If you do good work, the reviews are there to be had. What stands in the way is the ask: who sends it, and when. This guide is the system for getting more Google reviews as a contractor. The shorter posts under it cover specific situations, like the exact words to send and how to answer a bad review.
Why reviews decide the call
Search for a contractor near you and Google shows a map with three businesses under it. Your rating and the number of recent reviews are a big part of who lands in those three spots. For example, picture two businesses, one with 12 reviews from this year and one with 80 that stopped in 2022. Recent reviews can make a business look more active to someone scanning the list. This is an example, not real figures.
Many customers read the reviews just before they pick up the phone. A page of recent reviews with short, friendly replies from the owner does a lot of the selling for you.
When to ask
The best window is one to three days after the job. Ask on the doorstep and the customer feels put on the spot. Ask two weeks later and they have moved on. A short text in that window works better than either, because they can do it from the couch.
Ask every customer, not only the ones who gushed. Customers who had a good experience are often glad to help when it takes thirty seconds, and the odd lukewarm review makes the rest look believable.
What to send
Keep it short, use your name, mention the job, and include the direct link. Here is a template for a water heater swap in Tampa:
Review request text
Do not send a list of platforms. One link, one ask. If you do not have your link yet, the free review link generator makes it and a QR code for your truck, invoices and business cards.
Google is the one that matters most for a local trade, but Yelp, Angi and Nextdoor all show reviews too. Pick Google as the main target and let the rest follow. One link in one text is easier for a customer than a menu of choices.
Texting rules in your market
In the US, get the customer's consent before texting them, and business texting in the US goes through carrier registration (A2P 10DLC). Mitch only sends a review request when you have the customer's mobile number and have ticked that they agreed. This is general information, not legal advice.
Replying to reviews
Reply to every review, good and bad. For a good one, thank them by first name and mention the job. For a bad one, keep it calm and short: say sorry it fell short, say what you will do, and invite them to call you. You are writing for the next customer reading it, not the one who complained. A steady reply to a bad review often reads better than the complaint.
What not to do
- Do not offer a discount or a gift in return for a review. That breaks Google's rules.
- Do not buy reviews or ask friends to post for jobs they never had. Google removes them, and customers can usually tell.
- Do not "gate" by only sending the link to customers you think are happy. Ask everyone.
- Do not argue in the replies.
Make it automatic
Reviews rarely go missing because customers refuse. They go missing because you were on the next job and forgot to ask. The fix is to tie the ask to something you already do every time, which is finishing a job.
Plan: On the Local plan
Submit the finished job and Mitch texts your customer a review link 24 to 72 hours later, then drafts a reply when the review comes in. You edit and approve before anything posts. Local is $189 a month, with 14 days free and no card needed. See [how review requests work](/us/platform/reviews).
You finish the job. Mitch finishes the marketing.
Send your next review request from the job you just finished. 14-day free trial, no card.