How to get more Google reviews, honestly.

Why reviews help someone decide who gets the call

A homeowner looking at several contractors wants to know what hiring each one is like. A review can answer questions a service page cannot: did the crew arrive when expected, communicate when something changed, and leave the space in good shape? Those specifics are more useful than praise that could describe any business.

A review does not replace photos or a clear service description. It gives a homeowner another piece of information before they decide whether to call. Let the customer decide which details matter. Do not hand them a script or ask for a particular rating.

The rules that matter

Ask only for feedback based on a real experience. Never pay for a review or offer a discount, gift, or free service in exchange. Do not write reviews for customers, post them from staff accounts, or ask someone who has not hired you to make one up. Google can remove reviews that violate its policies.

Never send happy customers to Google while directing unhappy customers to a private form instead. You can offer a private way to raise a concern to everyone, but the public review option should remain open to everyone too. The same invitation should work whether the person wants to praise you, criticize you, or say nothing.

Read Google’s review policy.

The moment to ask

A natural time is after the job is finished and the homeowner has had a chance to look at the work. The final walkthrough is one option. A short follow-up after you send the invoice is another. Make the invitation part of the same routine for all customers, regardless of how you expect them to rate you.

Try: “Thanks for trusting us with the work. If you would like to share how it went, here is our Google review link.” Then let them decide. Do not ask them to do it while you wait, repeatedly remind them, or imply that anything about the job depends on whether they leave a review.

Make it one tap

Use a direct link to your own review page, not a broad search result. Open it yourself on a phone to check that it goes to the correct business. If you send invoices or closeout notes by email, add the link there in plain language so the homeowner can find it later.

An NFC card can make the same link available at a counter or from the truck. Hold a compatible phone near the card, then tap the notification to open the review page. It does not submit a review for the customer. Keep the short link available for someone whose phone does not open the card.

See the card we sell if a physical tap point would be useful.

Reply to every review

For a positive review, a brief thank you is enough. Mention something the reviewer already shared if it helps make the response personal. Do not share their address, contact details, or anything they did not make public. Avoid turning your reply into a sales pitch.

For critical feedback, acknowledge the concern calmly and give the customer a way to speak with you directly. The goal is to show that someone is listening and can follow up. Do not argue over who is right in a public thread.

What to do with a bad review

Reply once with a clear next step. For example: “I’m sorry the timing caused a problem. Please call the office so I can look up the job and understand what happened.” Do not make promises you cannot keep or offer something in exchange for changing or removing the review.

Then fix the part of the process that led to the complaint. If homeowners did not know when the crew would arrive, change how you confirm arrival windows. If cleanup was missed, add it to the closeout checklist. If you believe a review violates Google’s policy, use Google’s reporting process rather than asking others to bury it.