What is the best way to reply to reviews without spending hours on it?
Google encourages owners to reply to reviews, positive and negative. Replies are public: they speak as much to the customer who wrote as to everyone hesitating to come. So the question is not only “who has the time” but also “who will reply the way you would”.
The four options compared
| Yourself | ChatGPT or another free AI | Agency or freelancer | Software connected to your Google profile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time per review | Several minutes | Less, but copy the review, check, paste back into Google | None (apart from approval) | A few seconds to check, or none in automatic mode |
| Cost | Your time | Free or an AI subscription | Monthly fee on quote | Subscription (Voxtya: €29/month) |
| Your tone | Perfect | Must be restated each time, or replies feel generic | Depends on the agency | Set once (formality, sign-off, style) |
| No review forgotten | Hard in busy periods | No: you have to go and find reviews | Yes, if the contract says so | Yes: each new review arrives on its own |
| Negative reviews | You are in control | Check closely | Plan an approval step | Checking advised; you stay in control |
| Access to your profile | Only you | Only you | You grant manager access | Official Google connection, revocable |
Free tool, no sign-up
AI review reply generator
Paste a review, pick a tone: a personal reply in seconds. Free, no sign-up.
The right choice for your review volume
| Reviews received | Suggested option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 a month | Yourself, with templates | Time stays reasonable and every reply is very personal |
| 5 to 30 a month | Software with checking, or ChatGPT if the budget is zero | Copying and pasting gets tedious and reviews slip through |
| More than 30 a month, or several locations | Software in automatic mode (checking negative reviews), or an agency | Replying by hand is no longer sustainable |
To estimate your future volume, the reviews per month calculator starts from your number of customers a day.
Replying to reviews with ChatGPT: what works, what does not
Many owners start this way, and it is a good way to get into the habit. To stop replies sounding robotic:
- give it your tone every time: formal or casual, length, sign-off (“The team”, your first name);
- paste the full review and ask it to pick up one precise detail;
- always check: an AI can invent a fact (“we have changed chef”) or promise something you will not do;
- do not paste personal data that is not in the review.
The limit: you have to find each review on Google, copy it, check the draft, then paste the reply back. When reviews pile up, that back-and-forth is exactly what makes people give up. Voxtya’s free AI review reply generator works on this principle, with no sign-up and a tone suited to local businesses.
Handing reviews to an agency: what to watch
A reputation agency or social media manager can reply for you. Before signing, check:
- Who approves replies to negative reviews (they publicly commit your image);
- The reply time promised;
- Access to your profile: a manager role is enough, never hand over ownership;
- What happens when the contract ends: access removed, minimum term.
If you want a team to run your social media entirely, Voxtya also offers a social media management service.
What review reply software should do
- Connect officially to your Google profile (no shared password)
- Pick up each new review on its own, without you going to look for it
- Write in your tone, with a detail taken from the review
- Let you choose: automatic publishing, or check then one click
- Handle reviews in other languages (tourists)
- Cancel easily, without a long commitment
Voxtya’s Review replies service ticks these boxes: once your profile is connected (1 minute), every Google review gets a reply written in your tone, published automatically or checked by you. It costs €29 a month, or €49 with Review collection. Replies by trade are detailed for restaurants, hair salons, hotels and tradespeople.
What about negative reviews: should someone else handle them?
Whatever the option, stay in control of negative reviews. A calm reply that acknowledges the problem and offers to talk privately can turn things around; a defensive reply written by someone else can make it worse. With software, the most common set-up is simple: automatic publishing for positive reviews, checking for the rest. For the method, see the guide how to reply to Google reviews.
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Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 30, 2026.