Copy and paste prompts for the reviews that are hard to answer, plus one that gets you more of them. From @mayorscript.
How to use them
Copy a prompt and swap everything in [brackets] for your real details. Paste the review in at the bottom.
Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whichever AI chat you use.
Read what it writes before you post it. Fix anything that doesn't sound like you, and never post a fact you aren't sure of.
You reply from your Google Business Profile once the business is verified. The reviewer gets a notification, and your reply shows publicly under their review.
1. Thank a 5 star review so it doesn't sound copied
When: Any 5 star review. Google's own tips say don't send everyone the same thank you, so this one uses the detail they mentioned.
I own [business], a [type of business] in [town]. Write a reply to this 5 star Google review. Thank them by name, mention one specific thing they said, and invite them back for [something real, like a new item or a seasonal service]. 2 to 3 sentences. Warm and plain, no emojis, and don't make it sound like a template. Sign it [your first name].
No dashes.
Review: [paste the review]
2. Answer a 1 star complaint without getting defensive
When: A 1 star complaint that's fair. Reply the same day if you can. Keep refunds and freebies for the private conversation.
I own [business]. A customer left this 1 star Google review. Here's what happened on our side: [the facts, or 'I don't know yet']. Write a public reply that thanks them for telling us, says sorry for the specific thing that went wrong without making excuses or blaming them, says what we're changing, and gives them a way to reach me directly: [phone or email]. Under 80 words. Calm and human, not corporate. Don't offer a refund or a freebie in public. Sign it [your first name].
No dashes.
Review: [paste the review]
3. Correct a review that gets the facts wrong
When: A review that gets the facts wrong. State the facts once and leave it. If it breaks Google's rules (fake, spam, off topic), you can also report it.
This Google review of my business, [business], gets the facts wrong. What really happened: [the facts]. Write a calm public reply that a stranger reading it would trust. Correct the facts once, politely, with no sarcasm and no arguing. Don't share any private details about the customer. Invite them to contact me at [contact] to sort it out. Under 70 words. Sign it [your first name].
No dashes.
Review: [paste the review]
4. Reply to a mixed 3 star review
When: A 3 or 4 star review with one complaint. Thank them for the good part first.
This 3 star Google review of [business] says some good things and has one complaint. Write a reply that thanks them for the specific good parts, owns the complaint in one sentence, and says what we're doing about it: [your fix]. Invite them back. Under 70 words. Don't over-apologise. Sign it [your first name].
No dashes.
Review: [paste the review]
5. Ask for a review after every job
When: After every job or order, not only the ones that went well. Google doesn't allow asking only happy customers, or offering anything in return for a review.
Write a short text message I can send to [customer first name] after [what we did for them], asking them to leave an honest Google review. Don't ask for a good or 5 star review. Mention the job in a few words so it feels personal. Include this link: [your review link]. Keep it low pressure and under 45 words. Don't offer anything in return for the review. Give me 2 versions. No dashes.
6. Find what your reviews keep saying
When: Once a month. It shows you what to fix before the next bad review shows up.
Here are my last [number] Google reviews. Read all of them and tell me: the 3 things customers praise most, the complaints that come up more than once (with how many reviews mention each one), and one small fix I could make this week for each complaint. Plain bullet points. Don't invent anything that isn't in the reviews.
Reviews: [paste them all]
What one of them wrote
Prompt 2, tested with a made-up bakery, Bright Bakes, and a 1 star review about a 25 minute wait:
Hi Emma, thank you for telling us. I'm really sorry your paid online order took 25 minutes, that no one acknowledged it, and that your croissants were cold. That is not the experience we want. We're changing our Saturday pickup process so online orders are bagged ahead and handed over sooner. If you're open to it, please email me directly at hello@brightbakes.ca.
Sarah
Google's own rules, in short
Keep replies short, personal and polite. Use their name and sign off with yours.
Don't use replies to push deals.
Never offer a discount, freebie or payment for a review, and don't ask only your happy customers.
On a bad review, protect the customer's privacy and take the details to phone or email.
From Google Business Profile Help ("Tips to get more reviews", "Manage customer reviews") and the Maps user content policy, checked 17 Oct 2026. Every prompt here was tested in two AI models before it went in the pack.