11 online review response templates for the Christmas and holiday season
The lights are hung. The tree is up. And nothing could tempt you from those cozy clothes. Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and the final rush of the holiday gift-giving season are here! If you work at a restaurant or retail shop, it’s often the most exciting and stressful time of the year.
And our small gift to you and your customers? A quicker, easier online review response process with pre-written review response templates — just in time for the holiday rush. Review response templates are fantastic for improving the customer experience (CX) during the holidays while genuinely connecting with those who make your brand successful 365 days a year.
From reaching out to a shopper upset about a sold-out gift or a diner celebrating a delicious Christmas Eve meal that the whole family loved, a simple response can turn casual patrons into loyal fans who consider your brand part of their holiday tradition.
That said, we get why the few seconds it takes to respond to online reviews can feel overwhelming. The holidays are a notoriously busy time for most businesses — not to mention extra hurdles like winter weather and health concerns. Every moment matters.
Take a sip of egg nog or warm apple cider (spiked if you’d like) and relax! Just use our pre-written review response templates created for brands during the holidays. Copy and paste these 11 fantastic responses, and with some slight customization, your customers will know you are in the spirit of making this season the brightest yet.
The basics for responding to online reviews during the holidays
Before getting into the actual response templates, let’s outline the structure behind what makes an online review response resonate with customers this time of the year. While not immensely different than other times of the year, extra care, empathy, and positivity go a long way.
Remember, the holidays are often stressful for patrons too. Going above and beyond to create a memorable customer experience during the holiday can make an exceptionally positive and lasting impression.
How to respond to positive reviews:
- Thank the customer and use their name to personalize the interaction.
- Reference specifics about their experience. Did they love the holiday-themed decorations? Pleased about how easily they could pick up the product they ordered online? Show you’re paying attention by highlighting the aspects they loved most.
- Don’t hesitate to mention your team’s holiday-related efforts to create a happy experience. This shows the reviewer AND those reading the review that you put careful thought into creating an incredible customer journey.
- Encourage the review to return in the new year and beyond! Is there an exciting spring sale? Or, a new loyalty club they can join? Find a way to keep nurturing that relationship.
How to respond to negative reviews:
- Keep it short and sweet. You may be inclined to explain your side of the story. But even with good intentions, this can open up unexpected and potentially damaging dialogue.
- Always be empathetic. Apologize and genuinely thank them for their feedback.
- Respond appropriately and always take the high road. Even if you disagree, it never looks good for a brand to engage in an “online fight” with a customer.
- Openly, yet matter-of-factly, acknowledge inevitable CX challenges during the holidays, like long wait times, low inventory, short staffing, or bad weather. This offers realistic expectations to the specific reviewer and those reading the review response.
- If needed, take the conversation offline. Include a phone number or email address for further discussion. Sometimes, actual human-to-human dialogue can quickly solve the issue at hand.
- Remember that 33% will remove or revise a bad review if the company responds to a negative review! Statistically, it’s worth the effort.
More online review response best practices:
- Keep your brand’s voice consistent.
- Be as human as possible. We suggest signing off with your first name.
- Write with a sensitive, positive, and empathetic tone.
- Rotate and tweak wording within templates. You don’t want your responses to appear mindlessly copied and pasted.
- Templates don’t work for every review, especially when they’re extra-thorny. When in doubt, just write it out.
11 review response templates for the holidays
Template #1: How to respond to short reviews
Positive review response:
Hi [NAME],
We’re delighted about your positive holiday shopping experience at [BRAND]! Thanks for taking the time to post a review, and we look forward to delivering more fantastic experiences for you in the near year. Happy holidays! – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Hi [NAME],
We sincerely apologize for the poor experience you had at [BRAND]. Our team wants every visit to be extraordinary, especially during the holidays. We’d love to hear how we can do better next time. Please call or email us at [PHONE/EMAIL]. – [YOUR NAME]
Template #2: Responding to holiday safety and health concerns
Positive review response:
Hi [NAME]. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. It means a lot to have our customers appreciate the extra safety measures we have implemented this winter. We work hard to ensure that everyone feels safe while in our stores. Have a joyous and healthy holiday season. – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
We’re very sorry to hear your expectations weren’t met, and we genuinely appreciate your feedback. While we always strive to create a safe, healthy environment, we can fall short. Please contact us at [PHONE NUMBER] or email us at [EMAIL] so we can learn more about your experience and make future visits more positive. Happy Holidays. – [YOUR NAME]
Template #3: Responding to inclement weather-related reviews during the holidays
Positive review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for sharing your positive experience. We’re aware of the challenges [WEATHER EVENT] has created. Our team remains committed to providing fantastic services while still prioritizing the safety of our valued employees, customers, and community safe. We look forward to seeing you again very soon. Happy Holidays – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thanks for your feedback, and we regret that we didn’t meet your expectations. Due to the [WEATHER EVENT], we made the decision to [CLOSE THE STORE/SHORTEN HOURS/ETC.] I understand this affected your experience with us, and we’re dedicated to making it right. Please reach out to us at [PHONE] or [EMAIL] so we can find a resolution. Happy Holidays. – [YOUR NAME]
Template #4: Responding to customer service-related issues during the holidays
