- Ask every customer, soon after the job, with a direct link they can tap.
- Never offer rewards for reviews, and never ask only the customers you think are happy. Both break Google's policy.
- Buyers look at how many reviews you have and how recent they are, so a steady flow beats a one-off push.
- Tie the request to closing out the job, so it doesn't depend on anyone remembering.
Why reviews decide who gets the call
When a homeowner needs a furnace repaired or a roof patched, they usually search, open two or three Google profiles and compare. Before they ever see your website, they've seen your star rating, your review count and the last few things customers said about you.
Two things weigh most: how many reviews you have and how recent they are. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 47% of consumers said they won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and 74% look for reviews written in the last three months. (BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 1,002 US consumers)
Recency is the one most trades miss. A profile with 60 reviews, the newest from last spring, says less than you'd think. A steady trickle of new ones says you're busy and still doing good work.
What Google's rules say
Google's policy for reviews on Maps is short and strict. Three things get businesses into trouble.
- Rewards for reviews. Discounts, gift cards, a draw entry or a free service in exchange for a review are all prohibited. So is offering anything to change or remove a negative review.
- Asking only the happy customers. Google forbids selectively asking for positive reviews, often called review gating. A survey that sends only the people who scored you 9 or 10 on to Google is the most common version.
- Reviews from people close to the business. Staff, family and suppliers reviewing you is a conflict of interest, and Google removes those reviews.
Google also says you shouldn't pressure customers to review you while you're on site. Asking politely is fine. Standing over them while they type is not.
Breaking these rules can cost you the reviews in question, and Google can limit an account's features. The safest approach is also the simplest: ask everyone, the same way.
When to ask
The best moment is shortly after the job, while the new install or the dry basement is still front of mind. Wait a week and the customer has moved on. Ask only while you're packing up the truck and they'll mean to do it later, and later rarely comes.
A rhythm that works for most trades:
- Finish the job and make sure the customer is happy with it.
- A couple of hours later, send a short text asking how everything went.
- The next day, send the review link.
- If they haven't used it, send one friendly reminder a few days later. Then stop.
The check-in matters. It gives a customer with a problem the chance to tell you first, so you can put it right. It doesn't replace the review request: everyone still gets the link, which is what keeps you inside Google's rules.
How to ask
Make it easy, personal and short.
- Send a direct link. Your Google Business Profile has a share link that opens the review box straight away. Look for the option to ask for reviews in your profile and copy it. A customer who has to search for you will give up.
- Send it by text. Texts get read; emails sit unopened. Send it from the number the customer already knows, your business line, so it doesn't look like spam.
- Use their name and the job. "Thanks for having us out to replace the water heater" beats a generic template.
- Say why it helps. Most people are happy to help a local business once they know it matters.
- Keep it to two or three sentences.
An example you can adapt
"Hi Karen, it's Mike from [your business]. Thanks again for having us out for the water heater. If you have a minute, a Google review really helps a small local business like ours: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out."
Make it automatic
Most trades don't have more reviews because nobody asks, not because customers say no. Asking depends on someone remembering at the end of a long day.
Fix that by tying the request to something that already happens when a job closes, such as marking it complete or sending the invoice. Whoever does that step sets the review request in motion, and the timing takes care of itself.
Answer what comes in
Reply to every review, good or bad, so the next customer can see you're paying attention. Our guide to responding to Google reviews has examples for both.
Common questions
Can I ask for a review in person?
Yes. Just don't pressure anyone, and follow up with the link by text so they can do it when it suits them.
Can I offer a refund if a customer takes down a bad review?
No. Offering anything to remove or change a review breaks Google's policy. Fix the problem because it's the right thing to do, and reply publicly to show how you handled it.
What if a customer has already reviewed us?
Don't ask again. Thank them instead.
Put this to work
Reviews & Reputation is part of Traction, which starts with a 30-day free trial. We set everything up for you.
This article is general information for business owners, not legal advice. Survey figures are US consumer research where noted; we are not aware of equivalent published Canadian surveys and do not present them as Canadian data.