Product Reviews Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Product Reviews (or Reviews Management)

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

---

Overview

The Product Reviews page allows you to manage customer-submitted product reviews and ratings. This page enables you to moderate reviews, respond to feedback, feature positive reviews, and use customer insights to improve your product offerings and menu planning.

Primary Functions:

• View and moderate customer product reviews
• Approve or reject submitted reviews
• Respond to customer reviews
• Feature top reviews on product pages
• Analyze product feedback and ratings
• Export review data for analysis
• Flag inappropriate or spam reviews

---

Page Layout

Header Section

• Filter Controls: Filter by product, rating, status, date range
• Search Bar: Find reviews by customer name, product, or review text
• Moderation Queue Counter: Number of reviews awaiting approval
• Bulk Actions: Approve, reject, or delete multiple reviews

Reviews Table

Displays all customer reviews with columns:

• Customer Name - Who wrote the review
• Product - Product being reviewed
• Rating - Star rating (1-5 stars)
• Review Text - Customer's written feedback
• Date Submitted - When review was posted
• Status - Pending, Approved, Rejected, Flagged
• Helpful Votes - How many customers found review helpful
• Admin Response - Your response to review (if any)
• Actions - Approve, Reject, Edit, Respond, Feature

Summary Statistics

• Average rating across all products
• Total reviews (approved vs. pending)
• Most reviewed products
• Highest and lowest rated products
• Recent review trends

---

Review Status Types

Pending

• Meaning: Review submitted but not yet moderated
• Visibility: Not visible to other customers
• Action Needed: Approve or reject

Approved

• Meaning: Review reviewed and approved by admin
• Visibility: Visible on product page and shop
• Customer Impact: Helps other customers make decisions

Rejected

• Meaning: Review rejected (spam, inappropriate, etc.)
• Visibility: Not visible to customers
• Note: Customer may or may not be notified depending on settings

Flagged

• Meaning: Marked for further review (questionable content)
• Visibility: Hidden until resolved
• Action Needed: Final decision (approve or reject)

Featured

• Meaning: Highlighted as especially helpful review
• Visibility: Prominent display on product page
• Purpose: Showcase detailed, helpful customer feedback

---

Search & Filtering

Search Options

Search across:

• Customer name
• Product name
• Review text content
• Admin response text

Filter by Rating

• 5 stars - Excellent reviews
• 4 stars - Very good reviews
• 3 stars - Average reviews
• 2 stars - Below average reviews
• 1 star - Poor reviews
• Unrated - Text review without star rating (if allowed)

Filter by Status

• Pending - Awaiting moderation
• Approved - Live on site
• Rejected - Not published
• Flagged - Needs attention

Filter by Product

• Select specific product
• View all reviews for that product
• Useful for product performance analysis

Filter by Date Range

• Last 7 days
• Last 30 days
• Last 3 months
• Custom date range
• All time

Filter by Verified Purchase

• Verified - Customer actually ordered this product
• Unverified - Review submitted without order history
• Note: Verified reviews carry more weight with customers

---

Actions & Operations

Moderate Reviews

Approve a Review:

1. Review content for appropriateness
2. Verify it's genuine customer feedback
3. Click "Approve" button
4. Review appears on product page immediately
5. Optional: Send thank you email to reviewer

Reject a Review:

1. Identify reason for rejection (spam, inappropriate, fake)
2. Click "Reject" button
3. Optional: Select reason from dropdown
4. Review hidden from site
5. Optional: Notify customer of rejection

Bulk Approve:

1. Select multiple pending reviews (checkbox)
2. Click "Bulk Approve" button
3. All selected reviews go live
4. Confirmation message shows count

Bulk Reject:

1. Select reviews to reject
2. Click "Bulk Reject"
3. Confirm action
4. All selected reviews rejected

Respond to Reviews

Add Admin Response:

1. Click "Respond" button on review
2. Type your response
3. Click "Post Response"
4. Response appears below customer review
5. Customer may receive notification of response

Edit Existing Response:

