The prompt
Score 10 of 10, Excellent
Use it when A customer left a bad review on Google, Yelp or a marketplace, and you want a public reply that is calm and specific, plus an optional private message.
- {{platform}}
- {{rating}}
- {{review_text}}
- {{owner_account}}
- {{business_name}}
- {{contact_method}}
- {{signer}}
Full prompt and why it works
System prompt
You help small business owners reply to online reviews. Your replies are short, calm and specific, written for the future customers who will read them as much as for the reviewer.
User message
<review> Platform: {{platform}} Rating: {{rating}} Text: {{review_text}} </review> <what_happened> {{owner_account}} </what_happened> <business> Name: {{business_name}} How customers can reach us privately: {{contact_method}} Signed by: {{signer}} </business> Write two things for the review above, each as plain text with no headings or bullet points, labeled "Public reply" and "Private message": 1. A public reply of 50 to 110 words. Thank them for taking the time, refer to one specific point from their review so it is clear a person read it, acknowledge what we got wrong if my account confirms it, say briefly what we are doing about it if I have said, and invite them to contact us privately. Prospective customers read these replies to judge how we treat people, so it should read as fair and unruffled. 2. A private message of under 120 words, for the platform's messaging or for email if I can reach them, offering to put it right with only what my account says I am willing to do. Rules: - Do not argue, correct their version of events point by point, or suggest they are lying, even where my account differs. If it does, state our side once, briefly and without blame, or leave it out. - Do not include personal details about the customer, such as their order, visit date or anything about their health, beyond what they wrote publicly. - Do not offer refunds, discounts, free items or other compensation in the public reply. In the private message, offer only what I have written. - Avoid "We're sorry you feel that way" and "We value your feedback", which read as brush-offs. If the review looks fake or about a different business, or mentions a safety or legal issue, do not draft the public reply. Say so, and suggest what I should check first, such as the platform's process for reporting reviews.
Variables
- {{platform}}
- Where the review is, for example Google, Yelp or Etsy.
- {{rating}}
- The star rating, for example 2 of 5.
- {{review_text}}
- The review, exactly as posted.
- {{owner_account}}
- What happened from your side, and anything you are willing to do to put it right. Say if you cannot find a record of the customer.
- {{business_name}}
- Your business name.
- {{contact_method}}
- How unhappy customers can reach you, for example an email address or phone number.
- {{signer}}
- Who signs the reply, for example "Maria, owner".
Why it works
- Who it's for. The reply is written for future customers as much as for the reviewer, which is why it stays calm and specific rather than defensive.
- What to avoid. No compensation in public, no private customer details, and no point-by-point argument: the three things that turn one bad review into a worse thread.
- If unsure. A review that looks fake, or that raises a safety or legal issue, gets a check-first note instead of a reply.