Should med spas reply to Google reviews? What the data shows, and how to do it safely
Yes. Replies are free, public and read by every prospective patient who scrolls your reviews. Yet in our study, owners reply to 61% of reviews on average, and about a third of med spas reply to fewer than half.
- Average owner reply rate: 61% of reviews.
- 65.2% of med spas reply to at least half of their reviews; 34.8% reply to fewer than half.
- Healthcare rule: never confirm a reviewer is a client or discuss their treatment.
- A short, consistent reply standard takes about ten minutes a week.
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About a third of med spas reply to fewer than half their reviews
Short answer: most med spas reply to most reviews, but a large minority leave the majority unanswered.
Average reply rate across the 115-spa review subsample: 61%.
Why replies matter to the next patient
Short answer: the reply isn't really for the reviewer. It's for everyone reading.
A prospective patient scrolling your reviews sees two things: what clients say, and whether anyone at the med spa is listening. A thoughtful reply to a complaint, especially about booking or communication, can reassure a reader more than another five-star review. Silence suggests nobody owns the task.
A safe reply standard for med spas
- Never confirm a client relationship. Don't say "thanks for coming in for your treatment". Say "thank you for your kind words".
- Never discuss care or details, even if the reviewer did.
- Negative reviews: acknowledge and take it offline. "We'd like to hear more. Please call us at…"
- Set a time limit. Reply within 48 hours, owned by one named person.
- Use a short template bank so replies stay consistent but not robotic.
Method: reply rate = share of up to 50 recent Google reviews per spa that have an owner reply, in a random 115-spa subsample of our 555-spa study. This page is general information, not legal advice. See the methodology & data.
What US med spa patients expect, and where they don't get it
Findings from our study of 555 US med spas across 20 metros and about 3,000 patient reviews. Read the findings below, or download the complete report.
Related pages from the US team
How many new reviews a month is normal?
Review velocity benchmarks.
The booking mismatch
The complaints most worth replying to.
The med spa review gap
Velocity, replies and review depth.
FTC rules on reviews
What practices can and can't do.
Every practice welcome — Goals-Driven engagements from $499/mo
We benchmark your last 90 days, agree monthly goals with you, and track them live on Ichelon Agency OS with a report every Monday. Performance-Linked Payout Models are available. Our US leadership is based in Dallas, and strategy calls run in US business hours.
Common questions
Should med spas reply to every Google review?
Replying to every review is a good standard: it shows prospective clients that someone is paying attention. In our study owners replied to 61% of reviews on average, and 34.8% of med spas replied to fewer than half.
How should a med spa reply to a positive review?
Briefly and without confirming the person is a client or mentioning any treatment. For example: "Thank you for your kind words. We look forward to seeing you again." Avoid repeating any health details the reviewer shared.
How should a med spa reply to a negative review?
Acknowledge the concern, don't argue, and invite the person to talk offline, for example by calling the office. Do not confirm they are a client, discuss their care or share any details, which could breach patient privacy obligations.
Do review replies help a med spa on Google?
Our study shows visible patterns, not Google's ranking formula. Replies are one of the signals of an active, attentive business that every prospective patient can see.
A note on this guide: it explains marketing practice, not legal advice. Rules on privacy, advertising and insurance change and vary by state, so confirm anything compliance-related with your own counsel.
Want replies handled consistently and safely?
A free 30-minute call with the US team. We'll look at your reply rate and share compliant reply templates.