Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before, during, and after getting started.
About Northbridge Review Systems
Q: What is Northbridge Review Systems?
A: Northbridge Review Systems is a fully managed reputation management service based in Las Vegas, NV. We build, configure, and operate your entire Google review system for you — so you collect more 5-star reviews automatically, respond to every review professionally, and protect your brand from unnecessary public damage. We are not a software tool you log into and figure out on your own. We handle the setup, the automation, and the ongoing management, so you can focus on running your business.
Q: When was Northbridge founded and why?
A: Northbridge was founded in 2026 specifically to address a problem that emerged from two simultaneous shifts: Google's updated local prominence algorithm, which now heavily rewards businesses with consistent, recent review velocity, and the FTC's new Consumer Review Rule (effective October 21, 2024), which created strict legal guardrails around how reviews can be collected. Most review management tools were built before these changes. Northbridge was designed from the ground up to operate within both frameworks — giving you a growth engine that is as legally sound as it is effective.
Q: Where is Northbridge located? Are you a real company?
A: Yes — we are a real, operating business based in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can reach us at [email protected] or 707.517.3089. We respond to all support inquiries within 24 hours. We are a virtual-first business, which means our team operates remotely, but we are fully reachable, accountable, and committed to your results.
Q: Is there a long-term contract?
A: No. Northbridge operates on a month-to-month service agreement with no long-term lock-in. If you decide to cancel, you simply provide 30 days written notice. Your full contact database and review history are exportable, and we retain no customer data after account closure upon written request. We believe in earning your business every month — not locking you into something you can't leave.
Q: How is Northbridge different from other review management tools?
A: Most review platforms sell you a login and leave you to configure everything yourself. Northbridge is a fully managed service — we build your entire system, configure your automation, handle your Google integration, train your AI (if selected), and monitor your performance. You do not log in and learn a platform. You collect reviews. Additionally, Northbridge was built specifically around the post-2024 compliance environment, meaning our system is designed from the ground up to comply with the FTC Consumer Review Rule and Google's updated content policies — not retrofitted to meet them.
A Message from the Founder
"I founded Northbridge Review Systems in 2026 to bridge the gap between legacy business values and intelligent automation. My mission is to provide local business owners with a sophisticated, 'human-first' approach to reputation management—ensuring your digital authority is protected without losing the personal touch that built your company. At Northbridge, we don't just provide a tool; we manage your infrastructure so you can focus on the service that earns the 5-star review in the first place."
— Carla Garcia
Plans & Pricing
Q: What are your pricing tiers?
A: Northbridge offers two tiers. Reputation Core at $427/month is built for business owners who want to automate review collection and protect their brand while managing responses themselves. It includes smart feedback routing, automated review requests, Google Business Profile sync, performance analytics, A2P 10DLC SMS registration, and email support. AI Executive at $637/month includes everything in Reputation Core plus 24/7 automated AI review responses, brand-tone configuration, SEO-optimized response writing, and continuous monitoring. Every review receives a unique, professionally crafted reply within 60 minutes — day or night, weekends included.
Q: Are there any setup fees or hidden costs?
A: No. Your monthly plan includes your full dashboard setup, workflow configuration, A2P 10DLC SMS carrier registration, and ongoing support. There are no hidden onboarding fees. The only additional cost you may encounter is credit replenishment if your business exceeds 2,500 messaging credits in a month — and that is a flat $100 for an additional 2,500 credits. Credit Auto-Replenish is opt-in only and must be explicitly enabled by you in your dashboard settings, so you will never receive a surprise charge.
Q: What is included in the 2,500 monthly messaging credits?
A: Your 2,500 credits cover outbound communication only — incoming messages are always free. Each automated review request to a customer costs 1 credit. Each internal alert sent to you (notifying you of a new review or message) costs 1 credit. Manual replies you send from the Conversations tab cost 1 credit per message (at the 160-character SMS cap). Incoming photo or media messages from customers cost 5 credits. On average, 2,500 credits covers approximately 1,250 customers on a standard 2-step follow-up sequence. If you are a high-volume business, Auto-Replenish can be enabled to ensure your engine never pauses.
Q: Can I upgrade from Reputation Core to AI Executive later?
A: Yes, absolutely. Many clients start with Reputation Core to build their foundation and upgrade to AI Executive as their review volume increases and the time savings of automated responses becomes more valuable. Upgrades can be requested at any time with no interruption to your existing setup.
Q: Which tier is right for my business?
A: Reputation Core is the right starting point for most small and medium businesses — especially if you are just beginning to build your online presence or are comfortable personally responding to reviews. AI Executive is the right choice if you are a high-volume business, if you are currently receiving more reviews than you can respond to in a timely manner, or if you want to fully remove review management from your daily operations and focus entirely on running your business.
