Most tradies I talk to know reviews matter. They also have about a tenth of the reviews they've earned, because asking feels awkward and nobody remembers to do it. The fix is to make asking a routine part of finishing a job.
Why they matter so much
Two reasons. First, reviews are one of the things Google looks at when it decides which businesses to show on the map for a local search. Second, they're the first thing a customer reads. Someone choosing between three tradies they've never heard of will usually pick the one with the most recent, believable reviews.
Notice "recent". A business with sixty reviews, none of them from this year, looks like it may have closed. A steady trickle beats a big pile from long ago.
Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask is straight after the job, when the customer is standing in front of the thing you just fixed and is pleased about it. A week later they've forgotten how relieved they were.
Say it out loud first. Something like: "If you're happy with the job, a Google review really helps a small business like mine. I'll text you the link." Nearly everyone says yes. Then send the link before you've left the driveway.
Make it take thirty seconds
Every extra step loses people. Don't ask them to "find us on Google". Send a link that opens the review box directly. Google gives you this link inside your Business Profile, under the option to ask for reviews.
A message that works:
- "Hi Sarah, thanks for having us today. If you've got a minute, a quick Google review would mean a lot: [link]. Cheers, Dave."
Short, personal, one link. Save it in your phone so sending it is a single tap.
Ask everyone, every time
It's tempting to only ask the customers you're sure loved the job. Ask everyone. For one thing, Google's rules say you shouldn't pick and choose who you ask. For another, the pattern of reviews you get from asking everybody looks real, because it is.
If you forget, a reminder helps. Some job software can send the request automatically when a job is marked as finished, which takes your memory out of it altogether.
What not to do
- Don't offer anything in exchange. No discounts, no gift cards, no prize draws. It's against Google's rules, and reviews can be removed.
- Don't write your own or ask mates who weren't customers. Fake reviews break Google's rules and Australian consumer law.
- Don't buy them. Anyone selling reviews is selling you a future problem.
- Don't ask for a batch all in one week. Thirty reviews in three days after two years of silence looks wrong to Google and to customers.
Reply to every one
A reply shows the next customer that a real person is paying attention. For good reviews, a line of thanks that mentions the job is plenty: "Thanks Sarah, glad the hot water's back on."
For a bad review, slow down. Wait until you're calm, then:
- Keep it short and polite.
- Say what you've done or will do to put it right.
- Offer to sort it out by phone.
- Don't argue the details in public. You're writing for the next hundred people who read it, not for the person who wrote it.
One fair complaint, answered well, often does more for your reputation than ten five-star reviews.
If a review is fake or unfair
If a review is from someone who was never a customer, or it breaks Google's rules in some other way, you can report it from inside your Business Profile. Google decides whether to remove it, and there are no guarantees. In the meantime, a calm public reply ("We can't find a job under this name. Please ring us so we can look into it.") protects you either way.
Use them
Once you have good reviews, put them to work. Show them on your website. Mention your rating on quotes. They're proof from people who aren't you, which is the most convincing kind.
If you haven't claimed your Google listing yet, start with this guide to Google Business Profile. And if you'd like review requests to go out by themselves after each job, get in touch and we'll show you how it works.