Most tradesmen know they need more Google reviews. The problem is not knowing, it's doing it. Asking a customer to leave a review feels like asking for a favour. But here's what I've learned: the ones who ask get reviews, and the ones who don't ask get none.
Why reviews matter so much
Google uses reviews as one of its main ranking factors for local search. A business with 50 reviews will almost always outrank one with 5, all else being equal. But it's not just about Google. Customers use reviews to decide who to call.
A gas engineer in Wythenshawe had 3 reviews and a 3-star average. His competitor had 87 reviews and 4.8 stars. We got the Wythenshawe engineer up to 45 reviews over four months, and his enquiries tripled.
The system is simple
Finish a job, the customer is happy, and before you leave, ask for a review.
Send them a text within an hour with a direct link to your Google review page.
To get your direct review link, search for your business on Google, click "Write a review," and copy that URL.
When to ask
Ask at the end of the job, when the customer is standing there looking at the finished work and feeling good about it. Don't wait until the invoice, because by then they've moved on mentally.
Some tradesmen worry about asking when the customer has just paid a big bill. In my experience, that's actually the best time. They've just spent £3,000 on a new bathroom and they're excited about it.
What about bad reviews?
They happen. You can't avoid them entirely. Most customers are reasonable. If you've done a good job and communicated well, the review will be positive.
When you do get a bad one, respond to it. Not defensively. Something like: "I'm sorry you had this experience. I'd like to put it right. Please give me a ring and we'll sort it out."
How many do you need?
The text message template
"Hi [name], thanks for having me round today. If you've got a minute, a Google review would really help my business: [link]. Thanks, [your name]."
That's it. Don't overthink it. The shorter the message, the more likely they are to actually do it.
If you want help setting up a review system for your trade business, give Martin a ring at SEO 4 Tradesmen. We've helped tradesmen across Manchester go from a handful of reviews to a profile that brings in work every week.