Positive review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thanks SO much for sharing your positive experience. We’re thrilled that our customer service team made your holiday a little bit brighter. We can’t wait to serve you in the new year. Maybe for our big spring sale?? Have a wonderful rest of the holiday season! – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry our service team did not meet your expectations. Even during the holiday rush, we always strive to create excellent customer experiences. We fell short and want love to make this up to you. Reach out to us at [PHONE] or [EMAIL], and let’s talk. Happy Holidays – [YOUR NAME]
Template #5: Responding after holiday-related changes, like special hours
Positive review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you very much for your positive review. It’s wonderful to know our longer seasonal hours and extra support from our team during the holidays made such a difference for you. We hope you return in the new year! Happy Holidays! – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
Our deepest apologies that your visit fell short of expectations and that our shorter winter hours caught you off guard and affected your trust in us. We’d like your feedback to improve our experience, so we can continue to serve our customers with the best possible service. Feel free to reach out at [PHONE] or [EMAIL]. We’d love to provide a solution and ensure we continue to create great experiences in the future. Happy Holidays! – [YOUR NAME]
Template #6: Responding to billing or pricing-related reviews
Positive review response:
Dear [NAME],
Hi [Name]! Thank you so much for sharing your positive experience. We always strive to deliver exceptional experiences and services to our valued customers. We’re happy to hear that [product and service] made this season brighter. We look forward to your continued loyalty in the new year. – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for sharing. We are sorry that you are unhappy with this [BILLING or PRICING] issue. We strive to maintain an easy and efficient process for every customer at any time of the year, and we take your feedback very seriously. Please contact us by phone at [PHONE NUMBER] or email [EMAIL] so we can resolve this immediately. Happy Holidays – [YOUR NAME]
Template #7: Responding to reviews about long waits or limited inventory
Positive review response:
Hi [NAME]. We’re thrilled you are happy with your experience at [BRAND] this holiday season. We always work to exceed expectations and can’t wait to continue delivering you wonderful experiences into the new year. Have a safe holiday season. — [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Hi [NAME],
We deeply apologize for your poor experience at [BRAND]. While the holiday season adds challenges for our team, including high demand for [YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE], our top priority is for our valued customers to enjoy nothing less than a 5-star experience every time. We will document your feedback, and we’d love to discuss your issues further at [PHONE/EMAIL]. Thank you. – [YOUR NAME]
Template #8: How to respond to reviews during the holidays for restaurants
Positive review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thanks for leaving such a lovely review. We are grateful for your support and appreciation during the busy holiday season. We value customer satisfaction as a top priority, and our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service, whether it’s for dine-in, pickup, takeout, or delivery. We look forward to serving you again, and happy holidays! – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
We’re incredibly sorry that your experience with us was not up to par. We pride ourselves on providing quality customer service for every patron. We hope that you will give us another opportunity. Please reach out to us at [PHONE NUMBER] or email us at [EMAIL] so we can learn more about this issue. We’d love to make it up to you in the spirit of the holidays.- [YOUR NAME]
Template #9: How healthcare teams can respond to reviews during the holidays
Positive review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for your positive feedback! We are overjoyed to hear that you experienced great care with us. Our staff continuously goes above and beyond to keep health and safety a top priority for everyone’s well-being, especially during winter. We’re very appreciative of your kind words. – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry that you didn’t have the best experience with us. While wintertime and holidays can cause extra challenges for healthcare, [BRAND] strives to ensure a safe, efficient, and welcoming experience for all. Please send your full name and phone number to [EMAIL] so we can better understand how we can do better next time. – [YOUR NAME]
Template #10: For retail brands responding to reviews over the holidays
Positive review response:
Hi [NAME]! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us! We’re pleased to hear our Christmas promotion and decor made your experience extra fun and bright! We know how busy this season is, and we genuinely appreciate the time you took to write this review. Have a happy and safe holiday, and we’ll see you in 2023 for our big Spring Sale! – [YOUR NAME]
Negative review response:
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for your feedback. We are committed to creating a great experience for our customers all year round and are sorry to hear that we didn’t meet your expectations. We take our customers’ feedback seriously and would like to address this issue further. Please contact us at [PHONE] or [EMAIL] when convenient so we can resolve your concerns. – [YOUR NAME]
Template #11: For reviews that potentially are fake or spam
Standard review response:
Dear [NAME],
Did you leave this review in error? This review violates [REVIEW SITE]’s policies. We have flagged it for removal. If you think your review was flagged in error, reach out to us at [PHONE NUMBER] or [EMAIL] so we can resolve this matter ASAP. Thanks – [YOUR NAME]
With review response templates, go the extra mile in less time for your valued customers — even during the busy holiday season. A genuine and cheer-filled review response is often all it takes to turn even the most disgruntled grinches into lifelong brand fans.
Need an extra helping hand? Chatmeter’s comprehensive reputation and review response solutions are here to help during the holidays and all year round. From easy-to-use review responding tools that pull every online review onto a single feed to bulk response features to a white-glove review response team to take care of it all, we have everything your team desires in keeping your customers filled with joy.
Schedule a demo today to see how our solutions will free up your time and boost your brand reputation and CX strategy in less than two weeks!
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