improve.
★ Customer Review — 1-Star — Rude Staff
"One member of staff was really rude to us when we asked to change a drink order. Completely unnecessary."
✦ Suggested Response
This isn't the standard we expect from our team, and we're genuinely sorry. Every customer deserves to be treated with respect, and a simple drink change should never result in rudeness. We'd like to understand what happened — please reach out at [email] so we can address this properly. Thank you for telling us.
★ Customer Review — 2-Star — No Response to Complaint
"I complained to the staff at the time and they just shrugged. No apology, no offer to fix it."
✦ Suggested Response
That response from our team is not acceptable, and we're really sorry it was your experience. A complaint raised in person should always be handled with care and a genuine attempt to resolve it. Please contact us at [email] with the details — we want to make this right and ensure it doesn't happen again.
★ Customer Review — 3-Star — Service Speed vs Food Quality
"Food was lovely but had to wait ages to even get a menu. Felt quite disorganised."
✦ Suggested Response
Glad the food landed well — and you're right that the wait for a menu is something we need to address. First impressions count, and we don't want a slow start to undermine a good meal. We'll be using your feedback in our next team briefing. Thank you for being honest with us.
★ Customer Review — 2-Star — Delivery Driver Attitude
"Driver was rude and just threw the bag at my door. Not the restaurant's fault but still reflected badly."
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you for flagging this — even though delivery fulfilment sits outside our direct control, the end-to-end experience reflects on us and we take it seriously. We've logged this against the platform for review. Sorry your order ended on a sour note after we'd worked hard to prepare it properly.
Principle: A service complaint is also an internal training prompt. When you commit publicly to passing feedback to the team, you hold yourself accountable — and customers notice.
04. Platform-Specific Responses
Delivery apps and Google have different audiences
Google reviews tend to be read by people considering a dine-in visit. Delivery app reviews are read by active users deciding whether to reorder. Tailor the tone and focus accordingly — but keep the core principles the same.
★ Customer Review — Uber Eats — Packaging Complaint
"Food was nice but the packaging was a mess by the time it arrived. Everything had spilled."
✦ Suggested Response
We're really sorry about this — good packaging is something we invest in specifically to prevent this happening. We'll review how this order was packed and raise it with the team. Please reach out at [email] if you'd like us to make it up to you. Thanks for letting us know.
★ Customer Review — Just Eat — Late Delivery
"Order said 35 mins but took over an hour. The food was cold when it arrived."
✦ Suggested Response
Cold food after a long wait is a double frustration — we completely understand. Delivery timing can sometimes be affected by factors outside our kitchen, but that doesn't make it acceptable. Please contact us at [email] with your order number and we'll look into what happened. We'd like to do right by you.
★ Customer Review — Deliveroo — Wrong Order
"Received completely the wrong order. Tried to report through the app but it's a nightmare."
✦ Suggested Response
Receiving the wrong order is incredibly frustrating, especially when the in-app resolution process is slow. We're sorry this happened. Please email us directly at [email] with your order number — we can act much faster from our end and ensure you get what you paid for.
★ Customer Review — Google — Dine-In Atmosphere
"Really nice interior, felt well looked after. Music was a touch loud for a Thursday lunchtime crowd."
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you — really glad the space and service hit the mark. The music note is genuinely helpful feedback; lunchtime and evening crowds need different energy levels. We'll flag this to the team. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
★ Customer Review — Google — After a Long Wait
"Had to wait 30 minutes on a quiet Tuesday. The food was worth it but I won't rush back."
✦ Suggested Response
30 minutes on a quiet Tuesday is not where we want to be — and we're sorry the wait soured an otherwise enjoyable visit. We're reviewing our prep and kitchen workflow to address exactly this kind of scenario. Your feedback is exactly what we need to hear. We hope you'll give us another chance.
Principle: When a complaint is partly the platform's fault (late driver, app issue), acknowledge it without making it your central excuse. You own the end-to-end experience in the customer's mind.
05. Dessert & Café Brand Responses
Category-specific templates for sweet concepts
Dessert brands, cafés, and bakeries have a distinct customer relationship — often more emotional, more social-media-driven, and with higher repeat visit rates. The tone can be warmer and more playful than a QSR, but professionalism must still anchor every response.
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — Dessert Brand, Portion Size
"The crepe was HUGE and absolutely delicious. Staff were lovely and the place was spotless. 10/10."
