I’ve read quite a few posts, but they’re all quite old, so I wanted to circle back and start a convo to see if any better methods have been identified.
I’m in my first full year and just recently started getting Google reviews by asking. It’s pretty important to me as it’ll take awhile for word of mouth to have a significant impact. I’m now up to 27 and 50 is my next target to increase SEO and click through. At the end of the day, I send a text to customers with a link to an invoice showing paid in full for their records and a link to the Google business profile review. I say something about how reviews are important to small businesses and appreciate the support if they can take 30 seconds to leave a review. They all appreciate the receipt since most of my payments are checks or cash. I also send an email version as well if I have their email. I feel like it could work better, but I wasn’t getting a singgle review without asking. I even get people who bring up leaving a review themselves, and don’t actually follow through. Based on some of what I read on the forum, I’ll probably start asking in person, then following up with the link. Probably send the receipt and link prior to leaving. I try to not ask more than once because I don’t want to be annoying. Most of my customers are over the moon and I chat them up when able, so maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal.
The thing that has me scratching my head is some of the competitors in the area. One company is pushing 850+ google reviews 4.9 stars. Quite impressive, young guy who I think is running a few trucks, has built quite a business. Also another company 2 years old, young solo guy 175+ reviews 5.0 stars. They both dont appear to be fake. They’re a bit more meaty reviews than what I get and they almost all have pictures. I figure the big company provides an incentive for the review because they do charge a significant premium for their service. Are people actually sending customers the before and after pics when they request a review? I’ve actually considered hiring them to get a peak under the hood lol.
Just wondering if people know exactly what is working the best at the moment and or how to get more in depth reviews with pictures, because they honestly look much better. Hoping incentices are not necessary. Maybe there is some sort of software out there that handles it all now? Currently using quikbooks and despise it. My prior experience was software development, so having to use a glitchy system that doesn’t effectively operate the same vs mobile app and web is pretty infuriating. So open to quikbooks replacement as well.
if you incentivize reviews and google figures it out the reviews will be taken down and your google page possibly suspended. I have about 275 and it does make a big difference. My CRM will send a text to them automatically 24 hours after the invoice has been paid. I also sometimes send them a direct text with a link to leave a google review. It’s a numbers game maybe only 20% of people will leave a review
That’s what Google says, but I guarantee they dont care as long as they’re making money with advertising or something. They’re no longer the stand up customer focused organization they ere a decade ago.
What CRM are you using? Do you gwt a lot of people adding photos themselves?
I send links as well and only have like 3 or 4 new reviews this year. I’m getting absolutely mauled by competition and it’s annoying me to no end. I send before/after photos to customers and sometimes they use that for reviews.
Everyone says they are going to do them but rarely do people do them. They will comment on my ads or when people are asking about services on Facebook groups at least but man…would love some actual Google reviews so I show up higher
Interesting, are you full time? What CRM do you use? I have been doing a ton of SEO investment and research. Lots to do over the winter. Every little bit makes a difference. Having a few google reviews a month helps boost results by showing the company is active, amongst other things like # of review thresholds, responding quickly to reviews, years in business, etc.
I used a VPN server in Alaska and searched your area, lots of inconsistent Google search results and I didnt see any “sponsored” results. Do they offer google search console ads up there? That could be a huge and cheap, quick win if nobody is using it, but available.
If you’re interested, send me a DM, there’s one huge opportunity for you that some of your competitors that are outranking you are doing. Even the dude with 3.7 stars and 3 reviews that is consistently towards the top lol.
I have tried getting people to leave reviews. Nope. I washed a guy’s house that I know, have helped him out with stuff, I had to ask him 6 times before he left a review. I gave up, don’t bother anymore. On a side note, some businesses are shady and get reviews up front for a “discounted” wash price. MY buddy had a roofer ask for the review, iPad open, before the contract was signed. He laughed at him, but I bet for every laugh there are 20 “sure” people (my buddy said he was in the hundreds of reviews). The average person avoids conflict, especially direct one on one confrontation. In a crowd it is different, but in their house one on one, they will cave.
I try to send before and after photos with the invoice, especially if the customer isn’t home during the service. A handful of clients have used those photos when leaving a review, but I don’t put much pressure on people to post reviews. Most of my business comes from word of mouth, and that’s worked well for me, so I don’t harp on the online review process.
From the data I’ve seen, only about 2% of customers will leave a review without being asked. For service businesses that don’t have any review process in place, that can work out to roughly one review for every 50 jobs. Businesses that use a structured follow-up process, such as a verbal request at the end of the job followed by a text or email within a few hours, often see review rates in the 15% to 25% range. Consumer surveys also show that 65+% of customers say they’ve left a review after being asked multiple times. In practice, though, actual review collection rates through automated systems are usually much lower, often landing in the single digits or low teens depending on the industry.
I do get a little skeptical when I see businesses that have only been around a couple of years with hundreds of five-star reviews. Research has also shown that 46% of shoppers are less trusting of a perfect 5.0-star rating, and businesses with ratings in the 4.7 to 4.9 range often see better conversion rates because those scores appear more authentic. Some companies legitimately generate large numbers of reviews through high customer volume and well-managed follow-up systems, while others may rely on incentives or practices that violate review platform policies.
Google claims it removed more than 240 million policy-violating reviews in 2024, up from 170 million the year before. Ant that they do enforce their review policies and penalize businesses that break the rules, but enforcement isn’t perfect, and fraudulent reviews can still make it through.
Interesting, thats wild asking for a review prior. If a company told me that, I would laugh them off my property lol. I definitely agree in confrontation, some people can certainly be even less confrontational at their home out of fear of retaliation.
I’m very personable with people 1:1 if they aren’t in a bad mood. I think I’ll have a bit more success if I confirm they’re happy afterwards, if not obvious, then ask for a review up front, then say something like I appreciatw their support. I do also try to tell them if they see something in a few days that doesnt quite look right, to let me know and I’ll be happy to swing by for a touch up. Haven’t had a call back yet. That plus sending the link with receipt after. I think a big thing is timing. Putting it in their head while they are happy and it is top of mind. Lately I’ve been sending the message and receipts at the end of the day, and I’ve had some long days, so that means messages at 8:30 when they could be in bed or winding down, especially as most of my customers are retired.
Yeah, I am thinking sending before and after pics is something I need to start doing, but trying to figure out the best process and timing. I started wearing a gopro instead of taking photos with my phone to get pics for marketing and liability quicker and easier. Definitely has quickened my process. Maybe i need to also take the best before and after with my.phone to be able to send quickly too.
Thanks for the data, interesting numbers and I’m all about data driven decisions. Right now I have to put a lot of emphasis on reviews since I’m on my first full year. Lots of heavy competition in my area too so I am spending a lot on marketing as well. I am thinking and hoping that on my second or third year that I can start to cut back on marketing.
I find those google numbers quite shocking. In my experience, they enforce absolutely nothing unless it is a blatant case of a fraudulent, non-existent company.