How the System Works
Q: How does the review collection process actually work?
A: The Northbridge engine operates in three strategic stages.
The Hand-Off: You simply include your exclusive Northbridge Magic Link in your existing "Thank You" messages (SMS or Email). For on-site engagement, customers can also scan your custom Feedback QR Code to opt-in instantly.
The Intelligent Route: Customers enter your branded Experience Form to rate their visit. 4-and-5-star fans are seamlessly invited to Google to post their public review. Constructive 1-to-3-star feedback is routed to a private channel for management resolution, ensuring you hear from them before the public does.
The Fail-Safe: If a customer starts a Google review but gets distracted, our system detects the inactivity. We send one polite nudge 30 minutes later and a final anchor check-in 24 hours after that. Once the review is detected, all automation stops—guaranteeing a "Two-Touch" respect policy for your customers.
Q: What is Smart Reputation Protection? Is it review gating?
A: Smart Reputation Protection is our system for giving less-satisfied customers a private path to resolution before they post publicly. It is NOT review gating. Review gating means suppressing or blocking negative reviews entirely — which is prohibited by Google and the FTC. Our system is different: every customer who goes through the low-rating path still has a clearly visible direct link to leave a public Google review at any time. The private channel is offered in addition to the public path, not instead of it. This design was specifically built to comply with Google's Prohibited & Restricted Content guidelines and the FTC Consumer Review Rule.
Q: How many follow-up messages does the system send?
A: Exactly two. After the initial review request, our system sends a maximum of two automated follow-up touches: a 30-minute check-in if the customer did not complete their review, and a final 24-hour reminder. Once either a review is confirmed or the second touch is sent, the workflow ends permanently. Smart-Stop Technology cancels all further messages the moment a click or completed form is detected. We designed it this way intentionally — two touches preserves your brand's dignity and ensures your customers feel valued, not harassed.
Q: What is the Legacy Loyalty Jumpstart?
A: The Legacy Loyalty Jumpstart is an optional one-time add-on that gives your new reputation engine an immediate boost. If your business has an existing customer database from the last 90 days, we securely import that list and deploy a strategic, drip-fed outreach campaign — creating an immediate pulse of fresh reviews in your first 30 days. This is limited strictly to genuine prior customers (no purchased or scraped lists), and the outreach is throttled to protect your new sender reputation. It is the fastest way to go from zero momentum to visible credibility on Google.
Q: What are the three review request methods and which should I choose?
A: QR Code Scan is best for businesses with a physical location — a storefront, lobby, or waiting area. Customers scan a branded code, check in, and our system handles the follow-ups. SMS Request is best for mobile-first or field service businesses. Your review link is included in your existing post-service text messages and takes advantage of SMS's 98% open rate. Email Request is best for B2B businesses, project-based services, or any business that communicates primarily through email. The Magic Link embeds naturally into project wrap-up emails, digital receipts, or email signatures. Your delivery method is selected during onboarding and can be changed with notice.
AI Executive Tier
Q: How does the AI know what my business sounds like?
A: During onboarding, we conduct a Brand-Tone Deep Sync — training the AI on your specific business name, services, hours, location, and preferred communication style. Before the system goes to full Auto-Pilot, we manually review the first three AI-generated responses to ensure your brand voice is calibrated correctly. If anything sounds off, we adjust before going live. The result is responses that read like they came from you — professional, personalized, and on-brand.
Q: What does 'SEO-optimized response' actually mean?
A: Every AI response is written to naturally include your city, business category, and relevant service keywords — the signals Google uses to evaluate local authority. For example, a response for a Las Vegas HVAC company might include phrases like 'our Las Vegas heating and cooling team' or 'AC repair in the valley.' This is done organically, not through keyword stuffing. Google reads these responses as active, relevant content — which contributes to your Map Pack prominence over time.
Q: Why is there a response delay? Shouldn't AI respond instantly?
A: The Northbridge AI Executive tier operates on a high-velocity response architecture.
First, the moment a new review is posted, your internal alert fires immediately — via SMS or email, based on your delivery preference. You are informed the moment a customer speaks, ensuring you are always ahead of the conversation.
Second, your AI’s public response is posted within 5 minutes. This window is surgical. A response that scales in under 5 minutes signals to Google’s algorithms that your business is exceptionally active and hyper-engaged — a key driver for local search dominance. While competitors take days to respond, your business is already closing the loop, demonstrating a level of customer care that is only possible with elite infrastructure.
The result: you are notified instantly, your customers are engaged professionally while they are still on their phones, and Google registers your profile as a market leader. Complete engagement, achieved in minutes, without you lifting a finger.
Q: Can I override or edit an AI response if I don't like it?
