How review collection works end to end

Last updated: Aug 24, 2026

Review collection in Dispatch Bros is a funnel: after a job, the customer gets your smart link (by automated text, QR code, or a copied link), which opens a star-rating page called the feedback gate. High ratings — 4 or 5 stars by default — are redirected straight to your Google review page to post publicly; low ratings open a private feedback form that comes to your team instead of the internet. Every open, star pick, redirect, and submission is tracked, so the reviews report shows exactly how the funnel performs.

Before you start

  • You need at least one active job source (what is a job source?).
  • You need your Google review URL — the link that opens your Google Business Profile's "leave a review" box.
  • To send review requests automatically, texting must be set up — see how texting works.
  1. Open Automations in the sidebar, then the Sender Numbers tab.
  2. In your source's row, use the Review Link column — click Add review link and paste your Google review URL. It must be a real web address; anything else is rejected with "Enter a valid URL (https://…)".
  3. Once saved, a Smart Link appears under it with Copy and QR Code buttons — that smart link is what customers actually open.

If you run many branded phone lines, expand a source's number panel and give each number its own Google review link. As the panel notes, "Numbers without their own link fall back to the source review link above." There's also an Import review links button to paste a whole sheet of number-to-link rows at once — see importing review links.

  • Automatically: the review request automation texts the smart link after a job completes — see review request automation. The link carries the job, so the response is attributed to the right customer and job.
  • By QR code: the QR Code button next to any smart link generates a scannable code you can download; the Review QR page in the sidebar builds a printable leave-behind card — see the review QR card.
  • Manually: press Copy and paste the smart link into any text or email.

Step 3 — The feedback gate routes the rating

When the customer opens the link, they see a dark, branded page headed "Rate your service experience" with five stars. What happens next depends on the rating:

  • 4 or 5 stars (default): the page shows "Taking you to leave a review..." and forwards them to your Google review link. If the customer called one of your lines that has its own review link, they are sent to that line's listing; otherwise the source's link is used.
  • 1 to 3 stars (default): a private feedback form opens asking for their name, email, and what happened. Submitting shows "Thank you for your feedback" — nothing is posted publicly, and the message is delivered to your team.

The public/private threshold is per source; 3 stars and below staying private is the default.

Step 4 — Read the results

Every step is tracked: page opens, the star picked, whether the customer was redirected, and which review URL was actually used. Private feedback arrives as a notification with the customer's contact details and message. The reviews report rolls it all up per source and per line — see the reviews report.

What your customer sees

The feedback gate is a clean, mobile-first page with your source's name in a badge at the top — no login, no app install:

  1. The star screen: "Rate your service experience" with the line "Your feedback helps us improve" and five tappable stars.
  2. On a high rating: a checkmark, "Thank you!", and "Taking you to leave a review..." as it forwards to Google.
  3. On a low rating: a short form (name, email, optional phone and service address, and a message) with a Send Feedback button, ending in "Thank you for your feedback".

The footer credits "Powered by Dispatch Bros".

Troubleshooting

  • The customer sees "Feedback page not available" — the page says "This feedback link is no longer active or may have been removed." The smart link belongs to a job source; if the source was deactivated or its slug changed, old links stop resolving. Reactivate the source or share the current smart link.
  • A 5-star customer got a thank-you instead of Google — the source has no review link saved, so the page falls back to "We really appreciate your positive rating. Thank you for your support!" Add the Review Link in AutomationsSender Numbers and the redirect starts working immediately.
  • The redirect goes to the wrong Google listing — a number-level link outranks the source link for calls to that line. Check the source's expanded number panel: the line the customer called may carry its own Google review link.
  • The review link won't save — it must be a normal web address starting with https://; the field rejects anything else with "Enter a valid URL (https://…)".
  • No review request text went out — that's the texting side, not the review side: confirm the source has a sender number and the review request automation is enabled. Start with how texting works.

FAQ

Does my customer need an account or login to leave a review?

No. The smart link opens a public star-rating page — no login, no app. High ratings continue straight to your Google review page.

Which star ratings go to Google and which stay private?

By default 4-5 star ratings are redirected to your public review link and 1-3 star ratings open a private feedback form that only your team sees. The threshold is configurable per source.

Can each of my phone lines have its own Google review link?

Yes. Besides the per-source review link, every number can carry its own link — the redirect uses the link of the line the customer actually called, and numbers without one fall back to the source link.

Where does private feedback go?

It's delivered to your team as a notification with the customer's name, contact details, and message — it never posts anywhere public.

Can I collect reviews with a printed QR code?

Yes. Every smart link has a QR Code button that generates a downloadable code, and the Review QR page builds a printable card for technicians to leave behind.

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