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.
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.