Why it helps
A one-star review from someone you've never served is maddening. The urge is to fire back. But future customers read your reply more closely than the review, and a calm, short answer makes you look good.
AI is handy for two things here. It helps you write a reply that doesn't argue or accuse, and it helps you set out the facts clearly when you report the review to Google. Google only removes reviews that break its policies, so a clear, factual report matters.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
I own a [type of business] in [town], New Zealand. I think this Google review is fake or not from a real customer. Help me with two things. 1. A public reply, under 70 words: polite and calm, says we can't find a record of this visit, and invites them to contact us at [email] so we can sort it out. Don't accuse them of lying, don't argue, and don't mention any customer details. 2. A short, factual summary I can use when I report the review to Google: what the review says, why I think it breaks the rules (for example, no record of them as a customer, or it's about a different business), and what I've checked. Only use the facts I give you. Don't make anything up. What I've checked: [your checks, for example booking system, sales records, staff on that day] Review: [paste the review, reviewer's name removed]
Then keep chatting
Make the reply shorter and warmer.
Write a version for a review that's real but unfair.
What evidence should I keep in case I need to appeal?
Step by step
- Before replying, check your records: bookings, sales, staff rosters and messages.
- Fill in the prompt with what you checked and paste the review without the reviewer's name.
- Read the reply out loud. If it sounds defensive, ask AI to soften it.
- Post the reply, then report the review through your Google Business Profile (Read reviews, then Report next to the review).
- Check the status in Google's Reviews Management Tool. If it shows "Report reviewed - no policy violation" and you disagree, Google lets you submit a one-time appeal from the same tool (support.google.com/business/answer/4596773).
Worked example
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Don't fight fire with fake reviews: posting fake positive reviews, or getting staff or whānau to post without saying who they are, can breach the Fair Trading Act. See the Commerce Commission's online reviews guidance at comcom.govt.nz.
- Google's rules decide removal, not you. A review that's just negative usually stays up. Google says to report only reviews that break its policies, not ones you just disagree with: support.google.com/business/answer/4596773.
- Privacy: never mention a real customer's name, booking or order details in a public reply. The Privacy Act 2020 applies (privacy.org.nz).
Go further
For genuine reviews, good and bad, use the review replies use case. The best answer to one fake review is a steady flow of real ones, so set up a simple ask with the review request messages use case.
