Review Gating

Review gating is a practice that filters customers before directing them to a public review platform, often encouraging satisfied customers to post while steering unhappy customers into a private feedback channel. The problem is not offering support to dissatisfied customers; it is selectively shaping which opinions become public. For example, asking only five-star survey respondents to leave a Google review can distort the public picture of a handyman business. Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews, and other consumer-protection rules may also be relevant. Businesses can request honest feedback consistently from genuine customers, respond constructively to criticism, and maintain a separate customer support process without suppressing negative reviews.