How to Set Up a Google Review Autoresponder for Multi-Location Businesses

Business owners know that customer reviews are critical to their online presence. They help them climb the rankings and make themselves known.

That fact is even more relevant for multi-location businesses that need all the help they can get to grow in their industry. This is where a Google review autoresponder feature, typically bundled with complete review management software, comes in.

Businesses can maintain a positive online reputation by automating customer feedback responses while saving valuable time and resources. So, we’ll explore how and why you should do that regularly to grow your brand.

What is a Google review autoresponder?

Google review autoresponders are simple tools that automate the process of replying to customer reviews you receive on your Google Business Profile.

As such, these tools help businesses manage their online reputation by providing prompt, consistent responses to feedback, whether positive or negative.

You don’t need me to tell you how important responding to reviews is. After all, 95% of customers check product reviews when doing any kind of shopping online.

So by using an autoresponder, businesses ensure their customers feel heard and valued, even when pressed with time to manually respond to Google reviews, which is particularly useful for multi-location businesses with an overwhelming number of reviews.

Key features of a Google review autoresponder

Quality review autoresponders must include a few crucial features:

• Add all your Google locations – multi-location businesses need the option to add all the different Google locations they are managing at the same time;
• Set up multiple autoresponders – optimally, you would want to set up different autoresponders to cover both negative and positive Google reviews;
• Specific responses for different star ratings – normally, you would respond differently to 1-star reviews than you would 5-star reviews, and your autoresponder should give you the option to connect specific responses to one or more star ratings;
• Autoresponder management dashboard—once you set up your review responses, you need to manage them quickly and easily from a single dashboard.

EmbedSocial’s autoresponder feature includes all of the above features, which makes setting up your automatic replies extremely straightforward.

Why use a Google review autoresponder for multi-location businesses?

While managing customer feedback across multiple locations is challenging, review autoresponders streamline this process and come with several benefits:

• Consistent replies across locations—once you set up your autoresponder replies, you will ensure uniformity in communication and maintain your brand voice;
• Saves time and resources—since an autoresponder automates the review management process, you will reclaim a lot of free time for other tasks;
• Improves customer satisfaction—an autoresponder feature makes your customers feel valued and heart, which improves their level of satisfaction; remember: most of them expect you to respond to their feedback as soon as possible;
• Enhances online reputation—needless to say, promptly responding to feedback helps you maintain your positive online presence;
• Customizable for different locations—you can tailor specific responses for each of your Google locations, thus catering to specific customer needs; remember: Google hosts 73% of all online reviews, so you need to manage feedback for all your locations;
• Monitors feedback trends—last but not least, you get insights into common customer concerns and praises, helping you make informed improvements.

Ultimately, using a paid or free autoresponder for your Google reviews significantly improves the efficiency and effectiveness of managing reviews for your multi-location business, which leads to better customer relationships and online reputation.

How to set up and use an auto-responder for Google reviews?

Setting up an autoresponder for Google reviews can significantly streamline your review management process and enhance customer engagement. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started with EmbedSocial’s autoresponder software:

1. Get a review management platform with autoresponder
2. Log into your account and add your Google location(s)
3. Access and activate the autoresponder feature
4. Add a reply message for reviews with specific ratings
5. Repeat the process if adding different replies for different ratings

Step 1: Get a review management platform with autoresponder

In order to start responding to your Google reviews automatically, you should first sign up for a Google reviews management platform like EmbedSocial.

Log in to your profile once you have your trial or paid account.

Step 2: Log into your account and add your Google location(s)

Next, you’ll have to add your Google locations by navigating to ‘Sources’ > ‘Add Source’ (top-right corner), choosing Google, and selecting your source:

Step 3: Access and activate the autoresponder feature

Once Google is active as a source, access the ‘Autoresponder’ feature from the left-side ribbon, tap ‘Add autoresponder,’ and select your Google location:

Step 4: Add a reply message for reviews with specific ratings

Now, you write your reply message and apply it to one or more star ratings. For instance, if you want to apologize for a bad experience, you can write an apologetic message, tick the 1-star and 2-star reviews, tap the ‘Autoresponder’ toggle, and click ‘Save’.

