Getting more Google reviews without nagging your customers

Almost every trade business knows reviews matter and almost none have a system for getting them. The result is a burst of reviews from one good month two years ago, and silence since.

Ask at the right moment

The best time to ask is the moment the customer is happiest: standing in a cool room after a hot week, or looking at hot water that works again. Not three days later by email, when the relief has worn off.

Make it a step in the job, not a favour

• Trigger the request automatically when the job is marked complete
• Send a direct link that opens the review form, not your profile page
• Have the technician mention it in person before they leave
• Follow up once, politely, and then leave it alone

Answer every one of them

Responses show prospective customers how you behave when something goes wrong, which is exactly what they are trying to work out. Reply to the good ones briefly and the difficult ones calmly, with the facts and an offer to sort it.

A steady trickle of recent reviews beats a pile of old ones. Recency is what both homeowners and Google are reading.