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Use ChatGPT to draft a reply, then edit it, check every fact against your job record and post it yourself. Paste in the review text without the customer's name or private details, give the assistant your tone and the facts it may use, and tell it what not to promise. The prompts below cover five-star, mixed, angry, fake and tricky reviews.
Key takeaways
- Treat the output as a draft. A person reads, edits and posts every reply.
- Paste only the review text and your own facts. Leave out customer names, addresses and phone numbers.
- Tell the assistant what not to say: no promises, no admissions of fault, no new facts.
- Never use AI to write reviews or to coach customers on what to write.
- Some reviews need a phone call or your insurer, not a prompt.
Answering reviews is one of the easiest jobs to put off, and one of the easier jobs for an AI tool to help with. A draft takes ten seconds. A reply that sounds like a person, matches the job and does not overpromise takes your attention. The prompts below get you a decent first draft and keep the assistant inside the facts. Paste the review text, and your facts in the brackets. Do not paste customer names, addresses, phone numbers or details of the home. Read every output before it goes public, because a reply is a public statement from your company. Our general AI prompts guide covers the habits, and the risks of AI for small businesses explains why a human check matters. For reply wording that needs no AI at all, see the negative review response templates.
Google's Business Profile help says you must verify your business before you can reply, that replies go through a policy check, and that the reviewer is notified when you reply. Google's content policy also bars offering rewards for writing, revising or removing a review, so never use a reply to promise a discount for an edit. And never use any tool to write reviews, which both Google's policy and the FTC's rule on fake reviews address.
1. Set your voice once
I run [company name], a [trade] company in [town]. Replies to customer reviews should sound like a friendly, plain-spoken owner. Rules: under 70 words, no exclamation marks, no corporate phrases, sign off with just "[your first name]". Never promise discounts, refunds or outcomes, and never add facts I did not give you. Reply "ready" and I will paste the first review.
Paste in: your company name, trade, town and first name. Check: the tool actually followed the word limit and did not add flourishes. Run this first in a new chat, then paste each review in the same chat. Redo it for each new session.
2. Five-star review that names the work
Draft a reply to this 5-star review. Mention one specific detail from the review. Facts you may use: the job was [job type] on [month], crew lead was [first name]. Do not add anything else. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review text and two facts from your job record. Check: that the crew lead named really did the job. Keep the thank-you specific, such as "glad the new gutters fixed the overflow by the garage", and cut any line you would not say out loud. Change nothing about the date if you are unsure.
3. Five stars with no comment
Write a 20-to-30-word reply to a 5-star rating with no written comment. Thank them, mention the [job type] we did, and say we're here if they need anything. Do not ask for anything else.
Paste in: the job type. Check: that the reply does not read like a form letter. A rating with no text deserves a short reply, and it still shows prospects that someone is paying attention. Do not ask the customer to add text or to change the rating, and do not offer anything for doing so.
4. Four stars with a small complaint
Draft a reply to this 4-star review. Thank them, acknowledge the one concern they raised without arguing, and say what we will look at on our side. Do not make excuses or promise a fix. Facts I can confirm: [facts]. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review and any facts from the job record, such as an arrival time. Check: that the acknowledgement matches what really happened. If the concern is fair, say so. If you are not sure, check with the crew lead before posting, because a reply that contradicts the facts will be noticed.
5. Three-star mixed review
Draft a calm reply to this 3-star review. Thank them for the positives they named, address the negatives one at a time in plain words, and invite them to call [phone number] so I can make it right if something needs fixing. No excuses, no legal language. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review and your business number. Check: that you can actually follow through on "make it right". Do not offer money in a public reply. If the customer calls, listen first, then decide what to do. The goal of the public reply is to show the next reader how you respond.
6. One-star review with facts you can verify
Draft a respectful reply to this 1-star review. Do not argue or blame. Acknowledge their frustration, state only these verified facts: [dates, what was quoted, what was done], and invite them to call [phone number]. Keep it under 90 words. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review and facts from your own records. Check: every fact against the invoice and the job notes. Leave out anything personal about the customer. Wait a day before you post, and read the reply aloud first. Our negative reviews guide covers the longer version.
