FIELD NOTE · TellFVL
Private feedback and public reviews need a fair route
A feedback process should help the business listen without steering only praise into public view.
Decide what each channel is for
Private feedback can help investigate a specific issue and ask whether a customer wants a reply. A public review helps others understand a genuine experience. The goals overlap, but a private score should not decide who is allowed to see a public review invitation. Design the private form around understanding and follow-up, then review any public invitation against the platform’s current rules.
Avoid filtering by satisfaction
A problematic workflow sends happy customers to a public review page and sends unhappy customers only to a private form. Google’s Maps policy prohibits discouraging negative reviews or selectively soliciting positive reviews. A fairer design makes any appropriate public-review route available consistently, without requiring a high private score first. Do not make removing or changing a review a condition of receiving ordinary customer assistance.
Keep requests neutral and evidence-based
A neutral invitation might say, “If you would like to share your experience publicly, you can leave an honest review here.” Do not write the review for the customer or request a particular rating. Google also restricts incentives for reviews. Other platforms can use different rules, so check the destination platform before building a campaign. A private customer research incentive is not automatically permission to incentivize a public rating.
Test the workflow from both directions
Try the form with a positive, mixed, and negative constructed response. Confirm that the public route does not disappear for the negative case. Check that a reply request reaches a responsible person and that the confirmation does not imply a guaranteed outcome. Keep a dated note of the platform guidance reviewed. The objective is a usable listening process, not an engineered star rating or a promise that every public comment will be favorable.
Check the original guidance
Sources checked October 31, 2026. Supplier requirements and platform rules can change.
Prepared with AI assistance. Examples are constructed for explanation, not reported customer results. Corrections are welcome through the contact page.
← All guides