Overview
Client reviews help build trust with potential clients. Bella Booking includes a built-in review system where only clients who completed an appointment can leave a review — ensuring all feedback is genuine.
Reviews are available on the Professional plan.
How Reviews Work
For Clients
- Complete an appointment — only checked-out appointments are eligible
- Receive a review request — sent automatically after checkout (or manually by your team)
- Leave a review — rate 1–5 stars and optionally add written feedback
- Edit or delete — clients can edit within 30 days or delete anytime
For Your Business
- View reviews in the Reviews section of your dashboard
- Respond publicly — your response is visible on your booking page alongside the review
- Track your reputation with average rating, review count, and rating distribution
AI Moderation
Every review with text is automatically checked by AI moderation before publishing:
- Published immediately: Clean reviews with honest feedback (including negative feedback)
- Flagged for review: Content with personal attacks, hate speech, spam, profanity, fake reviews, or policy violations
Flagged reviews are held for platform review. Your business cannot hide or delete reviews — this ensures review integrity and builds client trust.
What Gets Flagged
| Flagged | Not Flagged |
|---|
| Personal attacks or threats | Honest negative feedback |
| Hate speech or discrimination | Strong criticism of service |
| Spam or advertising | Short reviews (“Great!”) |
| Profanity-heavy content | Emoji-heavy reviews |
| Fake or incentivised reviews | Complaints about wait times |
| PII (phone numbers, addresses) | Reviews mentioning specific staff |
Review Requests
Review requests are sent as automated messages after checkout:
- Automatic: Configured in Settings → Automated Messages → Review Request
- Manual: Send from the appointment actions menu (three dots) → “Send Review Request”
- Channels: SMS, email, or both
- Timing: Configurable delay after checkout (default: 2 hours)
Manual sends are delivered immediately (not delayed by the configured offset).
Review requests use neutral wording with no incentives, complying with FTC and
consumer protection guidelines for review solicitation.
Reviews on Your Booking Page
Published reviews appear on your online booking page:
- Average star rating and total review count
- Individual reviews with star ratings, text, and dates
- “Verified appointment” badge on reviews from organic appointments
- Your public responses shown alongside reviews
Client names are displayed as first name and last initial (e.g., “Jane D.”) for privacy — matching industry standards.
The reviews section only appears when reviews are enabled and at least one published review exists.
Responding to Reviews
Team members with the reviews:respond permission can:
- Add a response — visible on your booking page alongside the review
- Edit or remove responses at any time
Responding to reviews — both positive and negative — shows potential clients
that you value feedback and are engaged with your community.
Client Permissions
- Submit: Any client who completed an appointment (one review per appointment)
- Edit: Within 30 days of submission (re-checked by AI moderation)
- Delete: Anytime
FAQs
Q: Can I delete or hide negative reviews?
A: No. Businesses cannot delete or hide reviews. Only the platform can hide reviews that violate content guidelines. This ensures review integrity and builds trust with potential clients.
Q: Do rating-only reviews (no text) go through moderation?
A: No. Rating-only reviews are published immediately since there is no text content to moderate.
Q: What happens when a client edits a review that was previously hidden?
A: The review moves back to pending moderation so the edited content can be re-evaluated.
Q: Can clients leave multiple reviews for the same appointment?
A: No. Each appointment can have at most one review.
