How to Respond to Hair Salon Google Reviews: Examples

"I asked for ash blonde and left with yellow." The review arrives the same evening, with a photo. In a hair salon, the result is visible immediately, photographed and compared with the picture shown on arrival. That is what makes reviews so emotional, and your replies so widely read by future clients.

To respond to Google reviews for a hair salon, address the issues specific to the trade: color or cut results, touch-ups, appointments and waiting, product reactions, pricing. Never dispute a result in public, never name a stylist in a negative review, do not promise a free touch-up outside your usual policy, and always offer to look at the result again at the salon.

What makes hair salon reviews different

A hair salon review is about a result that is visible, personal and partly subjective, delivered by someone the client often knows by first name. These three traits change how you should reply.

• The result is visible and photographed. A disappointing color is not forgotten on the way home, it shows in every mirror for weeks.
• The gap with the request is often a misunderstanding. "A bit shorter", "natural blonde" and "light layers" do not mean the same thing to everyone.
• The relationship is personal. Clients name their stylist, for better or worse.
• The scalp is involved. A color or treatment can cause irritation, which goes beyond an aesthetic disagreement.

A color or cut gone wrong: acknowledge without giving in

When a client is disappointed with her color or cut, the right reply acknowledges the disappointment without debating the result, then offers to look at it again at the salon. It says neither "that is what you asked for" nor "we will redo everything for free".

Two opposite traps lie here. The first is getting defensive ("your hair was damaged by previous colorings"): even if true, it reads as an excuse. The second is caving in public ("free touch-up, of course"): you reward the negative review and commit in front of every future client.

Example 1: color different from the request (2 stars)

"I wanted ash blonde, I left with yellow tones."

Hello Léa, thank you for taking the time to write to us. We understand your disappointment: a color that does not look like what you pictured is frustrating. We would like to look at the result with you at the salon. Call us at [phone] and ask for [manager's first name]. The team at [Salon name]

Example 2: cut too short (2 stars)

"I said just the ends, they cut ten centimeters."

Hello, thank you for your feedback. Cutting shorter than planned is never trivial, and we are sorry you left feeling that way. Drop by or call [phone]: we want to understand what happened and see with you what can be done. The team at [Salon name]

Example 3: result different from the photo shown (3 stars)

"Nice balayage, but far from the Instagram photo I showed."

Hello Inès, thank you for this balanced feedback. A photo is a starting point, but base color, thickness and hair history change the result, and we should have talked about it more before starting. We are taking this on board for our next consultations. The team at [Salon name]

Touch-ups: what you can promise in public

Touch-ups are at the heart of replies to negative hair reviews, but their conditions should be set privately. In public, simply say you would like to look at the result again.

A good practice: write your touch-up policy once (timeframe, services covered, conditions) and apply it to every client, whether or not they left a review. If that policy exists and applies to everyone, you can mention it. Otherwise, do not improvise a promise in the heat of the moment.

On pricing, your replies should stay consistent with what is displayed. In France, service providers must display their list of services and prices legibly at reception and visibly from outside, on pain of an administrative fine of 3,000 euros for a sole trader and 15,000 euros for a company, as the official Entreprendre Service-Public website explains (in French). A reply that relies on a displayed price (long hair supplement, color package) is far stronger than an improvised justification.

Example 4: price seen as too high (3 stars)

"Great result, but €30 more than expected because of my long hair."

Hello Camille, thank you for your review and glad you like the result. The long hair supplement is on our price list, but we should have told you clearly before starting. We now mention it every time during the consultation. The team at [Salon name]

Appointments, lateness and waiting

Appointment reviews fall into two cases: lateness caused by the salon, which calls for a simple apology, and lateness or a no-show by the client, which calls for a calm reminder of your rule. In both cases, no public debate about exact times.

Example 5: waiting at the salon (3 stars)

"Great cut, but a 25 minute wait despite my booking."

