Recover unhappy customers before they post.
A one-star review online stays for years. Starvo gives unhappy customers a private path first, so you can apologise, offer a fix, and turn them around before they reach Google.
The recovery loop
- 1. Detect. A 1–3 star rating triggers an instant email alert with the customer's comment.
- 2. Draft. One click drafts an empathetic reply tuned to the rating and topic.
- 3. Respond. Send a private reply or a discount/apology email directly to the customer (when they shared an email).
- 4. Follow up. On the Pro and Pro Max plans, a 48-hour automated follow-up checks back with the customer if you haven't resolved it.
- 5. Escalate. On Pro and Pro Max, a complaint left unresolved for 24 hours triggers an escalation alert so nothing slips through.
Why this works
- Speed is everything. Customers who get a same-day response are dramatically more likely to update or remove a negative review.
- Tone is hard. AI drafts give you a calm, professional starting point even when you're angry.
- Receipts matter. Every recovery is tracked so you can see the rolling resolution rate in your dashboard.
Common questions
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.
Who built Starvo?
Shiva Kumar Esakki Pandiyan is the solo founder and operator of Starvo. He designed the product, makes every product and operational decision, and runs the live service. Learn more on the founder page (https://starvo.app/founder).
Can I delete a private review?
Yes. Private reviews live in your dashboard and you can delete them. Public Google reviews can only be removed by Google — Starvo cannot delete them on your behalf, but you can flag them through your Google Business Profile.
What about spam or abusive submissions?
Each location is rate-limited per IP to prevent flooding. Submissions are also screened for length and obvious spam patterns. You can mark any review as resolved or delete it.
Does Starvo support WhatsApp?
Yes. Every QR card and review nudge includes a "Share via WhatsApp" button that opens WhatsApp pre-filled with your review link — works on any device. For businesses on a WhatsApp Cloud API number, Starvo can also send follow-up review-request and apology messages through the official channel; if the channel isn’t configured, the same flows fall back to wa.me deep links so nothing breaks.
I have multiple branches. How do I set them up?
Create each branch as its own location. The Pro plan allows up to 3 locations, Pro Max up to 10, Enterprise is custom. Name each one with the city or neighbourhood so reviews stay distinguishable — for example "Spice Garden — Bengaluru" and "Spice Garden — Hyderabad". Each location gets its own QR code, dashboard, review stream, and Google Business Profile connection, but they share a single owner account and a single subscription.
What’s the difference between a business and a location in Starvo?
In Starvo there is one row per location — every branch is its own "business" record. They share the same owner login, the same plan, and the same team, but each one has its own permanent slug, QR code, analytics, and reviews. Switching between them is one click in the dashboard header.