The review funnel, end to end.
Every review is the output of a six-stage pipeline. If reviews are flat, one of the stages is leaking. This guide shows you which one and how to fix it.
The six stages
1. Experience
A customer interacts with the business. This is the only stage where the outcome is fully in your control. Everything downstream is influenced by how this stage went.
2. Ask
The customer is invited to leave feedback. QR code at the table, card on the receipt, email follow-up. The ask must happen at or near the experience.
3. Rate
The customer rates 1–5 stars and optionally writes a comment. This is the moment the funnel branches: happy customers go one way, unhappy customers go another.
4. Route
Happy customers see the Google review link. Unhappy customers see the private feedback channel. Critical: the Google link must be shown to every customer — gating is against Google policy.
5. Publish or recover
Happy customers publish to Google. Unhappy customers reach you privately, where you have a chance to fix the issue and earn a recovery review.
6. Reply
The owner replies — to every Google review within 24 hours, and to every private complaint within an hour. Reply rate is a Google ranking signal and a customer-trust signal.
What to measure at each stage
- Experience → Ask: ask rate. What percentage of served customers see the QR or get the email?
- Ask → Rate: scan-to-rate conversion. Of those who scanned, how many submitted a rating?
- Rate → Route: rating distribution. 1–3 vs 4–5 split tells you whether you have an experience problem or a volume problem.
- Route → Publish: Google review velocity. New 4–5-star reviews per week on your Google profile.
- Route → Recover: private complaint resolution rate. What percentage of 1–3-star private feedback gets a same-day response from the owner?
- Publish → Reply: reply rate. What percentage of Google reviews have an owner reply within 24 hours?
Where the funnel typically leaks
- Most common leak: Ask rate. The team forgets to mention the QR, the card is in the wrong spot, the email arrives 4 days late. Easy to fix with placement + a one-line staff script.
- Second most common: Scan-to-rate. The review page is slow, the form is long, or the customer is asked to log in. Modern review pages should load in under 1 second and require zero login.
- Hidden leak: Route → Recover. Unhappy customers are routed to a private channel but the owner does not see the alert until the next morning. By then they have already left a public 1-star.
- Long-tail leak: Reply rate. Owners reply to Google reviews on weekdays and let weekends pile up. Customers — and Google — read the reply gap as inattention.
How Starvo automates the funnel
- Ask: QR codes per location, downloadable as PDF, permanent slug.
- Rate: review page loads in under a second, no login, mobile-first.
- Route: Google link shown to every customer; unhappy customers see a private feedback path in addition.
- Recover: email alert to the owner within seconds of a 1–3-star submission; apology, discount, and thank-you sends are one-click from the dashboard.
- Reply: AI drafts a reply for every Google review and every private complaint. Edit, send. Reply quota is shared across AI, manual, and template replies.
The whole funnel in one tool. Starvo runs end-to-end on the free plan for 1 location, 50 scans/month, 20 AI replies/month. Paid plans scale the limits but the pipeline is identical.
FAQ
What is Starvo?
Starvo is a review management platform for local businesses. Customers scan a QR code, rate the business 1 to 5 stars, and Starvo encourages 4–5 star ratings to be posted on Google while routing 1–3 star feedback privately to the owner for follow-up.
Who is Starvo for?
Starvo is built for owner-operated local businesses — restaurants, cafés, hotels, salons, gyms, and clinics — who want a simple way to collect more public reviews and catch unhappy customers before they post a one-star review online.
How does Starvo work?
You print a QR code and place it on tables, receipts, or at checkout. A customer scans it, rates you 1–5 stars, and leaves a comment. Happy customers see a one-click link to your Google review page. Unhappy customers send private feedback to your dashboard so you can fix the issue first.
Is Starvo allowed by Google?
Yes. Google’s review policy requires that you must not selectively solicit positive reviews. Starvo shows the Google review link to every customer regardless of their rating — we just make it more inviting for the ones who had a great experience. This is fully compliant.
Isn’t this review gating?
No. Review gating means hiding the option to leave a public review from unhappy customers. Starvo never hides the Google review link — every customer at every rating sees it. We simply collect private feedback in parallel so owners can address issues directly.
Do I need a Google Business Profile to use Starvo?
You need one to receive public Google reviews from customers — that is how Google works, not specific to Starvo. If you don’t have one yet, create it for free at business.google.com. Starvo works without it but you won’t be able to direct customers anywhere to leave a public review.
How do I connect my Google Business Profile?
On Pro and Pro Max plans, go to your dashboard → Google integration and click Connect. You will sign in with the Google account that owns your business listing and grant Starvo read/write access to reviews. Disconnect anytime.
Will Starvo notify me if my Google rating drops?
Yes. On Pro and above, you get an email alert whenever your Google rating drops by 0.1 stars or more in 24 hours, so you can investigate and respond fast.
What AI does Starvo use for replies?
Starvo uses Llama models via Groq for fast, low-cost generation. Replies are produced server-side using the review text, the customer’s rating, and your business type — never your private data outside that prompt.
Can I edit the AI reply before sending?
Yes. The AI draft appears in a text box and you can edit any line before sending it to the customer or posting it as a Google reply. Most owners send drafts after a 10-second review.
Are AI replies marked as AI?
No — the reply goes out as your business, the same as if you typed it. The AI is a drafting assistant, not a public-facing bot. You stay in control and edit anything before it’s sent.
Will Starvo support WhatsApp review requests?
WhatsApp review prompts and follow-ups are on the roadmap. The current MVP focuses on the QR + private/public-routing flow. If WhatsApp is critical for you, email us — that helps us prioritize.