How to personally respond to reviews
Responding to customer reviews is a powerful way to build trust, strengthen your online reputation, and improve SEO. Cars.com Marketplace subscribers can view and respond to reviews from Cars.com, Google, and Facebook directly from their Dealer Panel.
In this article, you’ll learn how to find your latest reviews, filter them by platform or sentiment, and submit personalized responses using best-practice templates.
Note: Only Admin users can submit, edit, or delete review responses.
To get started
Go to the Cars.com Hub. Click on Cars.com, then Reputation.
1Find your latest reviews
- Log in to your Dealer Panel.
- Click the Reviews tab.
- Select All Reviews.
This page displays reviews from:
- Cars.com
- Google
You can view review details and respond directly from this page.
2Filter your reviews
Use the filters at the top of the page to narrow results by:
- Date range
- Sentiment (positive, neutral, negative)
- Keyword
- Source (Cars.com, Google, or Facebook)
- Response status
- Employee (if tagged in the review)
Filtering allows you to prioritize key actions — for example:
- Unanswered reviews
- Negative reviews needing attention
- Reviews from a specific platform
3Respond to a review
- Click Respond in the lower-right corner of the review.
2. A response text box will appear.
3. Type your response and click Send Response.
4Review response details and status
To check or manage existing responses:
- Click View Details beneath the review.
- You’ll see:
- Full review text
- Current response status
- Timestamp of any submitted response
- Full review text
If a response has already been submitted, Admin users can:
- Click Edit to update the response
- Click Delete to remove it
5 Response templates
Refer to the response templates below to help you write clear, professional replies to a variety of reviews — including positive feedback, negative experiences, and contact requests.
Important: Templates include placeholders and should be reviewed and edited to ensure accuracy and relevance before submitting.
Template 1 | Simple & Direct Gratitude
We are happy to hear that you got exactly what you wanted out of your car-buying experience with us at (dealer name) in (city). We wish you safe travels in your new (make/model) and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
Template 2 | Staff Shout-out
Congratulations on your new (make/model)! Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience. It is wonderful to hear that (employee name) and (employee name) were able to provide you with the excellent experience we strive to provide all our customers. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
Template 3 | Enthusiastic Team Share
On behalf of us at (dealer name), I would like to thank you for sharing this great review about our dealership! We are thrilled that you enjoyed your experience with (employee name). We will be sharing your feedback with our team. Enjoy your new (make/model), and please revisit us soon!
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
Template 4 | Specific & Friendly
Hearing that you had “(quote their review)” experience is the best thing we could hope for! Your recommendation means a lot to us. Thank you for choosing (dealer name) in (city). We wish you many happy miles in your new (make/model). We look forward to serving you for many years to come!
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
Template 5 | 100% Satisfaction Goal & “Five Stars”
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with (dealer name) and (employee name). Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction, and it sounds like we achieved that goal with you. We want every experience to be “five stars”! Glad to hear you love your new (make/model). (employee name) and the team will be thrilled to hear your feedback!
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
Template 6 | Single Employee Praise
We couldn’t be happier that (employee name) provided you with a great car buying experience. (he/she) is a real asset, and we are lucky to have (him/her) on the (dealer name) team. We hope you are enjoying your new (make/model), please come back to visit anytime!
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
Template 7 | Out-of-Town Buyer
Thanks for making the trip from (city/state) for your purchase of your new (make/model)! We’ll be here next time you need another vehicle, so come see us! We appreciate your business, thank you again!
Respectfully,
(contact name, title)
