Review management FAQ

Common Questions

Getting reviews

How do I automate online review requests for a local business?

After a real job, visit, or purchase, send one email or text to every customer, then a short reminder or two, then stop. Do not ask only the happy customers, and do not pay for the review.

In More Good Reviews, a request strategy waits a delay you set after signup or after a charge, then sends email, SMS, or both. You can add up to three reminders and up to two later retries. Reminders stop when they open the review page. Retries also stop once they leave a review. Stripe can start that after a charge. HubSpot syncs contacts into the same strategy. Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Square, and similar tools connect through Zapier, Pabbly, Make, or the API. See request strategy.

How do I get more Google reviews for my business?

Ask every customer who had a real experience, soon after it, and give them a short path to Google. More reviews come from asking people you already served, not from incentives, scripts, or a blast to old contacts.

Text when you have consent, email as a follow up, and a QR code while they are still on site. Reply to the reviews you already have so the profile looks current. Google removes reviews that look bought or coordinated, and it forbids asking only happy customers. See Google review guidelines.

How do I get better reviews without annoying customers?

Ask once, close to the visit, send at most a couple of reminders, and stop when they open the link or leave a review. Do not text people who did not agree to texts, and do not tell them what to write.

A request strategy in More Good Reviews can cap reminders at three and retries at two. Reminders stop when they open the review page. Everything scheduled stops once they leave a review. Better reviews come from asking the right person at the right time, not from asking more often. See request strategy.

How many Google reviews do I need to raise my star rating?

It is arithmetic, not a Google quota. New average equals (current average times current count, plus the new stars) divided by the new count. A 4.2 from 10 reviews moves faster than a 4.2 from 200.

Five star reviews raise the average. One star reviews pull it down by more, because they sit further from the average. Google also does not publish a review count that puts you in the map pack. Ask real customers, and do not buy a burst of fives. Google filters those.

What’s the best way to ask for Google reviews: text, email, or a QR code?

Use all three in a simple sequence: text first when you have consent, email as a follow up, and a QR code when the customer is still on site. Then stop once they’ve reviewed.

SMS usually gets opened fastest after a job or visit. Email is better for a calmer follow up and for customers who didn’t opt into texts. A QR code on a receipt, table tent, or kiosk screen lets someone leave a Google review on their own phone without you handling the device. In More Good Reviews, each channel can point at the same branded review page. Your request strategy sends the request and the reminders. See also QR codes and SMS consent.

Do I need customer permission to text a review request?

Yes. In the US you generally need prior express written consent before sending marketing texts, including review requests, and a phone number in your CRM is not consent by itself.

More Good Reviews can send SMS through your own Twilio, ClickSend, SimpleTexting, or TextLink account and will honor STOP when the provider webhook is set up. It does not collect consent for you or check that consent exists before a send. Get agreement at booking or checkout, import only numbers you’re allowed to text, then enable SMS in your strategy. Details: SMS consent.

Can I send requests from my own domain and over SMS?

Yes. Connect your domain to send email from your own address, and connect Twilio, ClickSend, SimpleTexting, or TextLink for SMS. You use your own provider account and pay their rates separately.

Email can go out on MGR delivery or your SMTP once the domain is verified. SMS always bills through the provider you connect; MGR does not sell text credits. Setup guides: Twilio, ClickSend, SimpleTexting, and TextLink.

Is there a limit to how many customers I can import?

No. There is no customer cap. Plans are based on locations, and each location includes a monthly review request allowance.

Import via CSV, Stripe, HubSpot, Zapier, Pabbly, Make, the API, MCP, or manual entry. Email BCC works when the project uses MGR email delivery, not your own SMTP. See Importing customers.

What happens if I reach my monthly request limit?

Automatic requests stop once you hit the monthly allowance. The count resets on the 1st. To raise your allowance sooner, add locations on Business or extra locations on Agency from Billing.

Reminders belong to that request and do not count again. A retry counts as another request. Email and SMS share the allowance. On Agency, every project draws from that same pool. See Billing and upgrading.

Do I need A2P 10DLC registration for every client to send review request texts?

Usually yes for US traffic on a registered business number: each client brand is registered with your SMS provider (not inside More Good Reviews), with proof of how that client collects opt in.

MGR sends through each connected Twilio, ClickSend, SimpleTexting, or TextLink account. It does not replace carrier registration such as A2P 10DLC. TextLink uses an Android SIM and still requires consent; it does not replace carrier rules. While a client’s registration is pending, use email review requests. See SMS consent and SMS with Twilio.

Responding to reviews

How can AI help draft responses to a large volume of customer reviews?

It can draft a reply for each new Google or Facebook review so you are not starting from a blank box, and it can post those drafts after a delay if you turn that on. Read anything sensitive before it goes live, and do not let it invent facts.

In More Good Reviews, leave Automate off to draft only, or turn it on for positive reviews only or for every review, with a delay. Google and Facebook reviews sync into one place. MGR is not designed for Protected Health Information. Details: AI tools and the HIPAA statement.

How should I respond to a bad review, and can I get a fake one removed?

