In this guide · 8 sections
- Your reply is public and appears under the review as the firm. Google checks replies before they go live, usually within 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days.
- Never confirm that the reviewer is a client and never mention their matter, fees, returns or notices, even to correct them. Client information is confidential under the ICAI rules.
- Don't run campaigns asking clients for reviews and don't display your reviews or star rating in your marketing. Under the ICAI Code of Ethics that can amount to solicitation or testimonials. Let reviews come on their own.
- Google removes only reviews that break its policies (spam, fake engagement, conflict of interest, harassment, personal information), not reviews that are simply negative. Report from the profile, or through the Reviews Management Tool, with one appeal allowed.
- Reply to every review: positive ones within a few days, negative ones within one working day, with a short reply that takes the conversation offline.
Sooner or later, a review appears on your firm's Google profile that makes you want to reply in full. A client who missed a deadline blames you. Someone who never met you leaves one star. A happy client writes a paragraph naming the partner who handled their notice. Each needs a reply, and for a chartered accountant the reply carries more risk than it does for a restaurant: confidentiality and the ICAI rules apply to what you write in public.
This guide covers why replies matter, what never to write, reply templates for each kind of review, how to report a review that breaks Google's policies, and how quickly to respond.
Why replies matter
Google lists responding to reviews among the ways to improve your local presence. It says replies show that you value your customers. Reviews and ratings also feed into "prominence", one of the three factors Google uses to rank local results. Just as important, people searching for a CA read the replies. A calm, professional answer to an angry review often reassures them more than ten five-star reviews do.
A few facts about how replies work, from Google's help pages:
- Your reply is public. It appears under the review as the business. Your personal name is not shown.
- Google checks replies for policy compliance before they appear. This usually takes up to 10 minutes, but it can take up to 30 days.
- The reviewer is notified when you reply, and can still change their review afterwards.
- You can edit or delete your reply at any time from Read reviews on the profile.
Reviews and the ICAI rules: let them come on their own
Google's help pages encourage businesses to ask customers for reviews with a link or a QR code. For a chartered accountant in practice, that advice needs care. Under the ICAI Code of Ethics, solicitation of clients and the use of testimonials or endorsements are not permitted. Asking clients for reviews, running a review campaign, or showing your reviews and star rating in your advertising, posts or website can be seen as one or the other.
The safe approach:
- Don't ask. No review-request messages, no QR cards at the reception desk, no "please rate us" emails after a return is filed.
- Don't showcase. Don't repost reviews as social media posters, quote them on your website, or put "4.9 stars on Google" in your marketing.
- Do reply. Replying professionally to reviews that arrive on their own is part of running the profile.
- Never offer anything for a review. Google itself prohibits it: offering free or discounted services for posting, changing or removing a review is treated as fake and misleading content.
These statements are deliberately general. For what the Code of Ethics allows and forbids, read what a CA can post on social media and Google. If you are unsure about a specific case, check with the ICAI's guidance.
What never to write in a reply
Confidentiality is the rule that matters most. The Chartered Accountants Act and the Code of Ethics treat information you learn in the course of an engagement as confidential. A public reply is a disclosure to everyone who reads it. So:
- Don't confirm the reviewer is a client. Avoid "Thank you for choosing us for your audit" or "We have been your accountants since 2019". Even saying someone is a client is client information.
- Don't mention their matter. No returns, notices, refunds, assessments, fees, dates, amounts or documents, even if the reviewer has already described them.
- Don't correct their account in public. If a reviewer says "they missed my GST deadline" and you know the documents arrived late, you still can't say so in the reply. Take it offline.
- Don't name staff in connection with a client's work. It links the person to the matter.
- Don't argue, threaten legal action or guess who wrote an anonymous review.
- Don't promote. A reply is not the place for "we also do company registration at great rates". Google's own tips say to avoid promotion in replies.
OneClick Scheduler's Google screen lists your Google reviews and profile stats, and sends you an alert when a low rating arrives, so you can reply the same day.
Reply templates for every kind of review
Adapt these to your own voice. Each one avoids confirming a client relationship and avoids any client detail. Keep replies short: Google advises clear, simple and direct responses.
Positive review
Thank you for taking the time to write this. We're glad you found our team helpful. – Sharma & Associates
Thank you for the kind words. It means a lot to our team. – R K Mehta & Co
Even when the review names a partner and describes the work, don't repeat the detail. A short thank-you is the professional answer.
