How to Respond to Driver Reviews

Responding to Reviews

Responding to driver reviews shows you care about their experience and helps build trust with future visitors. Engaged owners get better reviews and higher usage.

Why Respond to Reviews

Benefits of owner responses:

⭐ Higher ratings - Engaged owners average 0.5 stars higher 👀 More visibility - Listings with responses rank higher in search 🤝 Build trust - Shows you're active and care about drivers 💬 Clarify issues - Correct misunderstandings publicly 📈 Increase usage - Drivers prefer locations with responsive owners 🔧 Identify problems - Reviews reveal equipment issues early

Statistics:

• Locations with owner responses get 40% more reviews
• 78% of drivers read owner responses before visiting
• Response rate is a search ranking factor

Response Limits by Tier

Monthly review response limits:

• Free: 3 responses per month
• Premium: 25 responses per month
• Premium Multi: Unlimited responses

Limit resets: First day of each month

If you reach limit:

• Upgrade to higher tier
• Prioritize responses to negative reviews
• Wait until next month for additional responses

Learn about subscription tiers →

How to Respond to Reviews

Step 1: Access Reviews

Method A: From Dashboard

1. Go to Dashboard → Reviews
2. See all reviews across your locations
3. Filter by location, rating, or response status

Method B: From Location Page

1. Dashboard → Sites → [Your Location]
2. Scroll to "Reviews" section
3. See reviews for that specific location

Method C: Email Notifications

• Get notified when new reviews posted (if enabled)
• Click link in email to respond directly

Step 2: Read the Review Carefully

Understand the review:

• What went well?
• What went wrong?
• Is the issue legitimate or a misunderstanding?
• Is the tone positive, neutral, or negative?
• Did they mention specific problems to fix?

Check categorized ratings: Reviews have 6 rating categories:

• Accessibility
• Amenities
• Charging speed
• Cleanliness
• Ease of use
• Value for money

Pay attention to low category scores - address these in your response.

Step 3: Craft Your Response

Response structure:

1. Thank the reviewer (always)
2. Address positive feedback (if applicable)
3. Acknowledge issues (if applicable)
4. Explain or apologize (if needed)
5. Share what you're doing to fix it (if applicable)
6. Invite them back (optional but nice)

Keep it:

• Professional and courteous
• Concise (2-4 sentences ideal)
• Specific to their review
• Solution-focused

Step 4: Submit Response

1. Click "Respond" button on review
2. Type your response (max 500 characters)
3. Preview response
4. Click "Submit Response"

Response appears:

• Below the review
• Labeled "Response from Owner"
• Visible to all users
• Cannot be edited after posting (choose words carefully)

Tip: Write response in text editor first, proofread, then paste.

Response Templates & Examples

Positive Reviews (4-5 Stars)

Template:

Thank you for the [positive comment]! We're glad [specific detail they mentioned].
Hope to see you again soon!

Example 1:

Review: "Great location, fast chargers, and clean restrooms. Charged to 80% in 25 minutes!"

Response: "Thank you for the kind words! We're glad our DC fast chargers and facilities met your needs. Safe travels and hope to see you on your next trip!"

Example 2:

Review: "Convenient location right off Highway 101. Grabbed coffee at the Starbucks next door while charging. Perfect setup!"

Response: "Thanks for visiting! We're happy the location and nearby amenities worked well for your charging stop. Come back anytime!"

Neutral Reviews (3 Stars)

Template:

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate you noting [positive].
We're working on [issue mentioned] and hope to improve your experience next time.

Example:

Review: "Chargers work fine but parking is tight and hard to navigate with a trailer. 3 stars."

Response: "Thank you for the feedback. We're glad the chargers worked well. We've noted the parking concern and are exploring ways to improve access for larger vehicles. Appreciate your patience!"

Negative Reviews (1-2 Stars)

Template:

We're sorry to hear about [issue]. [Acknowledge problem].
[Explain action taken or future fix]. We'd love another chance to serve you better.

Example 1:

Review: "Port 2 was broken. Wasted 20 minutes trying to get it to work. Very frustrating. 1 star."

Response: "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Port 2 has been repaired and is now fully operational. We've also added status monitoring to catch issues faster. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Example 2:

Review: "Chargers are great but no restrooms and no nearby food. Not ideal for a 45-minute charge. 2 stars."

Response: "Thank you for the feedback. You're right—we don't have on-site restrooms, but there's a café with facilities 100 feet down the corridor. We'll update our listing to make this clearer. Appreciate your input!"

Reviews with Incorrect Information

Template:

Thank you for the review! Just to clarify: [correct information].
Hope this helps for your next visit!

Example:

Review: "Only Tesla chargers here. Useless for my Chevy Bolt. 2 stars."

Response: "Thanks for visiting! Just to clarify: We have 4 CCS ports (compatible with your Bolt) and 2 Tesla Destination chargers. The CCS stations are on the east side of the lot. We'd love to serve you on your next trip!"

Reviews Mentioning Temporary Issues

Template:

Thank you for the heads up! [Issue] was temporary due to [reason].
[Status update: fixed or timeline]. We appreciate your patience!

Example:

Review: "Went here yesterday and all chargers were offline. Had to drive 30 miles to next station. 1 star."