Respond calmly and publicly on Google, Yelp, or Facebook: acknowledge the issue, take what you can offline, and say what you’ll fix. For content that clearly breaks platform rules, report it, then plan on one appeal if needed, knowing removal is never guaranteed.

Don’t threaten reviewers or make false accusations (the FTC restricts that kind of retaliation). MGR can sync Google and Facebook reviews and help you draft a reply; it can’t appeal Google’s decisions for you. See Google review guidelines and Google’s help on reporting inappropriate reviews.

Can I import and reply to Google and Facebook reviews?

Yes. Connect Google Business Profile and Facebook to sync reviews into More Good Reviews and reply from one place. Replies post back to your Google listing or Facebook Page.

You can also draft or auto send replies with AI. Google My Business syncs about every four hours, with manual sync when you need it sooner. See Integrations.

What’s included with AI and the MCP Server?

Both Business and Agency include the AI Assistant: customer review suggestions, Google and Facebook replies, highlights, sentiment analysis, auto tagging, summaries, trends, and Ask AI.

The MCP Server lets you connect Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Cursor, or other MCP clients to work in your project with plain language, including reputation reports. See AI tools and MCP Server.

Integrations and automation

Which review platforms offer custom integrations via an API and webhooks?

Look for a project API that can create a customer and send a review request when your system says a job is done, plus webhooks so your CRM hears what happened. A native app for every field tool is rarer than the ads claim.

More Good Reviews has a project API and webhooks, and it connects to Zapier, Pabbly, and Make. Stripe and HubSpot are the native CRMs. Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Square, and HighLevel connect through those. See API reference and Integrations.

Can it send review requests automatically from Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, or Square when a job is done?

Not with a native Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, or Square integration. Those connect through Zapier, Pabbly, Make, or the API. Native CRM integrations are Stripe and HubSpot only.

Typical recipe: when a job is closed or an invoice is paid in your field service or POS tool, create or update the customer in MGR and send a review request. Stripe and HubSpot can sync customers natively and pair with your request strategy. See Integrations and API reference.

Can I trigger review requests from a client’s CRM via Zapier, webhooks, or an API?

Yes. Use Zapier, Pabbly, or Make to create customers and send review requests when a workflow fires, or call the project API and webhooks directly.

Native CRM options remain Stripe and HubSpot. Agencies also have an Agency API and Agency MCP for roster work (projects, clients, team); use each client’s project MCP or API for that client’s customers and requests. See Integrations, project API, and Agency API.

Google, Yelp and review rules

How do I rank higher on Google Business Profile?

Google ranks local profiles with relevance, distance, and prominence. Reviews are part of prominence: recent reviews from real customers, a rating that matches the work, and replies. They are not a keyword trick, and Google does not publish a review count that guarantees the map pack.

Finish the profile (right categories, hours, and photos), ask every customer after a real visit, and do not buy reviews. More Good Reviews automates the ask and the replies. It does not build citations or links.

Is it against Google’s rules to only send happy customers to leave a review?

Yes. Google prohibits review gating: selectively soliciting only positive reviews, or blocking unhappy customers from leaving a public Google review. The FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule likewise restricts review suppression.

Ask every real customer. It’s fine to collect private feedback on your review page first, as long as every customer can still reach Google, Yelp, Facebook, or another public site if they choose. In MGR, keep the link revealer enabled for lower ratings, leave Google incentives blank, and don’t use redirects only for high ratings while hiding a public path for others. We do not recommend gating or paying for reviews. Read Google review guidelines and review page links.

Why are my Google reviews disappearing after customers post them?

Google filters and removes reviews that look inauthentic, coordinated, or policy violating. MGR can’t force Google to keep a review.

Common triggers include a sudden burst of similar reviews, shared wifi or device patterns (for example on site QR pressure), templated wording, or incentives. Space sends out, ask after a real visit, don’t script the review text, and don’t offer rewards for a Google review. If a review is removed, check your collection practices against Google review guidelines, then use Google Business Profile Help to report or appeal.

Can I ask customers for Yelp reviews? Why are my Yelp reviews “not recommended”?

Yelp tells businesses not to ask customers for reviews. Soliciting Yelp reviews can push legitimate posts into “not recommended,” where they don’t count toward the public rating.

For Google and Facebook, send review requests to real customers after a genuine experience. For Yelp, show a profile link passively if you want, and don’t run outbound “please review us on Yelp” campaigns. MGR can import public Yelp reviews for display. Replies you publish from MGR go back to Google and Facebook, not Yelp. See Importing reviews and Yelp’s own “Don’t ask for reviews” guidance.

Do replying to reviews or keywords in reviews help my Google ranking?

Reply for trust and conversion, not as a keyword ranking trick. Stuffing keywords into owner replies, or asking customers to include specific phrases, is poor practice and requesting specific review content can violate Google’s policies.

Google may consider review signals as part of local relevance, but practitioners don’t treat keyword stuffed replies as a reliable ranking lever. Write clear, honest replies on Google and Facebook; use AI drafts only as a starting point you edit. See Google review guidelines and AI tools.

