The tradies with 150 Google reviews aren’t necessarily better at their job than the ones with 12. They just ask, every time, in a way that takes the customer about 30 seconds. That’s the whole system.
The habit is easy to build, and it doesn’t involve begging: ask in person the moment the job is done, text your Google review link the same day, and put the review QR code on your invoice.
The moment to ask
There’s a short window when a customer is most likely to leave a review: when the problem has just been solved and they’re relieved. For a plumber, that’s when the water’s back on. For an electrician, when the power’s restored or the new lights are on. For a builder, at handover or the first weekend in the new deck.
Wait a week and the feeling has faded. Wait a month and they’ve forgotten your name.
So the best approach is a quick verbal ask on site, followed by a text with the link the same day:
“Glad that’s sorted. If you’re happy with how it went, would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? I’ll text you the link so it’s easy.”
Say it once, without pressure, and move on. People say yes to a person far more readily than to an automated email.
Two things to avoid. Don’t hand them your phone and ask them to do it on the spot. It puts them under pressure, and Google’s content policy treats pressured or business-controlled reviews as fake engagement. And don’t ask only the customers you think loved you. More on that below.
The text message
Get your review link from your Google Business Profile. Look for the Ask for reviews or Get more reviews option on your profile (Google moves the label around). It gives you a short link and a QR code. Save the link as a text shortcut on your phone so you never have to look for it.
Then send something like this, the same day:
Hi Sarah, thanks for having us out today. If you’ve got a minute, a Google review really helps a small local business like ours: [link]. Cheers, Matt (Northside Plumbing)
Or shorter, if that’s more you:
Thanks again Sarah. Here’s that review link if you get a chance: [link]. Matt
Keep it personal. Use their first name, your first name and a detail from the job if you can (“hope the new hot water system is behaving”). A text that looks automated gets treated like spam.
If you use job management software like Tradify, ServiceM8 or simPRO, check whether it can send a review request when you mark a job complete. That’s the most reliable way to make sure it happens every time, as long as the message still sounds like you.
QR codes on invoices and cards
The QR code from your profile is useful on anything the customer holds after the job:
- On your invoice, next to “Happy with the job? Scan to leave a review.”
- On a small printed card you leave on the bench or fridge.
- On your quote template, for the customers who come back.
- On a sticker inside the switchboard door or on the hot water unit, along with your phone number.
The invoice one works particularly well because the customer is already looking at your details and thinking about the job.
Customers need to be signed into a Google account to leave a review, according to Google’s tips for getting more reviews. Someone without one, or who isn’t signed in on that device, hits a login screen and often gives up. You can’t fix that for them, which is another reason to ask everyone: some will drop off, and the numbers still add up.
The rules, briefly
Google’s policies are clear, and breaking them can get reviews removed or your profile restricted:
- No incentives. No discounts, freebies, raffle entries or “$20 off your next job” for a review. Google treats incentivised reviews as fake engagement.
- No review gating. You can’t selectively ask only happy customers, or send unhappy ones somewhere else first. Ask everyone.
- No reviews from staff, family or mates who haven’t been genuine customers. The policy covers conflicts of interest, including employees.
- No asking for specific content. “Could you mention we’re the best electrician in Ballina?” is out.
- No buying reviews. It’s against Google’s policy and, under Australian Consumer Law, fake reviews can also be misleading conduct.
Asking everyone is less scary than it sounds. Most customers you’d hesitate to ask would never bother reviewing anyway, and the occasional honest three-star review makes the fives more believable.
We go through the policy in more detail in getting more Google reviews without breaking the rules.
Replying to reviews
Reply to every review, good and bad, ideally within a few days. Future customers read the replies as much as the reviews.
For a good review, keep it short and specific. Avoid pasting the same thank-you on every one.
Thanks Sarah. That old hot water system had a good innings. Enjoy the hot showers, and give us a call if anything comes up. Matt
For a bad review, wait until you’re calm. Then:
- Thank them and acknowledge the problem without arguing.
- Fix the record briefly if something is factually wrong, without getting personal.
- Take it offline with a name and number.
Before:
This is completely untrue. We were there at the agreed time and you weren’t home. We won’t be working for you again.
After:
Hi Dave, sorry the visit didn’t go the way you expected. Our booking notes show 8am Tuesday, and we know a missed appointment is frustrating either way. I’d like to sort it out, so please call me directly on 0491 570 156. Matt
The second one isn’t for Dave. It’s for the next 50 people who read it and decide whether you’re reasonable.
Never share private details about the customer or the job in a reply. And if a review is fake or breaks Google’s policies, you can flag it through your profile, though there’s no guarantee it’ll be removed.
Make it a habit
Pick one method and use it for a month: text on the day of completion, or a QR code on every invoice. Better still, both. Keep your review link saved on your phone and your Google profile in good shape (our guide to Google Business Profile for tradies covers the setup).
To see whether your review link and QR code are already doing their job on your invoices, site and profile, tradie.agency can do a free check of your setup. Reviews also feed directly into how you rank on the map, which is part of the local SEO work we do for trades.