Mention online reviews to any veterinary professional and you’ll likely be greeted with a groan, eyeroll, or worse. However, reviews are a proven asset when it comes to your practice’s online reputation with clients and team members alike. AI tools like ChatGPT—and even the specific review platform’s integrated AI tools—can help you respond to reviews, analyze results, and more effectively manage your practice’s online reputation.  

Using AI to write review responses 

The easiest entry into using AI to help with a practice’s reviews is to ask for its assistance in writing responses. Whether you need a response to a positive or negative review, ChatGPT is objective and concise--the perfect companion in this difficult task.  

Rather than struggling to come up with a response that is not only professional but also different than the last 5-star “thank you for your feedback” review, AI tools can help generate personalized responses that can be easily copied and pasted into your review platform such as Yelp or Google.  

To get started: 

1. Open the AI tool you want to use (such as ChatGPT). 
2. Copy and paste the review you want to respond to from any review platform (e.g., Yelp, Google) into the tool.  
3. Tell the AI tool that you are a veterinary practice looking for suggestions to respond, and, voila! You’ll have an efficient, professional response that is different from your other responses and sounds empathetic (assuming that’s your goal).  

Even if you have a negative review that you’d like to refute, ChatGPT can ensure your response is short, sweet, and to the point without bringing in any of those pesky emotions. Once you’re happy with the response, simply copy and paste it back into the review platform.  

Example AI prompts to generate review responses 

Regardless of the type of review, ChatGPT can help craft a specific response, create a library of templated replies or suggest best practices to allow you to efficiently stay on top of the practice’s online reputation.   

A few example prompts:  

• Can you generate a list of 10-20 review response templates for good Google reviews for my veterinary practice? 
• I need a short and sweet response to this Yelp review. (copy/paste review) 
• How do I respond to a 1-star review for my veterinary practice? They left no name, no details. Please provide 3 short and sweet options.  

Use AI to get more reviews 

AI tools can also help in encouraging more reviews, a technique that not only drowns out or minimizes the impact of a negative review, but also gives the practice additional feedback. Use ChatGPT to suggest verbiage to send to clients via email, push notification, text, or social media along with your specific review link to rack up those 5-star reviews.  

Example prompt:  

We need to elicit some more positive reviews for our veterinary practice. Our review link is www.YourVetClinic.com/review. Could you generate a quick blurb with the link and call to action for 1) Social media caption 2) email blast 3) post-visit text and 4) email to our top VIP clients? 

Use AI to analyze reviews 

Another use for AI in veterinary reputation management is to copy and paste a large volume of reviews into the platform and ask AI to review and analyze them for common sentiments or potential risk areas. After analyzing, ChatGPT can even be asked to provide prioritized suggestions to improve.  

Example prompt:  

Here are some recent reviews for my veterinary practice. Can you do a sentiment analysis and find any common themes? Based on this can you create a list of key strengths and weaknesses?  

Last but not least, keep an eye on built-in generative AI tools in veterinary platforms and marketing sites to help streamline the management process. And don’t be afraid to try them out!  

Managing online reviews with AI can be a game-changer, transforming a daunting task into a manageable (and sometimes amusing) part of your day. Embrace AI as a tool to help you wade through the digital noise, but never underestimate the power of your personal, human response. After all, in a world filled with technology, a personal touch is what sets us apart in the hearts and minds of our two-legged and four-legged clients alike. 

Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, is the founder of The Social DVM, a consulting firm helping veterinary professionals learn how to manage and grow their social media, online reputation, and marketing strategies. She earned her DVM from the University of Illinois and is a recipient of their Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Before stepping back to focus on her marketing passion, she served as medical director for a large hospital in St. Louis. Today, she divides her time between practice, consulting, and writing. She is the author of the “Social Media and Marketing for Veterinary Professionals” textbook and a columnist for Today’s Veterinary Business. 

Photo credit: © Olena Zagoruyko E+ via Getty Images Plus 

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.