Here's a number that should get your attention: 93% of consumers say online reviews influence their hiring decisions when choosing a contractor. Whether someone's got a burst pipe at midnight or needs a full electrical panel upgrade, they're checking Google reviews before they call anyone. And if your business has fewer reviews — or a lower rating — than the competition, you're losing jobs before the phone even rings.
The frustrating part? Most contractors do excellent work. Their customers are happy. But satisfied customers rarely leave reviews on their own — it's the unhappy ones who are motivated to write. That creates a lopsided picture that doesn't reflect the quality of your work.
The good news: getting more 5-star reviews isn't about gaming the system or begging. It's about having a simple, repeatable process that makes it easy for happy customers to share their experience. Here's how to build that process from scratch.
Why Reviews Matter More Than Ever for Trade Businesses
Before diving into tactics, let's understand the landscape. Google's local search algorithm heavily weights three factors for trade businesses: proximity, relevance, and prominence. Reviews directly impact prominence — the more positive reviews you have, the higher you rank in the "Local Pack" (those three businesses that show up on Google Maps).
The Review Numbers That Matter
- 4.5+ stars: The threshold most homeowners require before reaching out
- 50+ reviews: The point where customers start trusting your rating as legitimate
- Recency matters: Reviews from the last 90 days carry 3x more weight with customers than older ones
- Response rate: Businesses that respond to reviews get 35% more calls than those that don't
Translation: you don't just need reviews — you need a steady stream of recent reviews. A business with 200 reviews but none from the last six months looks abandoned. A business with 40 reviews and three new ones this week looks active and trustworthy.
Step 1: Ask at the Right Moment
Timing is everything. The single best moment to ask for a review is immediately after the customer expresses satisfaction — not two days later in a follow-up email they'll never open.
Here are the three golden windows for trade professionals:
- The walkthrough moment: Right after you walk the customer through the completed work and they say "looks great" or "thank you so much"
- The relief moment: After an emergency repair when the customer is visibly relieved (hot water is back, AC is working, the leak stopped)
- The invoice moment: When they pay without hesitation — that's a signal they feel they got fair value
Pro Tip:
Don't say "Can you leave us a review?" Say: "We're a small business and reviews really help us grow. If you were happy with the work, would you mind taking 30 seconds to leave us a Google review? I can text you the link right now." The specificity (30 seconds, Google, text the link) removes friction.
Step 2: Make It Stupidly Easy
Every extra step between "sure, I'll leave a review" and actually submitting one costs you about 50% of potential reviewers. Your job is to eliminate every possible friction point.
Create a direct review link: Go to your Google Business Profile, click "Get more reviews," and copy the short link. This takes the customer directly to the review form — no searching, no scrolling.
Build it into your workflow: The most successful contractors automate review requests as part of their job completion process. When a job is marked complete in your management software, an automatic text goes out with the review link. No manual effort, no forgetting, every single time.
SMS Template That Works:
"Hi [Name], thanks for choosing [Company]! If you're happy with the work, we'd really appreciate a quick Google review — it helps other homeowners find reliable service. Here's the link: [URL]. Thanks! — [Tech Name]"
Step 3: Train Your Team to Ask
If you have technicians in the field, they are your review engine. The person who does the work has the strongest relationship with the customer, and a face-to-face ask converts at 3–5x the rate of a follow-up text alone.
But here's the thing: most techs feel awkward asking. You need to make it part of the job completion checklist — not optional, not "if you remember." It's step 7 right after cleanup and before loading the van.
- Script it: Give them exact words so they don't have to improvise
- Incentivize it: $5–$10 bonus per review that mentions their name
- Track it: Monitor review-to-job ratio by technician — top performers usually hit 30–40%
- Celebrate it: Share new 5-star reviews in your team group chat
Step 4: Respond to Every Review (Yes, Every One)
Most contractors ignore this step entirely, but it might be the highest-leverage move on this list. Responding to reviews does three things simultaneously:
- Signals to Google: Active engagement improves your local ranking
- Shows future customers: You care about your reputation and customer experience
- Defuses negative reviews: A professional, empathetic response to criticism often impresses potential customers more than the negative review hurts you
Keep responses short and genuine. For positive reviews: thank them by name, mention the specific work done, and invite them back. For negative reviews: apologize for the experience, take it offline ("please call us at..."), and never argue publicly.
Positive Review Response Template:
"Thanks so much, [Name]! We're glad the [water heater install / AC repair / panel upgrade] went smoothly. It was great working with you — don't hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything. 🙏"
Step 5: Handle Negative Reviews Like a Pro
They're going to happen. Even the best contractors get the occasional 1-star review — sometimes from unreasonable customers, sometimes from genuine mistakes. What matters is how you handle them.
The 24-hour rule: Never respond to a negative review when you're angry. Wait at least a few hours, then draft your response. Have someone else read it before posting.
The formula that works:
- Acknowledge their frustration (don't dismiss it)
- Apologize for the experience (not necessarily for being wrong)
- Briefly explain what happened (if relevant, without being defensive)
- Take it offline: "We'd love the chance to make this right — please call us at [number]"
Here's the counterintuitive truth: a business with nothing but 5-star reviews looks suspicious. A few 3- and 4-star reviews mixed in — with thoughtful owner responses — actually increases trust. Consumers know no business is perfect. They want to see how you handle imperfection.
Your 30-Day Review Building Plan
Ready to put this into action? Here's a concrete plan to ramp up your reviews starting this week:
Week 1: Set Up the Foundation
- Create your direct Google review link and save it in your phone
- Write your SMS review request template
- Respond to all existing unanswered reviews (positive and negative)
- Ask your three most recent happy customers for reviews personally
Week 2: Build the Habit
- Ask for a review after every completed job (in person + follow-up text)
- Train your team on the script and process
- Set up automated review requests in your job management software
- Add your review link to your email signature and invoices
Week 3–4: Optimize and Scale
- Track your review-to-job conversion rate (target: 20–30%)
- A/B test different SMS templates to see which gets more clicks
- Start showcasing reviews on your website and social media
- Consider adding review request cards to your leave-behind materials
The Bottom Line
Getting more 5-star reviews isn't rocket science — it's a system. Ask at the right time, make it easy, train your team, and respond to everything. Contractors who implement this consistently see their review count double within 60 days and their phone start ringing with higher-quality leads who already trust them before the first conversation.
The best part? Unlike paid advertising, reviews compound over time. Every review you earn today keeps working for you months and years from now, building a moat around your business that competitors can't easily replicate.
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