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Reputation

How should a financial adviser respond to a negative online review?

Last reviewed 22 April 2026 · Reviewed by Jake McQuillan

Quick answer

How should a financial adviser respond to a negative online review?

Respond publicly within 48 hours, acknowledge without admitting specific facts, invite the reviewer to resolve privately, and reference your FCA complaint process. Never argue publicly — compliance and reputation both lose.

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The four-step response

  1. Acknowledge within 48 hours.
  2. Apologise for their experience (without admitting liability).
  3. Invite them to continue privately, via formal complaints.
  4. Reference your FCA-regulated complaints process.

Compliance considerations

  • Do not reveal client-specific details publicly.
  • Do not argue specific facts of the advice.
  • Treat all serious complaints as potential formal complaints.
  • Document in your complaint register.

Template opening

"Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We take every concern seriously and would welcome the chance to look into this for you via our formal complaints process at [email]. As an FCA-regulated firm we are committed to resolving client issues fairly."

Remove or not?

You can only request removal from Google/Trustpilot if the review breaches their policies (defamation, fake, personal details). Otherwise, respond well.

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JM
Reviewed by
Jake McQuillan
Founder at Platinum Prospects
Last reviewed 22 April 2026

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Related questions

How do I get reviews for a financial adviser practice?
Ask at key trust moments (post meeting, post fund transfer), use VouchedFor or Trustpilot, and automate the ask via CRM trigger 3 5 days after a positive event.
Is VouchedFor worth it for a financial adviser?
Yes for visibility on consumer searches like "financial adviser near me" and The Times Guide inclusion ROI tends to be positive for advisers with 20+ reviews.
How do I handle negative reviews for a financial adviser?
Respond within 48 hours, publicly acknowledge without breaching confidentiality, take detail offline, fix the root cause, and update the response when resolved.