The review request that actually gets answered

Timing is the whole game. Most contractors email a review request a week after the job, when the homeowner has moved on. The moment that works is when the water turns on and they are standing there looking at it.

They are more impressed in that thirty seconds than they will ever be again. Ask then.

On site, out loud

"Before I go, would you mind leaving us a review? It is the main way people find us. I will text you the link right now so it is on your phone."

Then send it before you leave the driveway. Not later. Later never happens.

The text, sent from your phone

Hi [name], thanks again for having us out. Here is that review link: [your Google review link]

If you can mention the [feature type] and that you are in [town], that helps other people nearby find us.

Thanks, the owner your company

Why mention the feature and the town

Reviews that name the work and the place are more useful to the next person reading them, and they make your profile more relevant for that area. You are not gaming anything. You are asking someone to be specific.

Getting the link

Google Business Profile, then the share review form option. It gives a short link. Save it in your phone as a text replacement shortcut so you never go hunting for it.

Responding

Respond to every review, good and bad, within a couple of days.

Good: thank them, mention the specific project, keep it two sentences. No copy and paste.

Bad: thank them for the feedback, state the facts once without arguing, and move it offline. "Please call me directly at your phone number and I will make this right." You are not writing to the reviewer. You are writing to the next hundred people who read it.

The pattern that matters

Steady beats bulk. Six reviews a year, every year, looks better and does more than thirty in one month and then nothing for two years. Ask on every job and it takes care of itself.