– Locally built platform, ‘Review It,’ is reshaping how businesses and customers connect
IN a rapidly evolving digital landscape, a new Guyanese-made platform aims to change how businesses and customers interact. “Review It,” developed by local tech company Luge Tech, is more than just a review site; it is a structured space that brings transparency, accountability, and balance to customer feedback. At a time when most interactions play out informally across social media, the platform offers something different: a centralised hub where experiences can be shared, managed, and meaningfully addressed. For its creators, the goal is not simply to highlight complaints, but to create a culture where good service is recognised, and businesses are empowered to respond, improve, and grow. Built in Guyana, for Guyana, “Review It” reflects a broader push towards digital innovation, while staying grounded in local realities.
“Review It” and the company behind the platform are backed by a few young Guyanese. The company has been working in the background for more than a decade, developing platforms and resources to improve the local business landscape. As the Chief Executive Officer of Luge Tech, Andre Blair told Pepperpot Magazine that over the years the company has developed several other tools to improve how businesses interact with customers and vice versa. “One of the unique things about Luge Tech is that we really want to enhance the technological landscape in Guyana, which we know is a major focus locally,” he added. “In doing that, we have been developing products that we see as necessary to improve how businesses interact with technology. “Review It” is one of those products.” “Review It,” he added, was developed over two years.
Launched just last year, “Review It” was inspired by the traditional way that businesses interact. As Blair shared, the idea came from seeing the countless informal ways that businesses and customers engage. Places such as Facebook comment sections have largely been how most businesses hear from their customers and are often the only places where customers can have their voices heard; “Review It” aims to change that. “The idea for “Review It” came from observing how businesses and customers interact locally. In many cases, businesses go above and beyond to resolve issues, but there’s no real way for them to showcase that. At the same time, customers may voice dissatisfaction publicly, and that perception spreads without the full story being told,” he said. He added, “We wanted to create a space where people can share their experiences, both positive and negative, and where businesses can demonstrate customer-service excellence in how they respond.”
Built in Guyana for Guyana, the platform enables users to share authentic reviews, photos, videos, and ratings based on real customer experiences, while providing businesses with tools to manage their reputation and engage with customers in a transparent digital environment. An entirely free platform, Blair said, the idea is to strengthen the relationship between businesses and customers, with a focus on more than complaints. “It is not just about complaints, it’s also about highlighting great service and positive experiences,” he added. “Review It allows businesses to show how they handle issues, resolve misunderstandings and engage with customers. It becomes a visible conversation between businesses and their customers. We also introduced features such as the business-resolution centre, where disputes or concerns can be mediated and resolved in a structured way, with outcomes that can be shared transparently.”
Review It is not only unique to Guyana’s business landscape, but is made for it. As Blair explained, the platform was developed with the needs and strengths of the local environment in mind, ensuring that it meets the needs of both Guyanese businesses and consumers. “One of the major advantages of the platform is that it is built in Guyana, for Guyana, and managed locally. Unlike platforms such as Google Reviews, there is no local management or customisation for the Guyanese market,” he added. “With Review It, businesses can actually benefit more in terms of visibility, even with search engines, because the platform is designed with the local landscape in mind.”
Since its official launch last year, “Review It” has gained support, with many businesses and consumers taking to the platform to express both positive and negative opinions. However, there have been some challenges with the pace of uptake. Speaking on why he believes this is the case, Blair said the platform is challenging both habits and perceptions. “What we have noticed is that “Review It” challenges an existing habit. People are used to using Facebook for everything, so shifting that behaviour takes time,” he said. “There is also some hesitancy from businesses because of the negative perception associated with reviews. However, we believe they are missing an opportunity to showcase their customer-service excellence.”
Blair and his team say they understand these challenges and misconceptions, which is why Review It has been designed with measures to ensure trust, fairness, respect, and transparency. Even one of the major concerns of businesses, negative feedback, is handled in a way that promotes professionalism. “We have built-in systems to ensure trust and fairness on the platform. For example, we have moderation tools that prevent inappropriate language from being posted. Profanity and certain terms are automatically filtered out, encouraging users to communicate in a respectful and constructive way,” he added. “This helps ensure that feedback is meaningful, professional, and can be addressed properly by businesses.”
More than a simple addition to the landscape, “Review It” also reflects a technological shift. As more businesses seek to grow their online presence and convenience through digital interaction, platforms such as “Review It” represent the next step in connecting customers to businesses. “We believe technology like [sic] this can improve service standards across the country by making customers’ interactions more transparent and accountable,” Blair said. He added that beyond connection, “Review It” also sets a standard for both businesses and customers. “Whether it is a small street vendor or a high-end restaurant, everyone has a space to showcase what they do and how well they do it.”
