Hidden fees
How to reply to a hidden-fees Google review
Hidden-fee reviews often come from a real disclosure gap. The reply is a chance to reset the disclosure standard for every future customer.
Why it matters
Hidden-fee reviews rank high on read-through in every industry. Owning the disclosure gap is worth more than defending the fee.
Do this
- Point to exactly where the fee was disclosed (or say it wasn't clear enough).
- Change the disclosure — and mention it publicly.
- Offer to refund the fee if the disclosure genuinely wasn't clear.
Avoid this
- Blaming the reviewer for not reading terms.
- Defending the fee without addressing the disclosure gap.
5 templates
1. Restaurant, service charge
Review
"Didn't realise 12.5% service was added."
Reply
"Hi Sam — service is on every menu and the bill footer but if it wasn't clear enough we'll be adding it to the top of the bill from this month. Email hello@ourplace.com if you'd like it refunded. — Marco, owner"
2. Airbnb-style, cleaning fee
Review
"Didn't see the £75 cleaning fee until checkout."
Reply
"Hi Priya — cleaning fees appear at checkout on every listing but they should be in the summary too. We're updating the copy this week. — Ellie, host"
3. Ticket, booking fee
Review
"£4 booking fee on top of the ticket price."
Reply
"Hi Chris — our booking fee is disclosed at the first step of checkout. If it wasn't clear enough we'll be moving it to the ticket page from this week. — Alex"
4. Hotel, resort fee
Review
"£25 daily resort fee wasn't in the booking."
Reply
"Hi Jamie — resort fee is on the booking page and confirmation email but I take the point that it should be more prominent. Please email hello@ourhotel.com if you'd like it looked at. — Sam, GM"
5. Salon, product fee
Review
"Charged £15 for products I didn't ask for."
Reply
"Hi Nadia — product fees should be discussed at consultation, not added at the till. That's a comms failure we'll be tightening this month. Please email hello@oursalon.com if you'd like a refund. — Ellie, owner"
FAQ
- Should we refund a fee to silence a review?
- Refund because the disclosure was unclear, not to silence the review. The reply reads as accountable either way.
- Is 'it was in the terms' a good defence?
- Never in public. If a real customer missed it, the disclosure needs to be more visible.