Most happy customers never leave a review. Not because they don't want to, but because nobody asked them at the right moment with a link that works in one tap.
Reviews are what people look at before they call you. In a 2025 survey, 52% of homeowners said online reviews were how they checked out a contractor before getting in touch (Mantel, 2025, 422 US homeowners).
Step 1: get your review link
Google gives every business a direct link to its review form. From your Business Profile on Google (Google Business Profile Help):
- Open your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Select Copy to copy the link. Save it in your phone's text shortcuts.
The same screen gives you a QR code you can print on an invoice or a job-site sign. Google notes the QR code can only be made from a computer browser, not from a phone.
Step 2: ask at the right moment
The best moment is the day the job is done, when the customer is looking at the new kitchen or the furnace is running again. Wait two weeks and the feeling is gone.
Ask every customer, not just the ones you think are happy. Google's rules forbid selectively asking only for positive reviews (Google Maps content policy). Asking everyone is also how you hear about a problem early, while you can still fix it.
Step 3: texts you can copy
The day the job is done
Hi Sophie, thanks again for trusting us with your bathroom. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other homeowners find us: [your link]. Thank you! Marc, Marc Renovation
After a quick repair or service call
Hi Paul, it's Julie from Plomberie Nord. Glad the water heater is running again. Would you leave us a quick Google review? [your link]
When they already said thank you in person
Hi Sophie, you said nice things about the crew today, thank you. Would you mind writing that in a Google review? It takes a minute: [your link]
One reminder, three or four days later
Hi Sophie, just a reminder in case the link got buried: [your link]. No worries if you're busy. Thanks again!
One reminder is enough. After that, let it go.
Step 4: know the rules that can cost you your profile
Google's policies are strict, and breaking them can lead to restrictions on your Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help). The ones that catch contractors:
- No reward for a review. No discount, no gift card, no free service in exchange for a review, or for removing a bad one (Google Maps content policy).
- Ask everyone, not only happy customers. Selective asking is against the policy.
- No pressure on site. Don't make the customer write it in front of you before you leave.
- Only real customers. A review must reflect a genuine experience, so your crew and your family stay out of it (Google Business Profile Help).
Also tell customers they need to be signed into a Google account to post. They can create one with any email address, not only Gmail (Google Business Profile Help).
Where else to put your review link
The text after the job does most of the work. A few other places catch the customers who prefer not to text:
- At the bottom of your final invoice, with one line: "Happy with the work? A Google review helps us a lot."
- In your email signature, as a short link.
- As the QR code on the job-site sign or the leave-behind card, so the neighbours who stop to look can read what past customers said.
Use the same link everywhere, so every review lands on the same profile.
Step 5: reply to every review
Google recommends replying to reviews, including the negative ones (Google Business Profile Help). Keep it short and real: thank them by name, mention the job, and for a bad review, offer to make it right by phone. Future customers read your replies as much as the reviews.
And don't panic over one bad review. Google itself notes that a mix of positive and negative feedback often looks more trustworthy than a perfect score.
Questions contractors ask
Text or email for review requests?
Text. It's read the same day and the link opens in one tap. Email works as a backup for customers who prefer it.
Do I need permission to text a customer for a review?
A customer who bought from you in the last two years has an existing business relationship with you under Canada's anti-spam law (CASL, s. 10(10)(a)). Include your name and a way to opt out. This is general information, not legal advice.
How many reviews do I need?
There's no magic number. What matters is a steady flow of recent reviews, so the best system is the one you use after every job.
Want the review request sent after every job without you thinking about it? It's part of the follow-up system we set up. See your options.