✦ Suggested Response
Big portions and a clean spot — that's the combination we aim for every single day! Your review genuinely made the team smile. Thank you so much for the kind words and for coming in. We hope to see you again very soon! 🍨
★ Customer Review — 4-Star — Cake / Bakery Brand
"Ordered a custom birthday cake and it was stunning. Everyone at the party loved it. Would have given 5 stars but collection slot was a bit confusing."
✦ Suggested Response
Brilliant — a cake that steals the show at a birthday party is the highest praise we can ask for! You're absolutely right that the collection booking process needs to be clearer, and we're working on improving that. Thank you for flagging it and for the lovely feedback. Happy birthday to whoever it was for! 🎂
★ Customer Review — 3-Star — Dessert, Wait Time
"Lovely desserts but waited 25 minutes. The table next to us got served before us even though we ordered first."
✦ Suggested Response
We're sorry about the wait and the confusion with table order — that's not a good experience and we understand the frustration. Our team should have been proactive in communicating timing. We'll address this in our next briefing. Thank you for the feedback; it helps us improve.
★ Customer Review — 2-Star — Dessert, Quality Drop
"Used to be my favourite spot but the quality has dropped recently. The waffles weren't crispy at all."
✦ Suggested Response
This is hard to read because it tells us we've let down a loyal customer — and that matters more than any one review. Waffles not coming out crispy is a kitchen consistency issue we'll address directly. Please do come back — we'd love the chance to remind you why you used to love it here. Reach us at [email] and we'll make sure your next visit is on us.
★ Customer Review — 5-Star — Late Night Dessert Run
"Open late, great desserts, friendly staff. Exactly what you want at 11pm."
✦ Suggested Response
Late night dessert sorted — that's us! We love being the answer to that 11pm sweet tooth. Thanks for the kind review; the night team will be chuffed. See you on the next late-night run! 🌙
Principle: Dessert brands can lean into personality in their responses — a well-placed emoji or warm sign-off builds brand affinity. But never let personality substitute for substance when something has gone wrong.
06. Competitor & Branch Comparison Responses
How to handle the comparisons gracefully
For franchise and multi-location brands, inter-branch comparisons are common. Handle them without defensiveness — they're an opportunity to reinforce your standards and show that you take consistency seriously.
★ Customer Review — 4-Star — Compared to Competitor
"Better than the place down the road but still room to improve on speed."
✦ Suggested Response
We'll take the win — and we're listening on the speed point too! There's always something to sharpen, and knowing where we stand locally helps us focus on what matters. Thanks for the honest review; it genuinely helps.
★ Customer Review — 3-Star — Mixed, Leaning Positive
"Food was good but atmosphere felt a bit flat. The other branch we visited was livelier."
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you — this is useful to hear. You're right that atmosphere isn't just about the food, and we know different sites can feel different. We'll share this with the team here as a prompt to bring more energy to the floor. We hope you'll give this location another chance.
07. Franchise & Multi-Location Responses
Managing reputation at scale
Franchisors face a unique challenge: a review at a franchisee location still reflects on the parent brand. Responses must be brand-consistent even when the operational failure belongs to an individual franchisee.
★ Customer Review — Mixed — Branch Comparison
"This branch isn't as good as the one in [other city]. The original is much better."
✦ Suggested Response
Thank you for being honest — we take cross-branch feedback seriously because consistency across every location is something we're constantly working on. If there's anything specific that made this visit feel different, please do share it at [email]. Every location should deliver the same standard, and your feedback helps us hold that line.
★ Customer Review — 1-Star — Franchise Location Complaint
"I've had great experiences at other locations but this one was a let-down. Messy tables and slow service."
✦ Suggested Response
We're sorry this visit fell short of what you've experienced elsewhere — you should get the same level of care at every one of our locations. Messy tables and slow service are things we'll address with the team at this site directly. Thank you for flagging it. Please reach out to us at [email] so we can ensure your next visit reflects the standard you know us for.
The 5 Golden Rules of Review Responses
Respond within 24 hours. Response speed is factored into platform rankings and signals to customers that you're actively managed.
Never copy-paste identical responses. Platforms and customers both notice. Even small variations signal genuine engagement.
Never argue. Even when the customer is wrong, arguing publicly damages your brand with every reader — not just the reviewer.
Take complaints offline. Invite the customer to contact you directly via email, then resolve it there. Keep the public thread brief.
Track your response rate as a KPI. Brands with 90%+ response rates consistently outperform those that don't — on ratings, rankings, and revenue.
Automate Every Response with BrandScore
BrandScore's AI response generator handles every review across Google, Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo — simultaneously. Your team approves and sends in one click. Response times drop from hours to seconds.
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