Hello, thank you for your feedback. Waiting 25 minutes when you had booked is not right, and we are sorry. We are reviewing how long we allow for some services so the schedule holds better. We look forward to seeing you again. The team at [Salon name]

Example 6: appointment refused after the client arrived late (1 star)

"Arrived fifteen minutes late, they refused to do my hair."

Hello, we understand that moment was unpleasant. When lateness means the service cannot be done without delaying every following client, we offer a new slot rather than a rushed service: it is the rule we apply to everyone. We would be happy to welcome you on another date, at [phone]. The team at [Salon name]

Irritation or a reaction after a color: a separate case

A review mentioning a burn, scalp irritation or an allergic reaction is no longer an aesthetic disagreement: it involves safety and your liability. Handle it as a priority, with a short reply and no position on the cause.

The French public service website reports a decision by the Riom Court of Appeal of 15 March 2023 (case no. 21/01129) holding that a hairdresser must inform and advise the client, or even warn her, and that if the client reacts to the product used, it is up to the hairdresser to prove she was informed of the risks (Service-Public, hairdresser liability). Before replying, check your technical record and what the client was told, and do not post any technical explanation.

Example 7: irritated scalp (1 star)

"My scalp has been burning since yesterday's color."

Hello, your message worries us and we take it very seriously. If the discomfort continues, please see a doctor without delay, and call us today at [phone] so we can talk it through with you. [First name], manager of [Salon name]

When a stylist is named

Hair salon reviews often name the stylist. In a positive review, use her first name if she agrees; in a negative review, always reply in the salon's name.

Google's content policies prohibit posting personal information without consent, while allowing names of public-facing professionals. So it is allowed, but exposing an employee in a reply to a negative review damages the whole team's trust without reassuring readers.

Example 8: negative review targeting a stylist (1 star)

"Julie didn't listen to me at all, avoid."

Hello, thank you for sharing your experience. We are sorry you did not feel listened to: taking time to understand each request is part of what we want to offer every client. We are discussing it as a team, and we remain reachable at [phone]. The team at [Salon name]

Example 9: positive review naming a stylist (5 stars)

"Sarah finally understood my curls, thank you!"

Thank you so much! Sarah was delighted to read your message: curly hair needs real attention, and she loves this kind of cut. See you soon at the salon. The team at [Salon name]

Positive reviews: keep the relationship going

A reply to a positive hair salon review picks up the service or moment mentioned and makes the client want to come back. Avoid the single formula pasted under every five star review.

Example 10: wedding hairstyle (5 stars)

"Perfect updo, it lasted all night at my wedding."

Congratulations on your wedding, and thank you for this message! Knowing the updo held until the end of the evening means a lot to the whole team. Wishing you every happiness. The team at [Salon name]

Example 11: new client won over (5 stars)

"First visit, lovely welcome and a cut that finally suits me."

Thank you for this first visit and for these words. Finding a cut that really suits you is exactly what we aim for during the consultation. We look forward to seeing you again. The team at [Salon name]

More wording is available in our Google review response templates, and our guides on replying to a negative Google review and replying to a positive review cover the general method.

Replying to Google reviews as a hairdresser: how often and who does it

One reply per review, posted within a few days, is enough. Book a fixed slot every week rather than replying in the heat of the moment: the salon keeps a consistent tone and nobody writes while upset. Appoint a single person to handle it, with the examples above within reach.

Reply to every review, with no sorting: the five stars as well as the one stars, the detailed accounts as well as the bare ratings. A salon that only answers flattering reviews is spotted immediately, and the whole effort loses its value with future clients, who read the negative reviews first.

For sensitive reviews (a reaction to a product, a named employee, a threatened dispute), keep one simple rule: the public reply stays short and points to the salon's phone number, and everything else is handled privately. Write down who replied and what was promised, so whoever is at reception does not discover it on the day of the visit.

Beyond replies: your salon's reputation

Replying to reviews is not enough if the same complaints keep coming back: waiting, color, listening. Read your reviews once a month to spot recurring topics and fix how the salon runs.

Our guide to online reputation for hair salons covers review collection and online presence, and our guide to Google review management gives the full method.

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