"We are now taking this to small claims." "My solicitor has been instructed." "I have reported them to [regulator]."

Almost everything written about review replies tells you to be warm, specific and apologetic. For this one review type, that advice can actively hurt you.

This is general information, not legal advice. If a review references live legal proceedings, take proper advice in your jurisdiction before you post anything.

Why the usual advice doesn't apply

A normal review reply is read by potential customers. This one may also be read by a solicitor, an insurer, a regulator, or a judge.

Three specific risks:

Admissions. "We should have caught that before it left the workshop" is a lovely, human, accountable sentence. It is also a written admission, published and timestamped.
Contradictions. If your public reply describes events slightly differently from what you later tell an insurer or a court, the gap is a problem — even when both accounts were honest.
Insurance conditions. Many liability policies require you to notify the insurer and not to admit liability. A public apology can breach that.

The instinct that makes you good at customer service — taking responsibility quickly and openly — is exactly the instinct to pause on here.

What to do first, before writing anything

Screenshot the review immediately, with date and reviewer name visible. Reviews get edited.
Tell whoever needs to know. Owner, insurer, solicitor if you have one. Same day.
Pull the file. Invoices, correspondence, booking records, photos, notes. Save it somewhere it won't be accidentally deleted.
Tell your team nobody replies but you. This is the exact scenario a review response policy exists to prevent — a well-meaning manager apologising publicly for something the business is disputing.
Check whether it's a threat or a fact. "I'm going to sue" is very common and very rarely followed through. "Proceedings have been issued" is a different situation.

The safe reply

You still reply — silence under a serious allegation reads badly to every customer who sees it. But the reply does one job only: demonstrate that you're a reasonable business handling it properly, while saying nothing about the substance.

Thank you for your feedback. We take concerns of this kind seriously and are addressing this directly with the customer. As the matter is ongoing it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss the details publicly. Anyone who'd like to speak with us can contact [name] at [email].

Look at what that reply does and doesn't do:

Doesn't admit anything
Doesn't deny anything
Doesn't dispute their version of events
Doesn't mention lawyers, courts, or the threat
Shows every reader that the business is engaged and calm

A shorter variant for regulated professions:

Thank you for your feedback. We're unable to discuss individual matters publicly. Our [practice manager / complaints lead] can be reached at [email] and will respond directly to any concern raised.

Six things never to write

"See you in court." Permanent, and it makes you the aggressor in the reader's eyes.
Any version of events. Even a factual, accurate one.
"This review is defamatory and we're taking advice." Threatening a reviewer publicly rebounds badly and can be reported as intimidation.
An apology for the specific failure alleged. Sympathy is fine; accepting the allegation is not.
Anything identifying the person beyond what they disclosed themselves.
A settlement offer. Never negotiate in public.

Can you get it removed?

Generally no. A review describing a genuine dispute doesn't breach Google's content policies just because you disagree with it, and "this is being litigated" is not a removal category.

You may have a case if it contains personal information, harassment or obvious impersonation. If the review appeared as leverage — "pay me or this stays up" — that's a conflict of interest and worth reporting with your evidence, as covered in handling review blackmail.

Realistically, plan on the review staying and manage it well rather than chasing removal.

When the matter is resolved

Once things are settled — and only when your solicitor is comfortable — you can edit your original reply to add a neutral line:

Update: this matter has since been resolved directly with the customer.

Nine words that tell every future reader the story ended, without revealing how. Get it checked before posting if there's a confidentiality term in any settlement.

The one-line summary

Say less than you want to, document more than feels necessary, get advice before you type, and let the calm tone do the persuading. Your goal isn't to win in the reply box — it's to make sure the reply box never becomes evidence.

Reploi flags high-risk reviews — legal threats, injury claims, regulatory mentions — so they reach you rather than being answered by whoever happens to be on shift. Start free — 5 replies/month →

How to Respond to a Review Threatening Legal Action