Every roofing company gets a bad review eventually. A delay, a miscommunication, a nail in the driveway, or sometimes a customer who was never going to be happy.
The review itself is out of your control. Your response isn’t. And here’s the thing: future customers often read your reply more closely than the review. A calm, professional response can actually build trust.
The 4-step formula
Keep every response short and follow this structure:
- Thank them for the feedback.
- Acknowledge the problem without arguing.
- Explain or fix, briefly, without excuses.
- Take it offline with a direct contact.
That’s it. Three to five sentences.
Example responses
The job took longer than expected
Review: “Took way longer than they said. Crew showed up two days late.”
Response: “Thanks for the feedback, Mark. You’re right that we started later than planned, and we should have kept you better updated when the weather pushed our schedule. That’s on us. I’d like to make sure everything else met your expectations. Please give me a call at [number]. – [Name], [Company]”
Mess left behind
Review: “Found nails in my driveway after they left.”
Response: “Sarah, thank you for letting us know, and I’m sorry. Leaving nails behind isn’t acceptable, and it’s a safety issue. I’d like to send someone out to do another magnet sweep this week. Please call me directly at [number]. – [Name], [Company]”
Price complaint
Review: “Way too expensive.”
Response: “Thanks for taking the time to share this. We know a new roof is a big investment, and we try to be clear about what’s included in every estimate, like materials, warranty and cleanup. If you’d like to go over the numbers together, I’m happy to talk. – [Name], [Company]”
Someone who was never a customer
Review: “Terrible company, don’t use them.”
Response: “We take every review seriously, but we can’t find a record of working with you. If we’ve missed something, please call us at [number] so we can look into it. – [Name], [Company]”
If you believe a review is fake or from someone who was never a customer, you can also flag it in your Google Business Profile.
What never to say
- Don’t argue in public. Even if you’re right, you look defensive.
- Don’t share private details about the job or the customer.
- Don’t get sarcastic or blame the customer.
- Don’t copy and paste the same reply on every review. It reads as fake.
- Don’t offer something in exchange for removing the review.
Turn it around offline
The best outcome is solving the problem in a phone call. Many customers appreciate the effort, and some will update their review on their own once they feel heard. Don’t ask them to change it. Just fix the problem.
Drown out the bad with the good
One negative review stands out when you only have a handful. It barely registers when you have dozens of positive ones. The best long-term defense is asking every customer for a review, every time.
Here’s how: How to get more Google reviews for your roofing company. Or let automatic review requests handle it for you after every finished job.
Prevent the next one
Many bad reviews come from communication gaps: no update when a job is delayed, no reply to a question, no follow-up after the job. A system that keeps homeowners in the loop with reminders and quick replies prevents a lot of frustration before it turns into a review.