Review Gating

Review gating is the practice of selectively soliciting customer reviews to influence online reputation. It involves strategically targeting customers who are more likely to provide positive feedback while avoiding those who may share negative experiences.

By only requesting reviews from customers likely to leave positive feedback, businesses attempt to boost their online ratings and visibility. This creates a skewed perception of customer satisfaction that doesn’t reflect the full range of experiences. Review gating presents an artificially positive image of a business, misleading potential customers who rely on genuine feedback to make informed decisions.

• Selectively solicits reviews from happy customers
• Suppresses negative customer experiences
• Artificially inflates online ratings and reviews
• Violates terms of service of most review platforms
• Misleads potential customers seeking genuine feedback
• Undermines trust in online reviews and ratings
• Prevents businesses from addressing legitimate concerns and improving customer satisfaction
• Can lead to penalties or removal from review platforms if detected

A hotel that only sends post-stay review requests to guests who didn’t report any problems is engaging in review gating. By excluding guests who experienced issues or expressed dissatisfaction, the hotel manipulates its online reputation, presenting an inaccurate picture of its service quality. Another example is an e-commerce store that solely reaches out for reviews to customers who have made repeat purchases or left positive comments about their products. This biased approach neglects the opinions of one-time buyers or those who encountered problems, distorting the overall perception of the store’s performance.

• Solicit reviews from all customers equally
• Respond professionally to all reviews, positive or negative
• Use negative reviews to identify and resolve issues
• Encourage authentic feedback to build genuine trust and credibility
• Regularly monitor and analyze reviews to gain valuable insights for improvement
• Adhere to the guidelines and policies of review platforms to maintain integrity