Long wait
How to reply to a long-wait Google review
Long-wait reviews are among the easiest to reply to well — the fix is usually operational and can be stated in one sentence. Owners overwrite them; a single paragraph is enough.
Why it matters
Wait complaints are the most-cited operational review type in local search. Future customers judge you on whether you name a specific fix.
Do this
- Restate the overrun in minutes.
- Name the specific process change — buffer time, second cover, call-back queue.
- Offer a priority slot or comped item where realistic.
Avoid this
- 'We were very busy.' Every business is busy.
- Blaming the reviewer for not booking ahead.
- A generic 'sorry for the wait' with no fix named.
5 templates
1. Restaurant, waited for starter
Review
"Waited 45 minutes for a starter."
Reply
"Hi Alex — 45 minutes for a starter is well outside anything we'd call service. We were a cover down that Saturday. Email me and I'll book you a table with priority service. — Marco"
2. Salon, past appointment
Review
"Booked at 2pm, wasn't seen until 2:40."
Reply
"Hi Priya — 40 minutes past your booking is not the appointment you booked. A colour correction ran long that day and we should have called you earlier. Your next cut is on us."
3. Dentist, waiting room
Review
"40-minute wait after a specific appointment time."
Reply
"Hi — a 40-minute wait after a booked slot isn't the practice we want to run. We've added a 15-minute buffer between complex appointments from this month. Sorry for the delay."
4. Garage, delayed collection
Review
"Car ready call came four hours late."
Reply
"Hi Chris — a four-hour drift on a collection call is a comms fail on us. From this month we're texting a 90-minute-ahead heads-up. Sorry for the day it cost you."
5. GP clinic, waiting past appointment
Review
"Waited an hour past my appointment."
Reply
"Hi — an hour past a booked appointment isn't acceptable and we're sorry it was your day. Please email complaints@ourpractice.co.uk and we will follow it up individually."
FAQ
- Should I explain why we were busy?
- No. Explanations read as excuses. Name the fix, not the cause.
- Should I offer a comp?
- Where you can — a priority slot, a comped starter, a free wash. Never a blanket discount.