Q.01
When is the best time to ask for a review?
Ask right after the job is completed and the customer is happy, ideally the same day or the next. The result is fresh and the goodwill is highest. Waiting weeks makes the request feel random, and response rates drop as the memory fades.
Build the ask into your process, such as the final walkthrough, the invoice, or a follow-up text, so it happens every time and not only when you remember.
Q.02
How should you make the ask?
Send a short, personal text or email with a direct link to your Google review page, thank the customer by name, and keep it to two or three sentences. A direct link removes friction, which is the biggest reason happy customers never post.
Mention that honest feedback is welcome. Do not script what they should say.
Q.03
What does Google forbid?
Google prohibits offering incentives in exchange for reviews, and it prohibits review gating, which means only sending the link to customers you expect to be positive. It also bans fake reviews and reviews written by you or your staff about your own business.
Break these rules and reviews can be removed or the profile penalized. A slower, honest flow beats a risky shortcut.
- No discounts, gifts or entries in exchange for reviews
- No filtering who gets the link
- No reviews from employees or family about your own company
- No buying or trading reviews
Q.04
How should you respond to reviews?
Reply to every review, positive or negative, promptly and politely. Thank happy customers by name and reference the work. For critical reviews, stay calm, acknowledge the problem, and offer to resolve it offline. Future customers read your replies as closely as the reviews.
Never argue in public, and never reveal private customer details.
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