In 60 Seconds

More Reviews in 60 Seconds

•The Gap: You have 100 happy customers and 2 reviews. The gap is *friction*.
•Moment of Peak Delight: The only time to ask is *immediately* after the problem is solved. Not 3 days later.
•The Tech Ask: The technician sends the link *while standing in the driveway*. 'Hey, I'm closing out the ticket, I just sent you a text. If you liked the service, a thumbs up helps me get a bonus.'
•Automation Backup: If they don't click, the system (PulseM/Podium) sends a reminder 24 hours later.
•Volume vs. Score: 4.8 stars with 500 reviews beats 5.0 stars with 10 reviews. Google wants volume and recency.

Reviews are the currency of the service industry.

If you don't have them, you don't exist. If you have bad ones, you are invisible.

Most contractors struggle because they rely on the "Hope Strategy": I hope they like me enough to search for my business, find the Google Maps listing, click write review, and type something.

They won't. You must automate the friction away.

The "Tech-Triggered" Method (Best)

The highest conversion rate comes from human connection.

The Pre-Frame: Before the job starts, the office says: "Our techs are rated on reviews. If Mike does a great job, please let us know."
The Ask: When the job is done, Mike says: "Mrs. Jones, did I get everything fixed perfectly? Great. I just sent a link to your phone. It would mean the world to me if you clicked it."
The Incentive: Pay your technicians $25 per 5-star review that mentions their name. Watch your review count explode.

The "Automation-Triggered" Method (Backup)

Humans forget. Use software (ServiceTitan/Podium/NiceJob) to sweep up the rest.

Trigger: Job Status = Complete.
Time: 1 hour later (Don't wait 3 days).
Channel: SMS (Email has 10% open rate. SMS has 98%).
Message: "Hi [Name], thanks for choosing [Company]. How did we do? [Link]"

The "Gatekeeper" Funnel (Controversial)

Some tools use a "Sentiment Check."

Question: "Rate us 1-5."
If 1-3: It opens a feedback form (Internal feedback, prevents public venting).
If 4-5: It redirects to Google Maps.

Note: Google technically discourages "Review Gating," but many platforms still offer it. Use with caution. Transparency is usually better.

Verification Checklist

Short Links: Do you have a g.page short link? (Get it from your Google Business Profile).
Employee Bonus: Is the incentive real? If you don't pay for reviews, techs won't ask.
QR Codes: Put a QR code on the invoice and the technician's iPad.

Common Mistakes

[!CAUTION] Buying Reviews Never buying reviews. Never ask employees to write reviews. Google knows. They track IP addresses and GPS. If they catch you, they will suspend your profile. It is a death sentence.

Waiting too long: If you ask 1 week later, the "delight" serves to fade. They forgot how hot the house was. Ask now.
Complicating the link: Don't send them to your website home page. Send them directly to the "Write a Review" box.

FAQ

Q: What if they don't have Gmail? A: 90% of people have a Google account. If not, ask for a Facebook review.

Q: Should I respond to good reviews? A: Yes. Every single one. "Thanks [Name]!" It shows you are active.

Sources and References

Moz: Local Search Ranking Factors - Review volume impact.
BrightLocal: Consumer Review Survey - Trust statistics.

Changelog

2024-06-27: Initial publication.

Read Next in This Hub:

Review Response Framework - Handling the bad ones.
Trust Badges - Visual trust.

Related System:

Response Protection - Managing the flow.

Review Generation Automations: Getting More 5-Star Reviews on Autopilot