How to reply to reviews with AI
Reply to every Google and Tripadvisor review in your own voice, in minutes. Three steps, a prompt to copy and the UK rules to know.
Every review deserves a reply, and future guests read them before they book. But writing a good one at the end of a long service is hard. AI can draft a warm, specific reply in your voice in under a minute. You stay in charge: you edit it and you post it.
This is one of nine jobs from our free AI guide for restaurants, bars and hotels. Try it now in about five minutes, then set it up properly so a whole week of reviews takes a few minutes.
Try it now (about 5 minutes)
You need one recent review and ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. The free versions are fine.
- Copy one review. Start with Google. Leave out the reviewer’s name.
- Paste it with the prompt below. Add a few lines about your venue so it sounds like you.
- Edit, then post it yourself. Add one real detail only you know. Post it from your Business Profile.
Prompt to copy:
Here is a guest review of our venue: [paste the review, without the name].
Write a reply in our voice, under 80 words. Thank them for something specific they mentioned. If they raised a problem, own it without excuses and say what we are doing about it, or invite them to contact us at [email].
Do not offer gifts or discounts, argue, or mention anything about the guest that is not in the review. Do not invent facts about us.
Set it up properly (about 30 minutes, once)
Teach it your reply style once. After that, a week of reviews takes a few minutes.
- Collect 5 replies you’re proud of. Ones that sound like you. They become its examples.
- Write your reply rules. How you sign off, your tone, what you never say, and how unhappy guests can reach you.
- Save both in a Project (ChatGPT or Claude) or a Gem (Gemini). Next to a short description of your venue. Now every chat knows your style.
- Turn on review alerts. So new reviews reach you the same day. Look in your Google Business Profile settings and your Tripadvisor account settings.
- Pick one time a week. Reply to everything new. Paste them in one go. Edit each reply, then post it yourself.
Where to post replies:
- Google: business.google.com → Read reviews → Reply.
- Tripadvisor: your Management Center → Reviews.
- A bad review? Reply calmly within a few days and take the details offline.
Use this prompt for the whole batch:
Below are our new reviews from [Google / Tripadvisor], with names removed. Use the reply rules and example replies in this project.
For each review, write one reply under 80 words. Mention something specific from that review so no two replies sound the same. For any review of 3 stars or below, also tell me in one line what went wrong, so I can fix it.
Never offer gifts or discounts in a reply. Never invent facts about us.
[paste reviews]
What to watch out for
- Never ask AI to write reviews of your venue. Fake reviews are illegal in the UK, and so is rewarding people for good ones. See the CMA’s guide for businesses.
- No gifts or money in replies. Tripadvisor removes replies that offer them, or that include a guest’s personal details. See Tripadvisor’s rules.
- Sound like a person. Replies that all sound the same read as fake. Always add one real detail.
- Leave names out. Paste the review text only, not the guest’s name or contact details.
Eight more jobs like this
Replying to reviews is the first of nine jobs in Less admin. More hospitality., our free AI guide for whoever does the marketing at a restaurant, bar or hotel. The others include planning a week of posts, a weekly report from your numbers and checking your listings. Each one is three steps and a prompt to copy.