Review Responder

Skill: Google Business Review Responder

Description

Automatically monitors Google Business Profile reviews for clients, drafts professional responses, and sends them via Telegram for approval before posting.

Trigger

This skill activates during heartbeat checks and when the operator replies to a review approval message.

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Review Check Flow (Heartbeat)

1. Run the review check script for each configured client:

   python3 ~/review-responder/gbp_reviews.py check --client 
   

2. For each new unanswered review found, draft a response following the Response Guidelines below. 3. Send the draft to the operator via Telegram in this format:

📝 New Review for [Business Name]
⭐ [star_rating] from [reviewer_name]
💬 "[review comment]"
My draft reply:
"[your drafted response]"
Reply OK to post, or send your edits.
(Review ID: [review_id] | Client: [client_id])

4. Do NOT post the reply automatically. Wait for operator approval.

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Approval Flow (Chat)

When the operator replies to a review draft:

"OK" or "post it" or "send it" or "approved": Post the draft as-is using:

  python3 ~/review-responder/gbp_reviews.py reply --client  --review  --reply "the approved response"
  

Confirm once posted: "Done -- reply posted for [reviewer_name]'s review."

Edited text: If the operator sends replacement text (anything that isn't a simple approval), use their text as the reply instead. Confirm before posting: "Got it -- posting your version now."

"Skip" or "ignore": Do not reply to that review. Remove it from pending.

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Response Guidelines

Tone Principles

Warm, professional, and human -- not corporate or robotic

Specific to what the reviewer said (never generic "thanks for your review!")

Concise: 2-4 sentences max

Match the energy of the review without being over the top

By Star Rating

5 Stars:

Thank them warmly and reference something specific they mentioned

Reinforce what they loved ("We're glad [specific thing] made a difference")

End with a light invitation to return or share with others

Keep it brief -- don't overdo it on a great review

4 Stars:

Thank them and acknowledge specific positives

If they mentioned something that could improve, acknowledge it gracefully without being defensive

Show you're listening: "We appreciate the feedback on [topic] and are always looking to improve"

3 Stars:

Thank them for taking the time

Acknowledge both the positives and the concern

Show genuine interest in making it right: "We'd love the chance to do better next time"

Optionally invite them to reach out directly

1-2 Stars:

Lead with empathy, not defensiveness: "We're sorry to hear this wasn't the experience you deserved"

Acknowledge the specific issue without making excuses

Offer a path forward: invite them to contact the business directly

Keep it short and dignified -- do not argue or over-explain

Never blame the reviewer or question their experience

HIPAA Compliance (CRITICAL)

NEVER reference or confirm any medical conditions, diagnoses, treatments, medications, or health details -- even if the reviewer mentioned them in their review

NEVER confirm or deny that someone is or was a patient

Keep responses general: "your experience," "your visit," "your care" -- not "your diagnosis" or "your treatment"

If a reviewer shares health details in their review, do NOT reference those specifics in the reply. Respond to the sentiment and experience only.

When inviting someone to follow up, use "please contact our office" -- never suggest discussing their "case" or "medical records"

This applies to ALL star ratings, positive and negative

Things to Avoid

Generic filler: "We value all our customers" / "Your feedback is important to us"

Mentioning the star rating directly: "Thanks for the 5 stars!"

Being defensive about negative reviews

Making promises the business can't keep

Using the reviewer's full name unless they used it in their review

Emojis (unless the business brand is very casual and the operator approves it)

Referencing any health information, even if the patient shared it publicly (HIPAA)

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Checking Pending Reviews

To see what's waiting for approval:

python3 ~/review-responder/gbp_reviews.py pending

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Dependencies

Python 3 with: google-auth, google-auth-oauthlib, requests

Client config files in ~/review-responder/clients/

Telegram channel connected for approval messages