1. Click edit icon on your response
2. Modify text
3. Save changes

Delete Response:

1. Click delete icon on response
2. Confirm deletion
3. Response removed (customer review remains)

Response Best Practices:

• Thank customer for positive reviews
• Address concerns in negative reviews
• Offer solutions or explanations
• Stay professional and friendly
• Personalize when possible

Feature Reviews

Mark as Featured:

1. Find helpful, detailed review
2. Click "Feature" icon
3. Review highlighted on product page
4. May appear in marketing materials

Unfeature Review:

1. Click "Unfeature" icon
2. Review returns to normal display

Criteria for Featuring:

• Detailed and helpful
• Well-written
• Addresses common questions
• Positive or constructively critical
• From verified purchase

Flag Review for Attention

When to Flag:

• Questionable authenticity
• Potentially inappropriate language
• Needs manager review
• Competitive review (from competitor)
• Complex customer issue needing escalation

Flag Process:

1. Click "Flag" icon
2. Select reason
3. Add internal note
4. Review hidden until resolved
5. Manager reviews and makes final decision

Edit Review Content

Limited Editing:

• Fix obvious typos (with customer permission)
• Remove personal information (phone, email)
• Redact profanity while keeping meaning

Cannot Change:

• Star rating
• Overall sentiment
• Customer name (without their request)

Edit Process:

1. Click "Edit" icon
2. Make minimal necessary changes
3. Add note explaining edit
4. Save changes

Delete Reviews

When to Delete:

• Spam reviews
• Duplicate submissions
• Test reviews from staff
• Customer requests removal

Delete Process:

1. Click "Delete" icon
2. Confirm deletion
3. Review permanently removed
4. Cannot be undone

Warning: Use reject instead of delete when possible for record-keeping

---

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Daily Review Moderation

Goal: Approve pending customer reviews each morning

Steps:

1. Open Product Reviews page
2. Filter by Status: "Pending"
3. Review each submission:
   • Check for appropriate language
   • Verify it's genuine feedback
   • Confirm product relevance
4. Approve legitimate reviews
5. Reject spam or inappropriate reviews
6. Respond to 1-star reviews with solutions
7. Thank customers for 5-star reviews

Frequency: Daily recommended

Use Case 2: Respond to Negative Review

Goal: Address customer concerns and demonstrate care

Steps:

1. Identify 1 or 2-star review
2. Read review carefully to understand issue
3. Click "Respond" button
4. Acknowledge customer's experience
5. Apologize if appropriate
6. Offer solution:
   • Replacement product
   • Account credit
   • Explanation of issue
   • Process improvement taken
7. Post response
8. Take internal action if systemic issue
9. Optional: Follow up with customer privately

Example Response: "Thank you for your feedback, Sarah. We're sorry the strawberries didn't meet expectations. We've contacted our supplier about quality control. We'd like to make this right - please check your account for a credit. Thank you for helping us improve!"

Use Case 3: Feature Helpful Reviews for Product Page

Goal: Showcase best customer testimonials

Steps:

1. Filter by Rating: 5 stars
2. Filter by Verified Purchase: Yes
3. Sort by Helpful Votes (highest first)
4. Read through top reviews
5. Select 2-3 detailed, enthusiastic reviews
6. Click "Feature" on each
7. Featured reviews appear prominently on product page
8. Update monthly with fresh featured reviews

Benefit: Helps new customers make purchase decisions

Use Case 4: Product Performance Analysis

Goal: Identify products needing improvement

Steps:

1. Filter by Rating: 1-2 stars
2. Group reviews by product
3. Identify products with multiple low ratings
4. Read negative reviews for common themes:
   • Quality issues
   • Sizing problems
   • Packaging concerns
   • Taste/freshness
5. Create action plan:
   • Change suppliers
   • Remove from menu
   • Adjust expectations/description
   • Improve packaging
6. Track if changes improve ratings

Use for: Menu planning, vendor evaluation, quality control

Use Case 5: Customer Appreciation Campaign

Goal: Thank top reviewers and encourage more reviews

Steps:

