How it works
The first three steps happen automatically. You don’t need to sign in for any of them.
We watch your listings
We check your Google Business Profile, plus DealerRater and Carfax if you use them. Busy listings are checked every 15 minutes and quieter ones every few hours. Reviews with stars but no comment are included, because they still affect your rating.
We write a reply
Each reply uses the customer’s first name and only mentions what they wrote. A short five-star review gets a short thank-you. A complaint gets a reply that addresses the problem they raised.
We send it for approval
Nothing is posted automatically. The reply is emailed to your dealership’s approver, and it only appears on Google once it has been approved.
Who can approve
Only the approvers chosen for your dealership receive emails with the Approve button. Each reply can only be approved once, so if two people click Approve, only the first click counts.
The approval email
You receive one email for each review. Here is an example, with each part explained.
Subject line Reply ready for your approval: BMW of Fort Walton Beach
A reply is ready for your approval
A3 Brands has written a reply to this Google review of BMW of Fort Walton Beach. Once you approve it, it is published under the dealership’s name.
Second car I’ve bought here. Ask for Danny, no pressure at all.
- 1Your dealershipThe location the review is for. Click Open this review on Google to see the review on your listing, just as customers see it.
- 2Rating and customerThe star rating and the customer’s name as it appears on Google. DealerRater and Carfax don’t show stars for individual reviews, so you won’t see them for those sites.
- 3The reviewExactly what the customer wrote. If they left stars without a comment, the email says so.
- 4Our suggested replyThe text that will be posted on Google if you approve it.
- 5Approve or Edit it firstApprove posts the reply as written. Edit it first opens the reply in a box where you can change the wording, then approve. No sign-in is needed for either.
Approving a reply
It takes two clicks.
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Click Approve in the email
A page opens and shows the reply one more time. Nothing has been posted yet. If you close this page, nothing changes.
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Confirm on that page
Click Approve and queue for posting. A message confirms that the reply has been approved.
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We post it for you
A3 Brands posts the reply on your Google listing under your dealership’s name. You don’t need to do anything else.
Missed an email?
Every reply waiting for approval is also listed at the top of your review portal. You can approve it there at any time.
Changing a reply
The quickest way is the email itself. Click Edit it first, change the wording in the box, and click Save changes and approve. You can also edit any waiting reply in your review portal, as below.
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Sign in to your review portal
Use the email address and password you set up from your invitation.
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Find the reply
Replies waiting for your approval is at the top of the page. Each reply is shown under the review it answers.
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Make your changes
Click in the reply box and edit the text as you would in any email.
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Approve
Approves your version. We post exactly what you wrote.
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Skip
Leaves the review without a reply from us. Nothing is posted.
Your review portal
The portal shows how your dealership’s reviews are doing, all on one page.
The numbers at the top
Reviews received so far this month.
The share of your reviews that have a reply.
Reviews we are still working on.
1 and 2 star reviews that have no reply yet.
When there is enough data, a fifth figure, Typical reply, shows how long a review usually waits for a reply.
What’s on the page
Replies waiting for your approval
Replies we have written that need your decision. Edit, approve or skip them here.
Needs your attention
Unanswered 1 and 2 star reviews, so you can follow up with the customer.
Latest reviews
Your newest reviews, with their rating and whether they have a reply.
Replies we wrote for you
Replies that have been approved for your reviews.
Reviews each month
A chart of how many reviews you receive each month.
Who your customers name
Staff members that customers mention by name, with the average rating of those reviews.
1 and 2 star reviews
For a negative review, our reply is a starting point. It acknowledges the problem and offers to help, but we don’t know what happened at your dealership, so please add the details.
Before you approve
- Find out what happened from the department involved.
- Add one specific detail that shows you looked into it.
- Include a name or a direct phone number the customer can contact.
- Don’t argue in public, and don’t name an employee in a negative reply.
Reply quickly. A complaint answered the same day shows that you care. The same reply two weeks later can look like damage control.
Common questions
Can anything be posted without my approval?
No. A reply is only posted after it has been approved. If nobody approves it, nothing is posted.
What if I already replied to the review on Google?
Then we don’t post ours. If a review already has a reply from your dealership, our reply can no longer be approved, so a review never ends up with two replies.
Why don’t some reviews show a star rating?
DealerRater and Carfax don’t publish a star rating for each review, so there is no rating to show.
Why do some reviews have no text?
Customers can leave a star rating without writing a comment. These reviews still count towards your rating, so we reply to them too.
Can I change who receives the approval emails?
Yes. Contact A3 Brands with the email addresses you want to use, and we will update them for you.
I approved a reply by mistake. What should I do?
Contact A3 Brands as soon as possible. Even if the reply is already on Google, it can still be edited or removed, because Google lets you change your replies at any time.
Will I get emails about old reviews?
No. We collect your full review history so your figures are accurate, but we only write replies for new reviews.