Response: "We're very sorry for the inconvenience! We experienced a power outage yesterday afternoon. All chargers are back online as of 8am this morning. Thank you for your patience and we hope to serve you better next time."

Best Practices

DO:

✅ Respond within 24-48 hours - Shows you're active ✅ Be professional - Even if review is unfair ✅ Thank every reviewer - Even negative ones ✅ Be specific - Reference details they mentioned ✅ Own mistakes - Apologize when you're at fault ✅ Explain fixes - Share what you're doing to improve ✅ Keep it brief - 2-4 sentences is ideal ✅ Use proper grammar - Proofread before posting ✅ Invite them back - "Hope to see you again!"

DON'T:

❌ Argue with reviewers - Stay professional ❌ Make excuses - Own the issue instead ❌ Get defensive - It looks bad to future drivers ❌ Blame drivers - Even if they made a mistake ❌ Use all caps - Comes across as yelling ❌ Ignore negative reviews - Respond to these first ❌ Copy-paste identical responses - Personalize each one ❌ Include contact info in public response - Use DMs if needed ❌ Make promises you can't keep - Be realistic

Handling Difficult Reviews

Unfair or Inaccurate Reviews

Stay calm and professional:

1. Politely correct misinformation

   • "Thanks for visiting! Just to clarify..."
   • Provide accurate details
   • Offer to help if they have questions

2. Don't argue or blame

   • "You're wrong" → ❌
   • "I appreciate your feedback. Here's what actually..." → ✅

3. Take the high road

   • Other drivers will see your professionalism
   • Future reviewers notice how you handle criticism

Example:

Review: "Owner was rude and yelled at me for parking wrong. 1 star."

Response: "We're sorry you had a negative experience. Our team is trained to be courteous and helpful. We'd like to learn more—please contact us directly at support@yourstation.com so we can address this."

Abusive or Inappropriate Reviews

If review contains:

• Profanity or hate speech
• Personal attacks
• Spam or promotional content
• Completely off-topic content

Action:

1. Do NOT respond publicly
2. Click "Report Review" button
3. Select reason for report
4. Provide context if needed
5. Our team will review within 24 hours

Legitimate reasons to report:

• Violates community guidelines
• Not about your location
• Fake review from competitor
• Contains personal information

Invalid reasons to report:

• Negative but honest feedback
• Low rating
• Mentions a real problem

Reviews During Equipment Issues

If you're aware of an issue:

1. Respond quickly

   • Acknowledge the problem
   • Share repair timeline
   • Thank them for reporting

2. Update your listing

   • Mark affected ports "Out of Service"
   • Add note in location description
   • Post update when fixed

3. Follow up

   • Update response when repaired
   • Invite them to try again

Example:

Review: "2 out of 4 chargers broken. Only 1 working port for 3 cars waiting. 2 stars."

Response: "Thank you for letting us know. We're aware of the issue and a technician is scheduled for tomorrow. We've marked the affected ports out of service on our listing. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience!"

Prioritizing Responses

If you have limited responses (Free/Premium tier):

Priority order:

1. Negative reviews (1-2 stars) - Address issues publicly
2. Reviews with fixable problems - Show you're taking action
3. Detailed reviews - Reward thorough feedback
4. Recent reviews - Fresher reviews get more views
5. Positive reviews - Thank supporters last

Strategy:

• Save responses for reviews that need owner context
• Low-effort positive reviews can go without response
• Focus on reviews that help future drivers make decisions

Response Analytics

Track your response performance:

1. Dashboard → Reviews
2. View response rate (% of reviews you've responded to)
3. See average response time
4. Monitor review trends after responses

Good benchmarks:

• 70%+ response rate
• Under 48 hour average response time
• Increasing review volume (shows engagement)

After Responding

What happens next:

1. Reviewer gets notified - Email alert about your response
2. They may respond back - Can continue conversation
3. Other drivers see it - Response visible to all
4. Search algorithm notes it - Improves ranking

Best outcomes:

• Negative reviewer updates rating after you fix issue
• Other drivers comment appreciating your responsiveness
• Increased reviews from drivers who see engagement

Monitoring:

• Check for replies to your responses
• Note if drivers mention your responsiveness in new reviews
• Track if response rate correlates with rating improvements

Common Questions

Q: Can I edit my response after posting? A: No. Responses are permanent once posted. Double-check before submitting.

Q: Can I delete my response? A: Not currently. Contact support if you posted something inappropriate.

Q: What if the reviewer lies in their review? A: Politely correct the misinformation in your response. Other drivers will see your professional clarification.

Q: Should I respond to every review? A: Ideal, yes. At minimum, respond to all negative reviews and detailed reviews. Use your monthly limit wisely.

Q: How do I increase my response limit? A: Upgrade to Premium (25/month) or Premium Multi (unlimited).

Q: Can I respond to old reviews? A: Yes, no time limit. But prioritize recent reviews—they get more views.

Q: What if I disagree with a review? A: Stay professional. Acknowledge their perspective, provide your context politely, and move on.

Q: Should I respond to 5-star reviews? A: Nice to do if you have response capacity. A simple "Thank you!" goes a long way.

Related Articles

• Writing Helpful Reviews (driver perspective)
• Subscription Limits
• Optimizing Your Listing
• Handling Issue Reports

Need Help?

Questions about responding to reviews? We're here to assist.

Contact Support or check our Help Center