1. Turn the toggle ON to activate the Autoresponder
2. Select the star rating 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – you can select multiple
3. Write the auto-reply message
4. Click Save.

Step 5: Repeat the process if adding different replies for different ratings

You can repeat the process an unlimited number of times to add responses for all the different star ratings and cover all your Google locations.

Pro tip: try to customize your replies based on both the location and the star ratings since customers prefer getting personalized replies.

How to use an autoresponder for multiple Google locations: Video tutorial

Would you rather watch a brief video tutorial demonstrating this advanced automation process? Here’s how you can set up a review autoresponder in EmbedSocial:

Replying to multi-location reviews with an autoresponder: Best practices

By this point, you’re probably thinking about how best to implement a review autoresponder for your multi-location business. Here are a few tips and tricks:

• Personalize responses for each location—include location-specific details to make your responses feel personal and relevant;
• Monitor and adjust responses regularly—review automated replies periodically to ensure they remain appropriate and effective, making adjustments as needed;
• Address both positive and negative feedback—you must prepare both positive and negative review responses to show that you value all customer input;
• Use data to inform improvements—you should always analyze the feedback you receive to learn what you can do better and how to improve your product;
• Train staff on autoresponder use—ensure your team understands how to use the autoresponder effectively and how to manage any exceptions or special cases;
• Test responses before going live—run tests to ensure your autoresponder works correctly and responses are accurate and appropriate for different scenarios.

Last but not least, read also your rights and the official Google reviews policies so you are able to address inappropriate reviews which your team can further flag and ask to be deleted.

While a review autoresponder tool doesn’t require a lot of effort to set up and use, you can still follow these best practices to get the most out of it on a daily basis.

Examples of Google autoresponder

Below, you can find a few autoresponders that you can start using right now:

Autoresponders for negative reviews

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.

Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we are committed to resolving this matter promptly. Please reach out to our support team at [support email/phone number] so we can better understand the problem and find a solution that works for you.

Example #1

We’re sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your feedback. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we want to make things right. Please reach out to us at [contact information] so we can address your concerns directly.

Best regards, [Your Name / Team]

Example #2

Thank you for sharing your experience. We apologize for any inconvenience you faced. Your feedback is important to us, and we would like to resolve this matter. Please reach out to us at [contact information] so we can assist you further.

Sincerely, [Your Name, Your Position]

Example #3

Key takeaways

Hopefully, now you know how to use an autoresponder best to streamline your review management process for a multi-location or multi-brand business.

Simply go through the steps above and/or watch the brief video we prepared for you to learn everything you need to know to use an autoresponder in no time at all!

Then, you’ll start saving time and effort and ensuring consistent communication across all your business locations, ultimately improving customer satisfaction.

However, once you set up your autoresponder functionality, look into maximizing its impact by personalizing your responses and addressing all types of feedback.

FAQs

What is an autoresponder?

Autoresponders are nifty tools designed to save users time and effort by sending automated replies to Google customer reviews, emails, Facebook reviews and messages, etc.

Can you set up an auto-reply on Google?

Yes, you can automatically reply to Google reviews as long as you are using a third-party platform for managing your Google feedback, such as EmbedSocial. That said, Google does not yet include that functionality in their Google Business Profile toolset.

How to use AI to respond to Google Reviews?

Some review aggregators, like EmbedSocial, include a full suite of AI-enhanced tools to make review management as easy as possible. In this case, you get an AI-powered review responder, an AI reviews generator and an AI reviews summarizer.

What autoresponder is best?

When looking for the best Google reviews autoresponder, you should consider one that comes with various features, such as preparing different templates based on the review text and star rating and uses advanced AI technology to make responding a breeze. In that regard, EmbedSocial is one of the best review management platforms out there!