A: Yes. You retain full control at all times. You can flag, edit, pause, or override any AI-generated response from your dashboard. The 5-minute delay window also gives you time to review a response before it posts publicly if you choose to monitor them. The system is designed to handle everything automatically, but you are never locked out of the process.
Q: What are the Hype-Man and Concierge response modes?
A: These are the two sentiment-based AI personalities the system switches between based on the star rating of the review. The Hype-Man mode activates on 4 and 5-star reviews — it amplifies the positive sentiment, highlights specific aspects of the customer's feedback, and includes an invitation for them to return or share their experience. The Concierge mode activates on critical reviews — it responds with professional empathy, acknowledges the feedback without being defensive, and provides your contact information to move the conversation offline immediately. Both modes are calibrated to your brand voice during onboarding.
Q: Does the AI Executive tier respond to reviews on Facebook too?
A: Yes. Your Northbridge dashboard syncs with both your Google Business Profile and your Facebook page, so both platforms are monitored and responded to through your unified dashboard.
Compliance & Legality
Q: Is Northbridge compliant with Google's review policies?
A: Yes. Our system was designed specifically to comply with Google's Prohibited & Restricted Content guidelines. We do not generate fake reviews, incentivize positive-only reviews, or suppress negative feedback from reaching Google. Every customer who goes through our Smart Reputation Protection flow retains full and visible access to leave a public Google review. Our approach has been structured to provide a private resolution option alongside the public path — never instead of it.
Q: Is Northbridge compliant with the FTC Consumer Review Rule?
A: Yes. The FTC Consumer Review Rule (effective October 21, 2024) prohibits fake reviews, incentivized positive-only reviews, and the suppression of negative feedback. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation. Northbridge's system is built from the ground up to operate within these rules. We do not block negative reviews. We do not offer incentives for positive reviews. We do not use purchased or fabricated contact lists. Our compliance architecture was one of the founding principles of the platform.
Q: Can I offer a discount or gift to customers who leave a review?
A: No — and this is important. Offering any incentive (discount, gift card, free service, entry into a drawing) in exchange for a review is a direct violation of the FTC Consumer Review Rule, regardless of whether the incentive is conditional on a positive review. Even offering something for 'any honest review' can be considered a violation in certain contexts. Northbridge's service agreement explicitly prohibits incentivized reviews, and we will flag this during onboarding if it comes up.
Q: What is A2P 10DLC and why does it matter?
A: A2P stands for Application-to-Person, and 10DLC refers to the 10-digit long code phone numbers used for business texting. Federal regulations now require all businesses sending automated text messages to register their brand and messaging campaign through a carrier compliance program called 10DLC. Without proper registration, your messages may be blocked or marked as spam by major carriers. Northbridge handles this registration entirely during onboarding — it is included in your plan at no additional cost, and it typically takes 3–7 business days for carriers to approve the registration.
Q: Are there any compliance requirements on my end as the client?
Yes — three important ones.
First, all contacts in your uploaded customer database must represent genuine customers who have had a real service experience with your business. Purchased, rented, or scraped contact lists are strictly prohibited and constitute a violation of your service agreement.
Second, you are responsible for ensuring your customers have not opted out of communications and have a reasonable expectation of receiving service-related messages from you.
Third, you may not offer any incentive in exchange for reviews. We monitor for this during onboarding and reserve the right to pause your account if we identify practices that could expose your business or ours to FTC enforcement.
Onboarding & Setup
Q: What is the onboarding process like?
Onboarding has three steps and takes less than 15 minutes on your end.
Step 1 — Secure Your Tier: Visit northbridgereviewsystems.com/activation, select your plan, and complete checkout.
Step 2 — Legal Sign-Off: After payment, you are automatically routed to your Service Contract where you will elect your delivery preference (SMS or Email).
Step 3 — The Internal Onboarding Form: You provide five things: your high-resolution company logo, OAuth access to your Google Business Profile, a CSV of your last 30–90 days of customers (for the initial outreach), the names of your top 3 local competitors (for your Battle Map), and your QR code style preference. We handle everything else — building your dashboard, configuring your workflows, registering your SMS carrier compliance, and generating your branded QR code.
Q: How long does it take to go live after signing up?
A: Most accounts are fully configured and live within 3–5 business days of completing the onboarding form. The only step that may extend this timeline is A2P 10DLC carrier registration, which carriers process in 3–7 business days. During that window, your system is fully live and your email delivery method can be activated immediately while SMS registration processes. You will receive a Portal is Live notification when everything is confirmed and active.
Q: What do I need to provide during onboarding?
A: You will need: your high-resolution company logo (for your QR code and branded materials), authorization to access your Google Business Profile via Google's OAuth system, a CSV file of customers from the last 30–90 days (First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone), the names of your top 3 local competitors, and your preferred QR code design template (we provide 6 style options). Your legal business name, EIN, and business address are also collected for A2P SMS carrier registration — this is a federal compliance requirement, not a Northbridge preference.
