Replying to a negative review: 8 example replies for your restaurant

A negative review can be dealt with in a few sentences: thank you, the precise problem, your apology if the mistake was yours, and what you are changing. Here are the rules of Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Google, checked on 31 October 2026, and eight examples for the common cases in delivery.

Should you reply to a negative review?

Yes, and quickly. According to Deliveroo, customers are “23% more likely to order from you if you interact with them” (translated from French). Uber Eats cites a 2022 BrightLocal survey. According to it, 89% of consumers are very or fairly likely to choose a business that replies to all its reviews.

On all three platforms, the customer is notified of your reply. A negative review also tells you what needs fixing in the kitchen: our guide to improving your rating explains how to sort them.

Who sees your reply, and how long do you have?

The three platforms don’t work the same way. On Google, everyone reads your reply. On Deliveroo, only the customer receives it.

So write each reply as if other customers could read it. On Deliveroo, only the people who have review replies turned on, in the Hub’s team section (“Équipe”), see the “Répondre” (reply) button. To find your way around these tools, see our guides on Uber Eats Manager and Deliveroo’s Partner Hub.

How do you write a good reply?

In four steps, and in three to five sentences. Google points it out: customers like helpful replies, but “replies that are too long can tire them” (translated from French).

1. Say thank you, without a stock phrase: the customer took the time to write.
2. Name the precise problem: the missing item, how it was cooked, the wait. Deliveroo asks you to avoid “a generic reply” (translated from French).
3. Apologise if the mistake was yours. But don’t take on “responsibility for things you have nothing to reproach yourself for”, Google advises (translated from French).
4. Say what you are changing: a check on the bags, a more leak-proof box, a cooking option.

Sign with your first name and the restaurant’s name: Google advises adding “your name or your initials” (translated from French). Vary each reply: customers “don’t want to get a copy-and-paste reply”, writes Uber Eats (translated from French). And reply quickly. Uber Eats cites a 2022 ReviewTrackers report: 53% of consumers want a reply within the week.

What should you never write?

Deliveroo checks every reply, and refuses to send it in four cases. Follow the same rules on Uber Eats and on Google:

• swear words, personal data or inappropriate remarks;
• an aggressive or angry tone, even in the face of an unfair review;
• an invitation to order elsewhere, or directly from you “rather than via Deliveroo” (translated from French);
• blame put on a third party, such as the rider: if there is a delivery problem, contact Deliveroo directly.

Its rules for partners add two prohibitions: asking the customer for their personal data, and asking them to change or delete their review. On Google, never share the author’s private information, and don’t attack them personally.

Should you offer a goodwill gesture?

Only if the mistake was yours, and after checking. Uber Eats and Deliveroo let you attach a gesture to the reply. Google, on the other hand, considers it pointless to offer deals to people who are already your customers.

On Deliveroo, tick “Ajouter un bon pour leur prochaine commande” (add a voucher for their next order), then choose the amount. The customer has 30 days to use it. The voucher appears on your invoice with the wording “Bon de réduction à payer par le restaurant” (discount voucher payable by the restaurant). If Deliveroo refuses your reply, the voucher isn’t sent and you aren’t charged for it. On Uber Eats, you can add a promo code to your reply.

Before any gesture, check whether the platform has already refunded the customer. On Uber Eats as on Deliveroo, the refund for a missing or wrong item can be deducted from your payouts. An extra voucher means paying twice for the same mistake: keep it for customers who haven’t been refunded. And if the refund seems unjustified to you, see how to dispute it.

Keep it in proportion to the mistake: the price of the missing item, not the whole order.

8 example replies, case by case

Adapt each example to what really happened: a precise detail is worth more than a fine turn of phrase. Replace the square brackets with your own details.

1. An item was missing

Check the ticket, then say which check you are adding. If the platform has refunded the customer, don’t add a voucher.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to write to us. Your fries were missing, and that’s our mistake: we’re sorry. From now on, every bag is checked against the ticket before it is closed. We hope to serve you a complete order next time.

[First name], [restaurant]

To avoid omissions mid-service, see our settings for the tablets and the packing station.

2. It was the wrong order

Acknowledge the mistake plainly. A gesture is justified here, if the customer hasn’t already been refunded.

Hello, you received a chicken burger instead of the beef burger you ordered. That was a mistake by our team, and we apologise. We have gone over with the kitchen how every order is checked before it leaves. A [amount] voucher is waiting for you on your next order.

[First name], [restaurant]

3. The dish arrived cold or late

Talk about what depends on you: the preparation time and the packaging. Never blame the rider: Deliveroo would refuse the reply. If the delay came from the delivery, report it to the platform. On Deliveroo, a review about the delivery can even be removed: report it with the three dots.

Hello, thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry your pizza arrived lukewarm. On busy nights, we now start cooking as close as possible to the time the order leaves. We are also testing a box that keeps the heat in better.

