Reply to Google reviews
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
You've got 23 Google reviews without a reply, including one from an unhappy customer three weeks ago. Every time you open the app, you think 'I'll do it tonight'. You don't.
The prompt
Write a reply to this Google review for my [business]. Review: [paste]. If positive: thank them by name and mention something specific. If negative: acknowledge, don't argue, offer to fix it offline with [contact]. Under 80 words, warm and genuine.
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Paste the review.
- Run the prompt.
- Add a personal detail only you'd know.
- Post the reply.
A worked example
A Cairns dive shop pastes in five recent reviews, with names removed, and asks Gemini for replies in a friendly, professional tone. For the 5-star review, it thanks the reviewer and mentions the reef trip they loved. For the 2-star review about a late boat departure, it acknowledges the delay, explains what's changed (earlier check-in), and invites them to get in touch directly.
The owner personalises each reply with one detail only a real person would know, then posts them. Five replies, 15 minutes.
Where it goes wrong
AI replies all start to sound the same, which reviewers notice. Change the first line each time. With negative reviews, AI sometimes over-apologises or admits fault you don't agree with. Check the reply says what you actually mean. Never let it argue.
Time saved
Replying to reviews takes 5 to 10 minutes each when you're thinking hard about the wording. With AI drafts, 2 to 3 minutes each. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Free plans handle this. Replying in Google Business Profile is free.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
Never reveal personal details in a public reply, even if the customer did. Don't offer incentives in exchange for changing a review. Don't argue publicly about facts; take it offline. Fake reviews or review manipulation can breach Australian Consumer Law, and the ACCC has acted on it.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
Want this to happen automatically? See the step-by-step guide on our sister site: How to set up a Google review reply bot.
My verdict
Great for negative reviews when you're annoyed. Let AI be calm for you.
Common questions
Should I reply to every review?
Yes, ideally. A short thank-you for positive ones and a calm, helpful reply for negative ones.
What if the review is unfair?
Stay calm, state the facts briefly, and offer to talk directly. Other readers will judge your reply.
Can I remove a bad review?
Only if it breaks Google's policies. You can flag it, but there's no guarantee it'll be removed.
Do this today
Open your Google Business Profile, find the oldest unanswered review, and reply to it today using the prompt.
More customer service use cases
Next: Build an FAQ from your inbox · All customer service · Want a bot to do this automatically? See bot setup guides.