Q: What are the 6 QR code style options?
A: Option 1 (Slate/Dark) is Sleek & Modern — best for tech shops, modern barber shops, or industrial-themed cafes. Option 2 (Rustic Wood) is Earthy & Warm — best for farm-to-table restaurants, boutiques, or hardware stores. Option 3 (Gold Filigree) is Ultra-Luxury — best for high-end jewelry stores, luxury spas, or bridal boutiques. Option 4 (Eucalyptus/Botanical) is Fresh & Organic — best for florists, organic grocery stores, or yoga studios. Option 5 (Watercolour Teal) is Soft & Approachable — best for pediatricians, therapy offices, or creative studios. Option 6 (Purple Galaxy/Mist) is Bold & Trendy — best for nightclubs, vape/smoke shops, or modern salons. Each is built with your logo and colors during onboarding. nd adding your portal link to your home screen on mobile (via Safari or Chrome) and bookmarking it on desktop. Notifications for new reviews and messages are available via the Notification Bell in the top right of your dashboard at zero credit cost.
Your Dashboard
Q: What are the four tabs in my dashboard and what does each one do?
A: Your dashboard has four curated tabs. The Dashboard tab is your birds-eye view — live Google Business Profile performance, unread inquiries, and a real-time feed of your latest reviews. The Conversations tab is your command center — every incoming SMS, email, and social media message in one unified thread, with private feedback submissions automatically converted into live conversations. The Contacts tab is your digital rolodex — a full customer database with interaction history, review records, and private internal notes. The Reputation tab is your social proof and battle map — live Google ratings, public review management, bulk review requests, and a real-time side-by-side comparison of your business versus your top 3 competitors.
Q: How do I get notified when a new review comes in?
A: Your account automatically sends you an SMS or email alert whenever a new review or message arrives — based on the delivery preference you selected during onboarding. Each alert uses 1 credit from your monthly allotment. Alternatively, you can monitor new activity for free via the Notification Bell in the top right corner of your dashboard. If you prefer to save credits, external alerts can be turned off and you can rely on the dashboard bell instead — just be sure to check it regularly.
Q: Can I see how I compare to my competitors?
A: Yes — this is one of the most popular features in the dashboard. During onboarding, you provide the names of your top 3 local competitors. Your Reputation tab then activates a Real-Time Battle Map showing your star rating and review volume side-by-side with those competitors. It updates in real time, so you always know exactly where you stand in your local market.
Q: Can I respond to reviews manually from the dashboard?
A: Yes. On the Reputation Core tier, you manage all review responses directly from your dashboard's Reputation tab. The interface consolidates your Google and Facebook reviews in one place so you never have to log into multiple platforms. On the AI Executive tier, responses are handled automatically — but you retain the ability to edit, override, or pause the AI at any time.
Support & Ongoing Service
Q: What kind of support do I get?
A: All plans include email support with a 24-hour response guarantee on all technical inquiries. You can reach us at [email protected] or by phone at 707.517.3089. We are a managed service — which means if something isn't working correctly, we fix it. You are not left to troubleshoot a platform on your own.
Q: What if the AI posts a response I don't like?
A: You can edit, flag, or pause any AI response at any time from your dashboard. If you notice a pattern in the AI's responses that doesn't match your brand voice, contact our support team and we will re-calibrate the AI's tone settings. We conduct a managed onboarding review of the first three AI responses before going to full Auto-Pilot precisely to catch any calibration issues before they reach your customers.
Q: What happens if I exceed my 2,500 credits?
A: If you exceed 2,500 credits, a new block of 2,500 credits is added for a flat $100.00. If you have enabled Auto-Replenish in your dashboard settings, this happens automatically so your review requests never stop sending. If Auto-Replenish is off (the default), your outreach will pause until you manually approve the replenishment. We recommend high-volume businesses enable Auto-Replenish to prevent any interruption to their momentum.
Q: Can I cancel at any time?
A: Yes. Northbridge is month-to-month with no long-term commitment. To cancel, simply provide 30 days written notice to [email protected]. Your account remains active for the remainder of your final billing period. Your data is exportable at any time, and we permanently delete it from our systems within 30 days of account closure upon written request.
Q: Do you offer refunds?
A: Because Northbridge is a fully managed service and onboarding work begins immediately upon signup, we do not offer refunds for completed billing periods. However, because we are month-to-month, you are never locked into paying for a service that isn't working for you. If you have a concern about your results or the service, please contact us — we are committed to resolving issues directly.
Still have a question that isn't answered here?
Reach out — we respond within 24 hours and are happy to walk you through anything.
[email protected] | 707.517.3089
northbridgereviewsystems.com/activation