Reference
A reference for how Customer Feedback combines a private line to the business with the public review option, without ever branching on the rating.
Customer Feedback adds a private channel to the public one — it does not replace it. On one Customer Feedback page the customer can send the business a private message, and can also choose to leave a public review. The customer sees both options and decides.
The rule that shapes everything
No screen, button, or route depends on the rating a customer gives. A customer who rates the visit top marks and one who rates it the lowest see exactly the same options, including the public review button. This is not a limitation — it is the foundation of the product.
The test that settles any question: a customer who rated top and did not see the public option should see exactly what a customer who rated lowest sees. If satisfied customers get the button and unhappy ones do not, that is review gating, however it is described.
Why it matters
Review platforms require that everyone be treated the same way. Any branch that depends on sentiment turns feedback collection into review gating, which the platforms prohibit — and the penalty lands on the business’s own listing, not on the tool. Keeping the flow identical for every customer is what keeps it safe, and it is a clear answer to a partner’s compliance questionnaire.
What the private channel actually changes
A customer who has a direct, useful line to the business tends to tell the business first — a request, a suggestion, or thanks for a specific person. That is a result of convenience, not of filtering. The average public rating can rise because a dissatisfied customer with a working private channel is less likely to go straight to a public post — but that is an outcome you can earn, not one you should promise.
The honest way to describe the whole idea in one line: the customer tells you directly, not just the world.
What it does not do
Customer Feedback does not filter or hide ratings, does not write or publish reviews for the customer, and does not influence the content of a public review. A dissatisfied customer can post publicly through the very same interface.
To turn this on, see Set up and use Customer Feedback, or the Customer Feedback feature page.