Positive review with a rating but no text
Thank you for your rating. – Sharma & Associates
Neutral or mixed review
Thank you for your feedback. We're always trying to improve how we work and communicate, and we take comments like yours seriously. If you'd like to discuss anything further, please call the office on the number on this profile. – Sharma & Associates
Negative review
We're sorry to read about this experience. We can't discuss any matter in a public forum, but we would like to understand what happened and put things right where we can. Please call our office on the number on this profile and ask for the managing partner. – Sharma & Associates
Thank you for raising this. We take every concern seriously. We'd be glad to speak with you directly. Please contact the office on the number on this profile. – R K Mehta & Co
Google advises acknowledging mistakes and apologising where appropriate. You can do that in general terms ("we're sorry this fell short of what you expected") without admitting or describing any facts of an engagement. Then make the call. If the matter is resolved, the reviewer may update the review on their own. Don't ask them to.
Review from someone you don't recognise
Thank you for your feedback. We're unable to find a record that matches the experience described, and we would like to understand it. Please contact our office on the number on this profile so we can look into it. – Sharma & Associates
"Unable to find a record" says nothing about whether any other person is a client. Use it only when it is true.
Fake, spam or abusive review
Report it first (see the next section). If you reply while the report is pending, keep it neutral:
We take all feedback seriously. We're unable to match this review to any experience at our firm. We'd welcome a call on the number on this profile. – Sharma & Associates
Don't accuse a competitor or a former employee in public, even if you are sure. Put that in the report to Google. If several low ratings arrive close together, which is a common sign of a fake-review attack, the low-rating alerts on OneClick Scheduler's Google screen let you spot the pattern quickly and report each one.
How to report a review that breaks Google's policies
Google removes reviews only when they break its policies. It says not to report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it. Under Google Maps' content policy, these are grounds for removal:
- Fake engagement: reviews that don't reflect a genuine experience, such as a review from someone who never dealt with you, or a burst of one-star reviews from new accounts.
- Conflict of interest: Google gives current or former employment, a contractual relationship or other professional affiliations as examples. This covers a review from a competing firm or an ex-employee.
- Harassment, hate speech, profanity or offensive content.
- Personal information: a review that publishes someone's phone number, PAN or other private details.
- Off-topic, advertising and impersonation.
To report from the profile:
- Open your Business Profile and select Read reviews.
- Next to the review, select the Report option.
- Choose the type of violation (for example, spam or profanity).
- Select Send report.
To report and track through the Reviews Management Tool: open Google's Reviews Management Tool, select the business, choose Report a new review for removal, select the review and the type of violation, and submit. The tool also shows the status of your reports. Google says the assessment usually takes a few days.
If the report is rejected, you can appeal once through the same tool with Appeal eligible reviews. Use the appeal to give facts Google can check, such as the account having no other activity or several similar reviews arriving on the same day. Don't include any client information in the report or the appeal.
How quickly to respond
Google doesn't set a deadline. A sensible standard for a practice:
| Review | Reply within |
|---|---|
| Negative (1–2 stars) | One working day, after you have checked internally what happened |
| Neutral (3 stars) | Two to three working days |
| Positive (4–5 stars) | Within a week |
| Suspected fake or abusive | Report the same day. Reply, if at all, with the neutral template. |
The hard part is noticing. Google's notifications go to whoever manages the profile, and in a busy filing month nobody looks. OneClick Scheduler's Google screen shows all your reviews in one place and sends an alert when a low rating arrives, so the partner can see it the same day, while the reply can still help.
Assign one person to replies, usually a partner or the office manager, and keep these templates where they can find them. If you haven't set up the profile properly yet, start with setting up and verifying a Google Business Profile. To keep it active between reviews, see what to post on Google every week.
Frequently asked questions
Can a CA firm ask clients to leave Google reviews?
It is safest not to. The ICAI Code of Ethics does not permit solicitation, testimonials or endorsements, and a review campaign or showcasing your reviews in marketing can be seen as one of these. Let reviews come on their own and reply to them professionally. See our guide to the ICAI advertisement rules.
Should I reply to a negative Google review that gets the facts wrong?
Yes, but don't correct the facts in public. Correcting them would mean discussing the client's matter. Reply briefly, say you can't discuss any matter in public, and invite the reviewer to call the office. Then sort it out privately.
Can I get a negative Google review removed?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, for example fake engagement, a conflict of interest (such as a competitor or ex-employee), harassment, profanity or personal information. Report it from Read reviews on the profile or through the Reviews Management Tool. If the report is rejected, you can appeal once.
Can I thank a reviewer by name in my reply?
You can use the name the reviewer chose to show, but don't confirm they are a client or mention their work, fees, returns or notices. A short "Thank you for the kind words" is enough.
How long does it take for my reply to a Google review to appear?
Google checks replies for policy compliance first. It says this usually takes up to 10 minutes, but it can take up to 30 days. You can edit or delete the reply later from Read reviews.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Read & reply to reviews
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews (reply tips and the ban on incentives)
- Google Business Profile Help: Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile
- Google Maps Help: Prohibited and restricted content (user contributed content policy)
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
Connect your Google Business Profile to OneClick Scheduler. The Google screen shows every review in one place, alerts you to low ratings, and sits next to the scheduler you already use for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google posts.
