# Review and Reputation Management for Small Businesses > Build an ethical review-request and response process, understand platform dependencies and connect feedback to customer follow-up. Reputation management is the ongoing work of inviting genuine feedback, responding appropriately, correcting operational problems and following each platform’s rules. It is not a promise of ratings, rankings or control over public opinion. ## A fair feedback and response path 121 practical guidance. Platform support, policies and review outcomes require current evidence. ## Capabilities explained ### Review requests Sends configured review invitations by eligible email or SMS journeys using a review link. **How it works:** Runs an approved campaign, publishing or reputation process through connected channels and profiles. **Why a business would use it:** Makes asking for feedback a consistent step after appropriate customer interactions. **Limitations:** Platform policies, connection expiry, delivery, public responses, usage and add-on charges can vary. **Human responsibility:** A person must approve content and handle negative feedback, policy issues and publishing failures. ### Review monitoring Pulls supported connected-platform reviews into a central reputation view. **How it works:** Runs an approved campaign, publishing or reputation process through connected channels and profiles. **Why a business would use it:** Helps a team see new feedback without checking every connected profile separately. **Limitations:** Platform policies, connection expiry, delivery, public responses, usage and add-on charges can vary. **Human responsibility:** A person must approve content and handle negative feedback, policy issues and publishing failures. ### Review responses Supports drafting or publishing replies where the connected platform and permissions allow it. **How it works:** Runs an approved campaign, publishing or reputation process through connected channels and profiles. **Why a business would use it:** Keeps public responses visible and assigned while retaining human judgement for sensitive feedback. **Limitations:** Platform policies, connection expiry, delivery, public responses, usage and add-on charges can vary. **Human responsibility:** A person must approve content and handle negative feedback, policy issues and publishing failures. ### Review widgets Displays eligible review content on configured sites or pages through a reusable widget. **How it works:** Runs an approved campaign, publishing or reputation process through connected channels and profiles. **Why a business would use it:** Makes recent customer feedback available at relevant points in a visitor journey. **Limitations:** Platform policies, connection expiry, delivery, public responses, usage and add-on charges can vary. **Human responsibility:** A person must approve content and handle negative feedback, policy issues and publishing failures. ## Ask consistently after a genuine customer interaction. The trigger, audience, message and stop rule should be understandable and fair rather than selected to manufacture a rating. ### Eligibility rule Use an approved service milestone and apply it consistently to the relevant customer group. ### Honest request Invite genuine feedback without incentives, pressure, a required score or wording that implies only positive reviews are welcome. ### Stop conditions Stop on response, opt-out, complaint, duplicate request, inappropriate timing or another agreed condition. ## Do not hide unhappy customers from the public route. Offering a different destination based on sentiment can breach platform rules and undermine trust. ### Same fair choice Do not make the public-review opportunity conditional on a high private rating. ### Private support alongside choice Provide a clear support or complaint route without suppressing the customer’s ability to leave an honest public review. ### Current platform rules Review solicitation, incentives, staff involvement and response practice against the current destination platform policy. ## A public response is customer communication, not a debate. The aim is to acknowledge appropriately, protect confidential information and move detailed resolution into a suitable channel. ### Check the context Identify the interaction and authorised responder without exposing personal, clinical, legal or commercially sensitive detail. ### Reply proportionately Thank, acknowledge or clarify in plain language; avoid arguing facts that cannot be safely discussed in public. ### Handle false or abusive content Preserve evidence, use the platform’s reporting route and escalate legal or safety concerns rather than organising retaliation. ## Connect themes to operational ownership without reducing customers to a score. A useful review process identifies recurring issues and follows through on change while retaining the limits of anecdotal data. ### Theme responsibly Group recurring service, communication or expectation issues with traceable examples and cautious interpretation. ### Assign improvement Give material issues an owner, action and review point rather than closing them when a response is posted. ### Measure process health Review request delivery, opt-outs, duplicates, response ownership and open issues; do not promise rating or search outcomes. ## Frequently asked questions ### When should we ask for a review? Use a genuine, approved milestone when the customer has enough experience to comment. The right timing depends on the service and should not interrupt a complaint, sensitive situation or unresolved problem. ### Can we send unhappy customers to a private form instead? A private support route can be offered, but it should not be used to prevent selected customers from accessing the same honest public-review choice. Check current platform rules. ### Should every review receive a response? Set a proportionate policy based on platform, volume, risk and customer context. Sensitive detail and disputes need authorised human review. ### Will review automation improve our rating or search position? No result is guaranteed. The process can support consistent invitations and ownership, while customer experience, platform rules and many external factors determine outcomes. ## Related CRM pages - [/crm/guides](https://121.direct/crm/guides) - [/crm/features/reviews-reputation](https://121.direct/crm/features/reviews-reputation) This Markdown alternative contains public product information only. It provides no access to CRM accounts, records, credentials or payment execution.