ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs – How Do Ratings Work?

Learn how store ratings work in ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, why 3-star reviews appear, and how to fix them with reputation, Zen, and cleaning.

Overview

In ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, customer ratings are tied to two separate systems: your store's visual state (cleanliness and decoration) and your in-game reputation (progress through the story). Many players hit a confusing wall around the "Popular Spot" milestone: the shop looks spotless, the coziness score is high, and yet customers start leaving 3-star reviews complaining about dust or bugs.

This guide explains why that happens and exactly what to do about it. The short version: if you're past a certain story beat, cleaning and decorating won't raise your ratings. You need to progress the story to restore 5-star reviews.

Prerequisites

Before you troubleshoot ratings, make sure you've handled the basics:

Remove all trash and clutter. Look for a newspaper hanging above the main shelves and any other removable items that prompt you to throw them in the trash bin. Players report that missing these triggers negative reviews.
Throw away delivery boxes. Every time you receive an item, you can toss the box for +1 Zen. It adds up quickly and contributes to your store's overall score.
Decorate to raise Zen. Shelves and decorations add Zen points, which influence how customers perceive the space.
Fix the laptop for the drunk man. This story repair is a known turning point for ratings. Players report it's required to restore positive reviews.

How Ratings Work: The Two Systems

Your star rating isn't a single number. It's the result of two overlapping systems:

System	What It Affects	How to Improve It
Store condition	Cleanliness, clutter, dust, overall appearance	Remove trash, throw away boxes, clean surfaces
Zen/coziness	How pleasant the space feels	Add shelves, decorations, paint the walls
Story reputation	Whether customers trust you enough to leave 5 stars	Complete story repairs, especially the laptop for the drunk man

The key insight: store condition and Zen are necessary but not sufficient. If you've already progressed past a specific story moment, the game may intentionally cap your ratings until you complete the right story repair.

Step-by-Step: Fixing Low Ratings

Follow this sequence if you're stuck with 3-star reviews despite a clean shop.

Step 1: Clean Everything (Including Hidden Clutter)

Walk the entire shop and look for:

A newspaper hanging down above the main set of shelves. This is easy to miss and players report it triggers negative reviews.
Any other removable clutter that prompts you to put it in the trash bin.
Delivery boxes from recent orders. Throw them away immediately for +1 Zen each.

If you've already done this and got the achievement for it, move on.

Step 2: Raise Your Zen Score

Zen points come from:

Shelves and decorations placed around the shop.
Throwing away boxes (+1 Zen each time).
Painting the walls with the paint bucket available from the store. Players report this makes a visible difference.

Stack as many of these as you reasonably can. A high Zen score helps, but it won't override the story cap.

Step 3: Progress the Story (The Real Fix)

If your shop is clean and decorated but you're still getting 3-star reviews, the problem is reputation, not appearance. Player reports describe a story moment where a character says, "You won't get any more 5 star reviews from now on." At that point, the game intentionally lowers your ratings until you complete a specific story repair.

The known trigger is repairing the laptop for the drunk man. After you complete that job:

The drunk man leaves a 5-star review.
Future customers resume leaving 5-star ratings.
The story character confirms you shouldn't have rating issues going forward.

Important: This is a community-reported sequence based on player experience. The exact story trigger may vary slightly depending on your playthrough, but multiple players independently confirmed the laptop repair as the fix.

Step 4: Confirm the Fix

After completing the laptop repair, check your incoming reviews. If you still see low ratings, verify:

You've cleaned all clutter (including the newspaper).
You've thrown away all boxes.
Your Zen score is high (shelves + decorations + paint).
You haven't missed another story repair.

If all of those are true and ratings are still low, it may be a bug. One player reported a comical 3-star review that said "Great work, 5/5 would recommend! Cockroaches everywhere!" despite a fully cleaned store. That appears to be a display bug rather than a real rating penalty.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Cleaning When the Problem Is Reputation

The #1 mistake is assuming low ratings mean your shop is dirty. If you've cleaned everything and still get 3-star reviews, stop cleaning and start progressing the story. The game doesn't tell you this directly, which is why so many players get stuck.

Mistake 2: Ignoring the Newspaper

The newspaper hanging above the main shelves is easy to overlook. It counts as clutter and triggers negative reviews. Check that spot specifically.

Mistake 3: Skipping the Paint Bucket

The paint bucket is available from the store and makes the walls look noticeably nicer. Players report it's part of the combination needed to restore 5-star ratings after the story cap lifts.

Mistake 4: Assuming High Zen = 5 Stars

Zen is important, but it's not a substitute for story progression. You can have a massive coziness score and still get 3-star reviews if you haven't completed the laptop repair.

Advanced Tips

Stack Zen before the story cap. If you know the laptop repair is coming, decorate and clean beforehand. This way, when the cap lifts, your store is already in top shape and ratings recover immediately.
Throw away boxes as a habit. Each box is +1 Zen. Over a playthrough, this adds up to a meaningful boost without requiring extra decorations.
Watch for the story warning. When a character says you won't get 5-star reviews anymore, treat it as a signal to prioritize story repairs over cosmetic improvements.
Use the paint bucket early. Painting the walls is a one-time improvement that permanently raises your store's quality. Do it as soon as you can buy it.

Sources

Steam Community Discussion: "Does anybody knows why my place considered dirty?"