Anyone looking for a lawyer, a notary or a tax adviser reads not only the stars but also how the office replies to reviews. Especially with criticism, your reply says more about your work than any advertising. The generator writes replies that sound friendly and professional and give away no confidential information.
Professional secrecy applies on Google too
Tax advisers and auditors are bound by statutory secrecy, in Germany under § 57 StBerG and § 43 WPO, in Austria under the WTBG 2017; for certified accountants (Bilanzbuchhalter:innen) in Austria, the BiBuG 2014 applies. This duty already covers the fact that someone is a client. A reply such as “We are sorry your tax return took longer” already reveals too much, even if the reviewer mentioned the engagement first. The templates for these professions therefore stay neutral and move any clarification to a personal conversation.
The same applies to lawyers (§ 9 RAO, § 43a(2) BRAO), notaries (§ 37 NO, § 18 BNotO) and mediators (§ 18 ZivMediatG, § 4 MediationsG): even confirming that someone was a client or took part in a mediation can breach confidentiality. Here too, the rule is: say thank you, show understanding, offer contact and clarify details in person.
How a good reply is structured
To a positive review: a short thank you, one sentence on the point that was praised, a friendly close. To a critical review: thank the reviewer and express regret without admitting fault or arguing, explain why you do not give details in public, and offer direct contact. Sign with your name: a reply from a person is more credible than one from “the team”.
With “Different wording”, you switch the building blocks so that not every reply sounds the same. A personal sentence that responds to the specific review makes any template even better.
What to do about false or unfair reviews
Reviews from people who never had contact with your office, insults or reviews from competitors breach Google’s policies. Report them in your Business Profile. Until Google decides, a calm, factual reply helps more than any rebuttal: anyone reading along sees an office that stays composed and professional.