7. Review from someone you cannot find
Draft a short, polite reply to a review from someone I cannot match to a customer record. Say we cannot find a job under this profile, ask them to call [phone number] with the date and address of the work so we can look into it, and do not accuse them of anything. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review and your number. Check: your records first, including a spouse's name, a business name and a different phone number. If there is truly no match, this reply is fair and calm. It also tells readers you pay attention. Do not call the review fake in public. If you think it breaks Google's rules, see the guide on reporting fake reviews.
8. Review that alleges damage or an injury
I need help drafting only a holding statement. The review says our crew damaged [item]. Write 2 sentences: we take this seriously, and we have contacted the customer directly. Do not admit fault, deny fault, estimate costs or describe what happened. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review only. Check: before you post anything public, call your insurance agent or carrier and follow their advice. A reply on a damage or injury claim can affect your coverage and your legal position, and an AI draft is not a substitute for that call. Reach the customer by phone first, then decide whether to reply at all.
9. Praise that names a crew member
Write a 40-word reply to this review that praises [first name] by name. Say I will pass the compliment to the crew. Do not mention any other staff. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review and the employee's first name as it appears. Check: the employee is comfortable being named and the name is spelled correctly. Then actually pass the praise on, in person or at the Monday meeting, because crews notice whether the owner follows through.
10. Review about price
Draft a reply to a review saying our price was too high. Acknowledge their view, explain how we quote in general terms (we price by [factors]), and offer to walk through the quote by phone. Do not state any figures or compare to other companies. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review and your quoting factors, such as access, disposal and cleanup. Check: that the reply does not reveal the customer's job details or amount. Do not argue about price in public. Readers who value what you do will read past the complaint, and readers who only want cheap were never your customer.
11. Review written in another language
Translate this review into English, then draft a short reply in the same language the customer used, matching a friendly and plain tone. Give me both the English version of my reply and the reply in their language. Review: "[paste review text]"
Paste in: the review. Check: have a fluent speaker read the reply before you post, even if it looks fine. Machine translation can turn a warm sentence into an odd or rude one. If nobody on your team reads the language, reply in simple English and keep it short.
12. Find patterns across a month of reviews
Below are this month's review texts with names removed. List the three most common praises and the three most common complaints, quote the exact phrases, and suggest one change per complaint that a [trade] company could test. Do not guess at causes you cannot see in the text. Reviews: [paste text]
Paste in: review text only, with names, addresses and phone numbers removed. Check: every pattern against the actual reviews, because the tool can over-read a few comments. Use the result as a prompt for a conversation with your crew in your monthly business review, not as a verdict.
Where to start
Begin with prompt 1 to set your voice, then prompt 2 for your easy five-star replies and prompt 6 for the hard ones. Those three cover most of what lands in a Business Profile. Keep a short note of the facts you allowed the tool to use, so the reply and the job record always agree. If you want help turning reviews into a steady habit, our local SEO work covers the Business Profile, review requests and replies as one system, and our review request templates cover the ask.
Frequently asked questions
Is it okay to post an AI-written reply?
Yes, if a person has read it, checked the facts and edited it into the company's voice. Google's help says replies are checked against its content policies, so keep them honest and free of promotions.
Can I use these prompts to write reviews?
No. Writing or buying fake reviews breaks Google's policy and can create liability under the FTC's rule on fake reviews. Use the tool only for your replies.
Should I paste the customer's name into the prompt?
No. Paste the review text only, and add your own facts. Customer names, addresses and phone numbers do not need to go to an outside tool.
Do I have to answer every review?
It is a good habit, since Google says a reply shows customers you value their feedback. Answer the hard ones with extra care and take them offline by phone.
Sources
General information for service-business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a qualified professional for your situation.