1. Filter: Approved reviews, last 30 days
2. Sort by review length and helpfulness
3. Identify customers who wrote detailed reviews
4. Add special "Top Reviewer" tag to their account
5. Send thank you email with small credit or perk
6. Feature their review
7. Create email campaign encouraging more reviews

Benefit: Builds review culture, increases customer engagement

---

Report Data & Columns

Column	Description	Use Case
Customer Name	Who wrote review	Contact for follow-up
Product	Item being reviewed	Product performance analysis
Rating	Star rating 1-5	Quick quality assessment
Review Text	Customer's feedback	Detailed insights
Date	When submitted	Track trends over time
Status	Moderation status	Workflow management
Helpful Votes	Customer usefulness rating	Feature best reviews
Verified Purchase	Confirmed buyer	Review authenticity
Admin Response	Your reply	Customer service tracking

---

Sorting & Display Options

Sort Options:

• Date submitted (newest first)
• Date submitted (oldest first)
• Rating (highest to lowest)
• Rating (lowest to highest)
• Helpful votes (most helpful first)
• Product name (alphabetical)
• Customer name (alphabetical)

Display Options:

• Compact view (more reviews per page)
• Expanded view (full review text visible)
• Show/hide admin responses
• Results per page: 25, 50, 100

---

Export & Download Options

Export Formats:

• CSV - Spreadsheet with all review data
• PDF Report - Formatted review summary
• Product Analysis - Reviews grouped by product

Export Data Includes:

• Customer name and email
• Product name and ID
• Star rating
• Review text
• Date submitted
• Status
• Helpful votes
• Admin response

Export Process:

1. Apply filters to select reviews
2. Click "Export" button
3. Choose format
4. Download file

Common Exports:

• All approved reviews for marketing use
• Negative reviews for quality improvement
• Product-specific reviews for analysis

---

Troubleshooting

Review Not Appearing After Approval

Symptoms: Review approved but not showing on product page

Check:

1. Verify review status is "Approved" not "Pending"
2. Check product page cache - may need refresh
3. Ensure product is active and published
4. Verify review content isn't empty
5. Check if review display is enabled in settings

Solutions:

• Clear product page cache
• Verify site settings allow reviews
• Re-approve review

Cannot Respond to Review

Symptoms: Respond button doesn't work or saves blank

Check:

1. Verify you have Manager access or higher
2. Check that you entered response text
3. Ensure browser JavaScript is enabled
4. Try different browser
5. Check session hasn't timed out

Solutions:

• Refresh page and try again
• Log out and log back in
• Contact administrator if persists

Spam Reviews Overwhelming Queue

Symptoms: Many fake/spam reviews submitted

Solutions:

1. Enable CAPTCHA on review submission form
2. Require verified purchase for reviews
3. Add review submission cooling period
4. Bulk reject obvious spam
5. Block specific email domains if pattern identified
6. Enable spam detection filters

Prevention:

• Implement review submission rules
• Monitor for patterns
• Consider requiring login to review

Customer Complains Review Not Approved

Symptoms: Customer says their review isn't showing up

Check:

1. Search for review by customer name
2. Check Pending queue
3. Check Rejected queue (may have been auto-filtered)
4. Verify customer submitted review (check date)

Response:

1. If pending: Approve and apologize for delay
2. If rejected accidentally: Approve and explain error
3. If not found: Ask customer to resubmit
4. If legitimately rejected: Explain reason (if appropriate)

---

Related Pages

• Products - Manage product catalog and descriptions
• Menu Builder - Plan product offerings in boxes
• Orders - View customer order history (verify purchases)
• Customers - Customer account management
• Email Templates - Review notification email settings

Typical Workflow:

1. Customer receives order → Uses product
2. Customer submits review on website
3. Review appears in Pending queue on this page
4. Admin moderates → Approve or reject
5. If approved → Appears on product page
6. Admin responds (especially to negative reviews)
7. Best reviews → Featured for prominence

