How to Ask Customers for Google Reviews.

Keep it personal, short and easy. Ask for an honest review, not five stars, and ask everyone, not just the ones you know are happy.

• Google Business Profile: your free business listing on Google Search and Google Maps.
• Service area business: a business that goes out to customers, rather than customers coming to it.
• Review link: a web link that opens straight to the review box for your business.
• QR code: a square barcode people scan with their phone camera to open your review link.
• Review gating: only asking customers you think are happy. Google bans it.
• Incentive: any reward for leaving a review, like a discount. Google bans them.

A good review tells a future customer you turn up, keep them in the loop, work tidily, and can do the job they need. Reviews also tell you honestly how you're doing.

Google says more reviews and good ratings can help you show up locally, but they're not a switch that guarantees it.

1. Open your Business Profile.
2. Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Copy the link, or save the QR code. Google says review QR codes can only be made on a computer, not on a phone.
4. Test it on someone else's phone before you send it to customers.

• Save the link as a quick reply in WhatsApp Business, or as a shortcut on your phone
• Put the QR code on a card or invoice, as long as it's clearly optional
• Use one link, for your real profile
• Test it again if anything on your profile changes

For a repair, ask once they've confirmed it's fixed. For a bigger job, ask at handover or once they've used it for a bit. Don't ask halfway through, and never make a review a condition of sorting a snag.

Short WhatsApp

Hi Sam, thanks for choosing Smith Heating for your boiler service today. If you've got a minute, we'd really appreciate an honest Google review: [link]. It helps other people round here know what to expect. Thank you.

After a bigger job

Hi Priya, thanks again for trusting us with your bathroom. Now you've had a chance to use it, would you be happy to leave an honest Google review? Here's the link: [link]. No pressure at all, and if anything needs looking at, just let me know.

Google bans offering anything, free or discounted, in return for posting, changing or removing a review. That includes competitions, cashback, gifts and staff bonuses for good ratings.

And don't only send your Google link to happy customers while steering unhappy ones somewhere private. That's called review gating, and it breaks Google's rules. You can offer a private way to give feedback, but everyone must get the same chance to review you on Google.

It's the law too. Since April 2025, UK law bans businesses from posting or buying fake reviews, and from hiding that a review was rewarded.

People are busy. One short reminder can be fine if you get on well. More than that starts to feel like pressure. Never argue with someone who says no.

• Note who you've asked
• Don't set up endless automatic reminders
• Thank them whatever they write
• Never write it for them
• Never ask for their Google login

Look for patterns. If lots of reviews praise your updates, keep doing it. If a few mention you being late, sort your diary out rather than trying to hide it.

Once they come in, see How to Respond to Good and Bad Reviews.