Pricing and billing

Is Podium or Birdeye worth $300+ a month? What should review software cost?

Neither Podium nor Birdeye publishes a price you can start on. Podium sells texting, web chat, payments, and phones through a sales team, with reviews attached. Birdeye sells reviews together with listings, messaging, surveys, and social, also by quote, and its terms renew unless written notice arrives at least 90 days ahead.

If the job is review requests, Google and Facebook replies, and widgets, that suite is more product than you need. More Good Reviews Business starts at $59 per location per month, or $49 per month billed yearly, with AI included. Side by side: vs Podium and vs Birdeye.

Do I need a credit card to get started?

No. You can try More Good Reviews free for 7 days with full access to core features. No credit card required.

After the trial, choose Business or Agency from Billing. See Billing and upgrading.

What’s the difference between Business and Agency?

Business is for companies managing their own reputation, priced per location, with monthly or yearly billing. Agency is for agencies and consultants who need a white label client portal, custom agency domain, client SSO, client invites, and per project overrides.

Agency is monthly only and includes 5 locations to start. See pricing and White label.

How does location pricing work?

On Business, you pay per location with volume discounts as you grow (from $59/location/month, or $49/month billed yearly), and each location includes 5,000 monthly review requests.

White label is the Agency plan: $99/month, monthly only, with no annual contract. It includes 5 locations and 25,000 requests. Extra locations are $12/month each and each adds 5,000 more requests. See Billing and upgrading.

How much should I charge clients for review management, and what margin is normal?

There’s no single “correct” retail price. Many agencies charge roughly $100 to $500/month per client depending on locations, outreach volume, and whether replies and reporting are included. Use that only as a market range, not a promise.

Example cost math: Agency is $99/month for 5 locations ($12 each extra). If you bill five clients $199/month, your software cost is $99 before your time. Set packages around locations, request volume, and response SLAs. You invoice clients yourself. See White label.

Can I bill clients through the platform (my own Stripe) and set my own prices?

You set your own prices and invoice clients yourself. MGR does not bill your end clients or connect your Stripe to charge them inside the portal.

MGR bills the agency subscription; you use your own bookkeeping or payment processor for client invoices. Per project overrides can cap features when a client’s package changes. See White label and Restricting access.

Can I switch between Business and Agency later?

No. Business and Agency are separate plan families, so switching requires a new account.

Choose the plan that matches how you’ll use the product: self serve reputation for your business, or white label for clients. See Billing and upgrading.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Cancel from Billing and you’ll keep access through the end of your current billing period.

You can also update your payment method, change location quantity, or manage invoices anytime. See Billing and upgrading.

White label for agencies

What’s the best white label reputation management software for a small agency?

For a small agency whose product is reviews, More Good Reviews Agency is the fit: $99 a month, month to month, 5 locations included, a portal on your domain, and client logins. SMS goes through your own provider.

Skip a full CRM or listings suite if you are not selling those. Agencies already running HighLevel for funnels and phones can keep it and use MGR for reviews. Details: pricing, vs HighLevel, and White label.

GoHighLevel already has reputation management. Do I need a separate review tool?

Only if you want a review focused product with published location pricing and a lean white label portal. HighLevel is a full CRM; MGR is built only for reviews.

Many agencies run both: HighLevel for funnels, phone, and CRM; MGR for review requests, Google/Facebook replies, and client facing review dashboards. There is no native HighLevel CRM sync; connect workflows via Zapier, Pabbly, Make, or the API. Honest comparison: MGR vs HighLevel.

Can I fully rebrand it, with my own domain, logo, and emails, so clients never see the vendor?

Yes on the Agency plan: clients sign in on your domain and see your logo, colors, and footer, not More Good Reviews branding.

Finish domain setup before invites so sign in and invitation mail use your host. You can customize portal appearance, email templates, sidebar links, cookie banner, and optional CSS/JS. See Domain setup, Customization options, and Email templates.

Can my clients log in to their own branded dashboard, and can I control what they see?

Yes. Invite portal clients to specific projects; they only see those businesses. Team seats are for your staff; Clients are for paying portal users.

Per project overrides can cap customers, locations, members, tags, and widgets, and turn off API, webhooks, or SMS. You can hide sidebar sections or suspend a project when billing changes. Optional SSO is available after the portal domain is active. See Inviting clients and Restricting access.

How do I get access to a client’s Google Business Profile without their password?

Have the client grant your Google account Manager (or Owner) access on the Business Profile, or complete Google’s OAuth connect from MGR. Never share passwords.

In MGR, connect Google My Business under Integrations and select which locations to sync. Reviews stay on the client’s Google profile if the agency relationship ends; disconnecting stops sync, it doesn’t delete Google reviews. See Integrations.

Account and compliance

Does HIPAA apply to More Good Reviews?

HIPAA does not apply to our Services. More Good Reviews is a review management platform, not a Covered Entity or Business Associate, and is not designed for Protected Health Information (PHI). We do not offer BAAs.

See our HIPAA Statement for details.

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