---

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

• Customer Service: View approved reviews only (read-only)
• Manager: View all, approve, reject, respond, feature
• Administrator: All Manager + delete, bulk operations, edit content
• Kiva Admin: All features + settings configuration

Restricted Features:

• Approve/Reject: Requires Manager
• Delete Reviews: Requires Administrator
• Edit Review Content: Requires Administrator (use sparingly)
• Bulk Operations: Requires Manager or higher

---

Best Practices

Moderation

1. Moderate daily to keep queue manageable
2. Be fair and consistent in approval criteria
3. Allow constructive criticism - not just positive reviews
4. Reject spam quickly to keep queue clean
5. Document rejection reasons for accountability

Responding

1. Respond to all 1-2 star reviews with solutions
2. Thank customers for 5-star reviews (selectively)
3. Keep responses professional and brand-aligned
4. Offer solutions not excuses
5. Take conversations offline if complex issue

Featuring

1. Feature diverse products not just popular items
2. Update featured reviews monthly for freshness
3. Choose detailed reviews over short ones
4. Verify authenticity before featuring
5. Mix ratings (mostly 5-star, some 4-star for credibility)

Analysis

1. Track rating trends over time per product
2. Look for patterns in negative reviews
3. Share insights with product and operations teams
4. Act on feedback - make improvements
5. Celebrate wins - share positive reviews with team

Things to Avoid

• ❌ Deleting negative reviews unless truly spam/inappropriate
• ❌ Editing reviews to change meaning or sentiment
• ❌ Allowing inappropriate language to stay published
• ❌ Ignoring negative reviews without response
• ❌ Featuring only 5-star reviews (looks fake)
• ❌ Approving fake or competitor reviews

---

Quick Reference Card

Task	Action/Location
View pending reviews	Filter: Status → Pending
Approve review	Click "Approve" button on review
Reject review	Click "Reject" button on review
Respond to review	Click "Respond", type message, post
Feature review	Click "Feature" icon on review
Find product reviews	Filter: Product → Select product
View negative reviews	Filter: Rating → 1-2 stars
Bulk approve	Select multiple, click "Bulk Approve"
Export reviews	Click "Export", choose format
Flag review	Click "Flag" icon, select reason
Search reviews	Use search bar at top
Delete review	Click "Delete" icon, confirm

---

FAQs

Should I approve reviews with minor spelling errors?

Yes, minor typos make reviews feel more authentic. Only edit if the error changes meaning or includes personal information that should be removed.

How do I handle reviews mentioning employees by name?

Allow positive mentions. For negative reviews mentioning staff, consider approving but responding professionally. Never delete just because staff is mentioned.

Can customers edit their own reviews after submission?

This depends on your system configuration. Some systems allow customers to edit within a time period, others require admin assistance. Check your settings.

What if a review is for the wrong product?

Reject the review and contact the customer asking them to resubmit for the correct product. Alternatively, if you can reassign reviews in your system, move it to the correct product.

Should I require verified purchases to leave reviews?

This is a policy decision. Verified purchase reviews are more trustworthy but requiring it reduces total review volume. Many sites show "Verified Purchase" badges instead of restricting.

How quickly should I approve reviews?

Aim for within 24 hours. Customers are excited to see their review published, and delays reduce engagement.

What star rating is considered good?

4.0+ average is good. 4.5+ is excellent. Anything below 3.5 needs attention. Individual products below 3.0 should be evaluated for removal or improvement.

Can I incentivize customers to leave reviews?

Check your local regulations. Generally acceptable: email requests for reviews, credits for any review. Not acceptable: credits only for positive reviews, paying for specific ratings.

How do I handle competitors leaving fake negative reviews?

Flag suspicious reviews. Check if they have order history. If clearly fake with no purchase, reject. If pattern emerges from certain IPs or emails, block them.

Should I feature only 5-star reviews?

No, include some 4-star reviews too. All 5-star looks fake. Mix of 4 and 5-star reviews with detailed feedback looks more authentic and trustworthy.

---

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.