[First name], [restaurant]

4. The bag arrived tipped over

Packaging is down to you, even if the bag was shaken on the way. Reply on that point.

Hello, sauce leaking in the bag is not acceptable, and we’re sorry. Our sauces now go out in sealed pots, and every bag is sealed before it leaves. Thank you for letting us know: your message made us change our packaging.

[First name], [restaurant]

5. The customer didn’t like the taste or how it was cooked

There is no arguing about taste. Explain your choice without justifying yourself, and offer a solution.

Hello, thank you for being frank about how your burger was cooked. We serve it medium; you can now choose how you’d like it cooked in the dish options. Your comment has been passed on to the kitchen.

[First name], [restaurant]

6. The portion was too small, or too expensive

Give a fact, such as the weight or the number of pieces, without being defensive. If several reviews say the same thing, it is your menu talking: rethink your prices and your portions.

Hello, thank you for your review. Our bowl weighs [weight] g, and we understand that it seemed light to you at that price. We are adding a more generous version to the menu, for big appetites.

[First name], [restaurant]

7. An allergen or a hygiene problem

A review about health is handled separately. Check the recipe and the allergens shown for this dish before replying, and never issue a blanket denial. On Deliveroo, an accusation of food poisoning or of hiding allergens can be reported if it is false: the platform removes defamatory accusations.

Hello, what you describe is serious, and we are treating it as such. We have checked the recipe for this dish and the allergens shown on our menu: [what you checked or corrected]. We are sorry your meal went this way.

[First name], [restaurant]

On Google, you can invite the author to write to the restaurant to talk about it. On Deliveroo, don’t ask for their contact details: the platform’s rules forbid it.

8. The review seems fake or unfair to you

Reply with facts, without calling the author a liar, then report the review. On Uber Eats and Deliveroo, the review comes from an order: find it before replying. Don’t invite the customer to write to you: on Deliveroo, they can’t reply. On Google, the example below works: Google asks that a review reflect “a genuine experience” (translated from French).

Hello, we can’t find any order on that date, and this dish is not on our menu. If you did order from us, write to us: we want to understand what happened. This review may be about another restaurant.

[First name], [restaurant]

What do you do about a fake review?

Report it to the platform that publishes it. A sincere negative review is not forbidden: the platforms only remove what breaks their rules.

• Google: on your profile, choose “Voir les avis” (see reviews), then “Signaler” (report) next to the review, with the reason. Google’s check “usually takes several days” (translated from French). If the review stays online, you can appeal once.
• Deliveroo: the three dots next to the review, in the app, or the Hub’s Help tab. Deliveroo removes in particular fake reviews, insults, defamatory accusations and reviews focused on the delivery.
• Uber Eats: according to Uber, a review can’t be deleted either by the restaurant or by support. Its terms only allow it to remove an obscene or objectionable comment. You are left with the reply.

French law gives you some support. Any platform that publishes reviews must offer a “free feature” to report a doubt about the authenticity of a review. The condition: that the report is “reasoned” (translated from French), according to article L111-7-2 of the French Consumer Code. So give reasons for each report: date, order that can’t be found, dish not on your menu.

Never answer a fake review with fake positive reviews. Spreading them is a misleading commercial practice. When it goes through the internet, the penalty goes up to five years in prison and a €750,000 fine, since 12 May 2024 (article L132-2).

And positive reviews?

Say thank you in one sentence, picking up a detail from the review. Uber Eats encourages you to thank customers for positive reviews. On Google, there is no need to thank each author publicly, Google says: save your time for the reviews that need a reply.

Where should you start this week?

1. Open your Deliveroo reviews from the last month: you have 30 days to reply to them.
2. First reply to the reviews that mention a precise problem: missing item, mistake, packaging.
3. Check refunds before offering the slightest voucher.
4. Report the reviews that break the rules, with a reason.
5. Note the most frequently mentioned problem, and fix it from your next service.

Deliview brings your Uber Eats and Deliveroo reviews together on one screen, lowest ratings first. For each one, AI drafts a reply in the restaurant’s name, picking up a detail from the review: you read it, you send it. A review that mentions health, hygiene or allergies is left for you to read over. See replying to reviews with Deliview.

Frequently asked questions

Can you delete a negative review on Uber Eats?

No. According to Uber, a review can’t be deleted either by the restaurant or by support. You can reply to it from Uber Eats Manager, and attach a promo code.

Can the customer reply to my reply on Deliveroo?

No, they can only read it. And you won’t be able to edit it once it is sent: read it over before clicking “Envoyer par e-mail” (send by email).

Can you ask the customer to change their review?

Not on Deliveroo: its rules forbid it. On Google, don’t offer anything in exchange, that is forbidden. Solve the problem: the customer can change their review after reading your reply, if they wish.