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- Tone rules: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Replies by situation: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Word list: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Sign-offs: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.
What's inside
- Tone rules: each principle with what to do, what not to do and an example
- Replies by situation: 12 common comments and messages, each with the tone, a good reply, a reply to avoid and why
- A word list: phrases to swap for plainer, warmer ones
- Sign-offs: who replies on which account and how they sign their name
- A filled example for The Lantern Inn, a fictional inn with rooms (every name is made up), and a blank CSV of each sheet
How to use it
- Write three or four tone rules that describe how your business sounds when it's at its best.
- List the situations you reply to most, from praise to complaints, using a month of your own comments and messages.
- Write a good reply for each, then a reply to avoid. Seeing the bad one makes the rule clearer.
- Set the tone for each situation: a complaint needs more care and less cheer than a compliment.
- Add the words you always or never use, and agree how people sign their replies.
- Share the guidelines with everyone who replies, and read a few real replies against them each month.
- For what to escalate and who handles it, pair this with a community management playbook.
Preview: Tone rules
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Principle | Do | Don't | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound like a person at the bar, not a head office | Use first names and plain words | Use 'valued guest' or 'we apologise for any inconvenience' | Thanks, Ruth. Glad the fire was lit for you. |
| Answer the question first | Put the answer in the first sentence | Make people click a link for a simple answer | Yes, dogs are welcome in the bar and two of our rooms. |
| Own mistakes plainly | Say what went wrong and what you've changed | Make excuses or blame the guest | You're right, breakfast was slow on Sunday. We now have a second person on the kitchen pass. |
| Match the moment | Be lighter with praise, careful with complaints, gentle with sad news | Use jokes or exclamation marks in a complaint reply | See the tone column in the replies by situation sheet |
| Keep it short | Two to four sentences; move long conversations to messages | Write paragraphs in public | Could you message us your booking name? We'll sort it today. |
Preview: Replies by situation
A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 12 rows.
| Situation | Example comment or message | Tone | Good reply | Reply to avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praise | Best Sunday lunch in the Dales! | Warm, light | That's lovely to hear, thank you. We'll tell the kitchen. See you for the next one. | Thank you for your feedback! | Generic replies feel automatic |
| Question about dogs | Can we bring our spaniel? | Friendly, complete | You can: dogs are welcome in the bar and in rooms 2 and 5, which have their own doors to the garden. Mention your dog when you book. | Please see our website. | Answer it; don't send people away |
| Booking request in a comment | Table for 4 on Saturday? | Helpful | We'd love to have you. Tables are booked by phone or on our website, and Saturday evening is filling up, so it's worth booking soon. | DM us! | Say how to book; a comment can't take a booking |
| Complaint: noise | Couldn't sleep, music in the bar until midnight. | Sorry, serious | I'm sorry, that's not the night's sleep you came for. Could you message us your booking name? I'd like to understand which room and put it right. | It was a special event, sorry! | Apologise without excuses; move details to messages |
| Complaint: food | Pie was cold in the middle. | Sorry, practical | Sorry, that shouldn't happen. Please message us with the date and we'll make it right, and I've passed it to the kitchen today. | Nobody else complained. | Never argue in public |
| Price comment | £18 for a pie? | Calm, factual | Fair question. The beef comes from a farm two miles away and the pastry is made here each morning. We hope it's worth it when you try it. | If you don't like it, don't come. | Explain once; don't get drawn in |
| Rude comment | Overrated tourist trap. | Calm, brief | Sorry to hear you feel that way. If something went wrong on your visit, we'd like to hear about it by message. | Another reply in kind | One calm reply; then leave it |
| Our mistake | Your post says quiz night is Thursday, but it was cancelled? | Plain, sorry | You're right, and we're sorry. Quiz night has moved to Wednesdays and we forgot to update the post. It's corrected now. | Deleting the comment | Own it in public and fix the post |
Preview: Word list
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Instead of | We say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| We apologise for any inconvenience | I'm sorry, that's not good enough | Sounds like a person, and names the problem |
| Valued guest | Your first name | Warmer and shorter |
| Please DM us | Could you message us your booking name? | Says what we need and why |
| Unfortunately we are unable to | We can't, but we can | Puts the alternative first |
| Per our policy | The reason we do this is | Explains instead of hiding behind a rule |
| Exclamation marks in complaint replies | Full stops | Cheerful punctuation reads as not caring |
Preview: Sign-offs
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Account | Who replies | Sign-off | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beth (front of house) | Beth | Sign complaint replies so people know who to ask for | |
| Beth; Tom on her days off | Beth or Tom | Tom covers Mondays and Tuesdays | |
| Google reviews | Alice (owner) | Alice, The Lantern | Every review gets a reply within three days (our own target) |
| Messages | Whoever is on shift | First name | Pass anything about safety, health or the press to Alice |
Tips
- The Lantern Inn, its staff and every reply in the example are made up. Adapt the wording to sound like your own business.
- Guidelines work best with examples. A rule like 'be warm' means different things to different people; a good and a bad reply side by side doesn't.
- Never guess about allergies, health, safety or accessibility. Give exact facts or say you'll check.
- Reply in public first, then move personal details to private messages, so other people see that you answered.
- These guidelines cover how to reply. For what to remove, who to pass things to and how fast, use the community management playbook alongside them.
- If you use Zolyp, our product, its Brand Brain holds your tone of voice and banned topics, so the posts Zolyp writes sound like the replies in these guidelines.
Common questions
What are social media response guidelines?
A short document that sets how your business replies to comments, messages and reviews: the tone to use, example replies for common situations, phrases to avoid and how replies are signed.
How should a business reply to a negative comment?
Answer once, calmly and in public. Say sorry for what went wrong without excuses, ask the person to message you with the details, then fix it. Don't argue, and don't delete honest criticism.
Should replies be signed with a name?
It helps, especially for complaints, because people know who to ask for. Agree who replies on each account and keep it consistent.
Is The Lantern Inn real?
No. The inn, its staff and every comment are made up to show how filled guidelines read.
Related
- Community management playbook
- Brand voice guide template
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- What is social customer service?
- What is brand voice?
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