Short answer: Ask every customer for an honest review after every job, once the result is visible, and send a link that opens straight to your review box. Send one reminder a few days later and reply to every review. Never offer incentives or ask only happy customers, because Google's policy prohibits both.
The care you put into each job deserves to be seen. A clear, timely invitation helps every customer share their experience and helps others get to know your business.
That costs you work. When someone searches for a mover or an aircon servicing company, they compare star ratings and review counts before they ever call. A business with 12 reviews looks riskier than one with 140, even if the work is the same.
The fix is mostly a habit: ask every customer at a sensible moment, and send a link that opens straight to the review box.
1. Ask every customer, not just the happy ones
This is the rule most businesses get wrong. Google does not allow businesses to selectively ask for reviews from customers they expect to be positive. If you only send the link to customers who smiled at the end of the job, you are breaking the policy.
Asking everyone usually helps you anyway. Most customers of a decent business have a decent experience. An occasional critical review, answered well, also makes your rating look more believable.
2. Pick the right moment
Timing makes a bigger difference than wording. Ask when the result is fresh and visible:
For cleaners, that is usually the same evening, once the customer has walked through the space. Movers do better the day after, when the boxes are unpacked and nothing has turned up broken. Contractors can ask at handover and send a reminder a week later, after the customer has lived with the work for a while. Aircon and appliance customers need a day or two to know the repair held.
Avoid asking while the customer is standing in front of your staff. Google's rules say businesses should not pressure customers to leave reviews while on the premises. A message they can open later, at home, is both more polite and more effective.
3. Send a direct link, not instructions
"Please search for us on Google and leave a review" loses most people at the first step. Send a link that opens straight to your review box. Every Google Business Profile has one, and you can turn it into a QR code too. Our guide to the free Google review link and QR code shows where to find both.
4. Keep the message short and personal
A good review request names the job and asks plainly. For example:
Hi Mrs Tan, thanks for having us at your place on Saturday. If you have a minute, we'd really appreciate an honest review. It helps other families find us. [link]
Notice what it does not do. It does not ask for five stars, does not suggest what to write, and does not offer anything in return. Google prohibits all three: incentives such as discounts or free services, and requests for specific content in the review.
5. Send one reminder, then stop
Many customers mean to leave a review and simply forget. One polite reminder three to five days later often brings in as many reviews as the first message. After that, leave it. Repeated chasing annoys people and can turn a happy customer into a lukewarm one.
6. Make it a habit, not a campaign
A burst of 30 reviews in one week, then nothing for six months, looks odd to customers and can look odd to Google. Google's policy mentions unusual volumes or patterns of reviews as a sign of rating manipulation. A steady flow of a few reviews a week, from every job, is better on both counts.
The simplest way to keep it steady is to build the request into your job routine. The person who closes the job sends the message, using the same template every time.
7. Reply to every review
Replies show future customers that someone is paying attention. Thank people for positive reviews by name and mention the job if you can. For critical reviews, stay calm, acknowledge the issue, and offer to sort it out offline. Future customers read these replies closely, especially under the critical reviews.
What should you avoid when asking for Google reviews?
Most of the mistakes come down to influencing who reviews or what they say. Google's policy rules out each of these:
- Don't offer discounts, vouchers or lucky draws for reviews.
- Don't send the link only to customers you think liked the job.
- Don't ask customers to mention a staff member by name.
- Don't set review quotas for your team. Google specifically prohibits asking staff to collect a certain number of reviews.
- Don't post reviews yourself, or ask family and friends to.
Frequently asked questions
How many Google reviews does a business need? There is no fixed number. Customers compare you with other businesses offering the same service nearby, so what matters is how your review count and rating look next to theirs. A steady flow of recent reviews also counts for more than a large batch from years ago.
Can I ask customers for a five-star review? No. Google does not allow businesses to ask for a particular rating or suggest what to write. Ask for an honest review instead. Most customers of a good business leave a positive one anyway, and a request for five stars can make a happy customer less willing to help.
Can I send review requests by WhatsApp in Singapore? Yes. WhatsApp is often the most effective channel in Singapore because customers already use it to book. Send the same message to every customer, and make sure you have a lawful basis to contact them under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA), such as their consent.
How long does it take to get more Google reviews? It depends on how many jobs you do. If you ask every customer and send one reminder, new reviews usually start arriving within the first few weeks. Nobody can promise a number, because each customer decides whether to write one.
We can handle the setup.
We handle the setup so you can keep doing great work. Your review link, digital QR card, request messages, reminders and reply templates are yours to keep. S$149, one time. Request an Google profile check and we'll agree a clear next step for your business.