Customer communication · Claude
Reply to every Google review without the blank-box stare
Three prompts — the 5-star, the fair complaint, and the unfair one — written for shops, studios, clinics, and cafés.
Reviews sit unanswered because the reply feels like it needs the right words. In Metro Vancouver that box is often the first thing a new customer reads on Maps. It does not need a marketing team. It needs a prompt you can reuse in 30 seconds.
- 01copy this
The easy one — a good review
Paste the review after this. Specific beats corporate every time:
Write a short, genuine reply to this 5-star Google review for my [café / studio / clinic / shop] in [neighbourhood]. Thank them by name if given, mention something specific from their review, no generic 'thanks for your support.' Keep it under 60 words. Review: [paste review]
- 02copy this
The fair complaint
Wait time, a wrong order, a booking mix-up — this is the reply future customers actually read. Acknowledge the specific thing. Do not over-apologize, and do not make a promise you will not keep:
Write a reply to this Google review where the customer has a fair complaint. Acknowledge the specific issue without being defensive, briefly say what we are doing differently, and invite them to contact me directly (email or the number on our profile) to make it right. Keep it under 80 words. We are a small [type of business] in Metro Vancouver, not a chain. Review: [paste review]
- 03copy this
The unfair one
Wrong location, someone else's order, a review that is really about parking. Stay calm. Future customers are reading this too:
Write a calm, factual reply to this Google review. I believe [briefly state what's inaccurate]. Don't argue or get defensive — state the facts once, stay professional, and offer to discuss it directly. This reply will be public. Keep it measured and under 70 words. Review: [paste review]
- 04make it a habit
Batch it once a month
Once a month, open Google Business Profile, pull unanswered reviews, and run them through Claude in one sitting. Ten reviews is about ten minutes this way instead of never happening. Save the three prompts in a note named 'reviews' so you are not hunting for this page next time.
This fixes one leak. On a discovery call I usually find two or three more like it — quote follow-ups, booking reminders, the Monday numbers nobody compiled. The assessment finds all of them at once, and if it cannot find 5+ hours a week, you don't pay.
Start with the AI Tools Assessment
One week. One report. The 3–7 AI tools your business actually needs — and 5+ hours a week found, or you pay nothing.