New AI employee that answers, analyzes, and acts.
SASKATOON, SK, CANADA, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Vendasta today launched the AI Reputation Specialist, an AI employee designed to solve one of the most expensive blind spots in local business: unanswered customer reviews. With 96% of consumers reading online reviews, and review signals estimated to drive ~17% of Google Local Pack ranking factors, small businesses risk losing trust, visibility, and revenue when feedback goes unanswered.
Yet most SMBs simply don’t have the time to monitor and respond in real time — and 42% of consumers say they never receive a response to the reviews they write. The AI Reputation Specialist tackles that gap by instantly replying across Google and Facebook with brand-safe messaging and turning customer feedback into real-time, actionable insights — transforming reviews from unanswered obligations into conversion opportunities.
Included with Vendasta Reputation AI Premium, the AI Reputation Specialist automatically responds to Google and Facebook reviews using customizable, brand-safe guidance, while transforming review and Net Promoter Score (NPS) data into actionable insights — not just reports — delivered through chat, where businesses can take next steps instantly. The result is faster responses, clearer signals, and fewer missed opportunities to build trust and win customers.
Reviews often determine whether a customer clicks, calls, or keeps scrolling. But keeping up is difficult. For most SMBs, responding to reviews falls through the cracks — delayed, inconsistent, or skipped entirely — despite being critical for search visibility and trust. The AI Reputation Specialist is built to do that work automatically, without taking control away from the business.
“Reviews today are make-or-break for small businesses. 52% of consumers look for a 4‑star rating or higher before considering a local business. They influence every click, call, and conversion,” said Sanjay Manchanda, CMO at Vendasta. “But most SMBs just don’t have the capacity to manage them well. The AI Reputation Specialist is like hiring a frontline team member — one who never sleeps, always answers, and brings back insights in real time. It saves time, builds trust, and turns the customer voice into a growth engine.”
“Customer feedback stops being a backlog and becomes a set of next steps — automatically,” said Klint Rudolph, partner at The Xcite Group. “The best part is being able to chat with the Reputation Specialist and turn insights into action right away.”
FROM SOFTWARE TO AI EMPLOYEES
The launch reflects a broader shift at Vendasta — from software that requires constant manual input to AI employees that take responsibility for real jobs.
The AI Reputation Specialist adds to Vendasta’s growing AI Workforce, which includes roles such as an AI Receptionist, AI Content Creator, AI Sales Assistant, and Custom AI Employees. Together, these AI employees support customer acquisition and engagement across the entire lifecycle, while humans focus on strategy and oversight.
FROM FEEDBACK TO ACTION — ALL IN CHAT
Unlike traditional tools that merely analyze sentiment, the AI Reputation Specialist empowers businesses to act on insights instantly. SMBs can chat with the AI to ask follow-up questions, uncover trends, and trigger tasks — from alerting staff to updating service protocols or launching campaigns. This isn’t just data; it’s direction, delivered while it still matters.
MEET VENDASTA REPUTATION AI
Alongside the launch, Vendasta is renaming Reputation Management to Vendasta Reputation AI, reflecting the product’s expanded AI-driven capabilities. In the Vendasta Marketplace, the product will appear as Reputation AI.
With the AI Reputation Specialist included, Vendasta Reputation AI helps businesses:
– Respond to every Google and Facebook review promptly and consistently
– Understand customer sentiment without digging through reports
– Spot risks and opportunities earlier — and act on them — using AI-driven insights
– Strengthen credibility, visibility, and conversion from local search
WHITE-GLOVE SETUP FOR REAL AI ADOPTION
To ensure the AI Reputation Specialist delivers real value, real fast, Vendasta pairs the launch with hands-on implementation from its Vendasta Services team. Vendasta’s AI experts configure and train each specialist to reflect how a business actually operates — defining brand voice, response strategy, and risk thresholds so the AI behaves like a trusted team member, not a generic bot.
The AI Reputation Specialist is available today as part of Vendasta Reputation AI Premium and operates within Vendasta’s AI Workforce, where businesses manage and oversee their AI employees in one place.
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ABOUT VENDASTA
Vendasta is building the future of work for small businesses, powered by AI. Its platform powers a growing AI Workforce of role-based AI employees that automate high-friction jobs like review management, content creation, lead engagement, and customer support.
Unlike traditional software that depends on constant manual effort, Vendasta’s AI employees operate like real team members — responsive, brand-aligned, and continuously learning. Vendasta serves a global network of more than 60,000 channel partners, including agencies, franchises, and software providers, who bring its AI employees to millions of SMBs in local markets.
Backed by a full-stack platform, white-glove services, and proprietary AI infrastructure, Vendasta sits at the intersection of AI transformation, local commerce, and distributed work. Headquartered in Saskatoon with offices in Boca Raton and Chennai, Vendasta is scaling a new operating model for small business growth, one AI employee at a time.
Learn more at www.vendasta.com
Join us at the live launch event: https://www.vendasta.com/content-library/events-webinars/meet-your-ai-reputation-specialist/
Nykea Behiel
Vendasta
nbehiel@vendasta.com
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