The ask is the whole game
Ask every customer, right when the job wraps up.
The way to get more Google reviews is to ask every customer, in person and by text, right after a job goes well, with a direct link that opens the review box. Most happy customers never think to leave a review on their own. They will if you ask while the good experience is fresh and make it take thirty seconds.
Reviews matter twice. Customers read them before they call, and Google’s local ranking guidance says review count and rating factor into local search ranking. A plumber with a steady flow of recent reviews looks busier and safer to hire than one whose newest review is a year old.
Pick the moment that fits your trade:
- Repair and service calls. Ask when the tech walks the homeowner through what was fixed, then send the link by text before the van leaves the driveway.
- Projects that take days or weeks. Ask at the final walkthrough, when the customer is looking at the finished roof, fence or remodel.
- Recurring service. For lawn care, cleaning or pest control, ask after the first few visits have gone well, or right after a visit the customer thanks you for.
Ask everyone. Don’t screen for the ones you think will leave five stars. Google’s rating-manipulation policy prohibits selectively asking for positive reviews, and a business that asks everyone ends up with more reviews anyway.
Make it one tap
Get your review link and put it everywhere.
Open your Business Profile while signed in with an owner or manager account. Choose the option to ask for reviews and copy the link Google gives you. It opens the review box for your business directly, so the customer doesn’t have to search for you. Check that the business name and location are right before you use it.
Google’s link and QR instructions show the current screens for its own sharing tools. If you need a QR code Google didn’t give you, Lithium’s review-link and QR tool turns the link you already have into one.
Then put the link where customers already look:
- The text message your tech sends when the job is done.
- The invoice or receipt email.
- A leave-behind card with the QR code, left on the counter or with the paperwork.
- Your email signature and your thank-you emails.
Scan every printed QR code before you order a box of cards. Customers need to be signed in to a Google Account to post, and that account can use any email address, not only Gmail.
Copy, adapt, send
Review request scripts for your crew and your office.
Keep the ask short, friendly and honest. Never suggest a star rating or what to write. Here are three scripts to adapt; replace the bracketed parts before you use them.
In person, from the tech: “Glad we got that sorted out for you. We’re a local business, and reviews are how new customers find us. I’ll text you a link, and if you have a minute, an honest review on Google would mean a lot to us.”
By text, the same day: “Thanks for choosing [business name] today. If you have a minute, you can leave an honest Google review here: [your review link]. We read every one.”
By email, for bigger projects: “Thank you for trusting [business name] with your [project]. If you’d like to share how it went, you can leave an honest review on Google here: [your review link]. Your feedback helps other homeowners and helps us get better.”
Send one friendly reminder a few days later if the customer hasn’t posted. Stop there. Three reminders turn a happy customer into an annoyed one.
Make one person responsible for review requests, or build them into your field service software so a text goes out automatically when a job is marked complete. Review requests are one of the follow-up automations we set up through AI automation for service businesses , and review-funnel support is part of our SEO work. Track requests and new reviews by tech each month; the crew that asks consistently will stand out fast.
Where businesses get in trouble
Seven review tactics that break Google’s rules.
Google’s review guidance for businesses says reviews must come from real customer experiences. These are the shortcuts that cross the line:
- Incentives. Discounts, gift cards, raffle entries or freebies in exchange for a review.
- Review gating. A “How did we do?” survey that sends happy customers to Google and everyone else to a private form.
- Reviews from your own people. Employees, family members or the owner reviewing the business.
- Bought reviews. Any service that sells reviews or “reputation packages” with a set number of five-star posts.
- Review swaps. Trading reviews with other local businesses.
- Scripted wording. Handing customers a review to paste in, keywords included.
- Posting for the customer. Taking a customer’s phone and typing the review yourself.
Google removes reviews it decides are fake and can penalize the profile behind them, including pausing new reviews and showing customers a warning. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission also has a rule against fake and purchased reviews. A clean, steady stream of real reviews is slower to build and worth far more.
Close the loop
Reply to the reviews you get.
Asking for reviews means you’ll get more of every kind, including the occasional complaint. Reply to all of them. A short, specific thank-you on a five-star review and a calm, helpful reply on a one-star review both tell the next customer that someone at your company is paying attention.
Our review response guide has templates for praise, fair complaints, mixed reviews and reviews you can’t match to a job. Reply within a day or two, keep private job details out of public replies and never offer anything in exchange for changing a review.
Google Help’s video shows how to read and reply to reviews from your profile.
Google Help: How to read & reply to reviews on Google. Duration: 1:46.
If the player doesn’t load, watch on YouTube or read Google’s written instructions .
