Most of your happy customers would leave you a good review. They just never get around to it. The review is not hard to write. It is hard to remember.
Reviews matter because many people read them before they call. If you have done good work for years and have a handful of reviews, new customers cannot see that.
Ask every customer
Do not pick and choose who to ask. Ask every customer, every job. That is fairer, it is how review sites expect you to do it, and it gives you an honest picture of how you are doing.
Ask at the right moment
The best moment is right after the job, while the customer is still glad the problem is gone. A week later, they have moved on.
- Ask when you hand over the work, or within the same day.
- Say it in one sentence: it helps a small business a lot.
- Follow up once or twice if they have not done it. People are busy, not unwilling.
Make it one tap
Every extra step loses people. Do not send them to search for your business name and find the right listing. Send a direct link to your review page, in a text, so it opens on their phone.
Reply to the reviews you get
A short, personal reply shows the next reader that someone is paying attention. Thank people by name and keep it brief. If a review is critical, answer calmly and offer to make it right.
What not to do
- Do not offer money or gifts for reviews.
- Do not write reviews yourself or ask friends to.
- Do not only ask the customers you think will say yes.
Putting it together
The hard part is doing this every time, after every job, when you are tired. It works best as a routine that runs on its own: a request goes out when the job is done, the link is one tap away, and reminders go out so nobody forgets.
See how that works at the 5-star review funnel.