Here's the uncomfortable truth: Most contractors ask for reviews once, awkwardly, at the end of a job. Then they wonder why they only have 3 reviews from 2023.
The contractors with 50+ reviews? They have a system. It's not harder—they just asked the right way.
When someone searches "plumber near me" or "roofer Greensboro," Google shows businesses with reviews first. Not the cheapest. Not the newest. The ones with the most positive reviews.
You can have the best website, the lowest prices, the most experience—but if you have zero reviews, you're invisible.
After every completed job, send this simple message:
"Hi [Customer Name], thanks for choosing [Your Business]! If you're happy with the work, would you take 30 seconds to leave us a Google review? It really helps small businesses like ours. Here's the link: [your Google review link]. Thanks so much!"
That's it. Short. Specific. Made it easy.
Ask too soon—before they've used your service—and you're asking for a favor.
Ask too late—and they've forgotten about you.
The perfect time: 24-48 hours after job completion. They've seen the work. They're happy. Now's the moment.
If they don't leave a review within 3 days, send one follow-up:
"Hi [Name], just checking if you got our request for a Google review. No pressure at all—but if you did have any issues with the work, we'd rather know directly so we can make it right. Either way, thanks for choosing us!"
This works because:
Google can detect fake reviews. The penalties aren't worth it.
Here's the key: don't do this manually. Set up a simple system:
Or automate it entirely—our Review Generation add-on sends the request automatically after each job, tracks who responds, and follows up once if needed.
Want a copy-paste template for your business? Reply "reviews" and I'll send it over.
Get Your Review Template