The businesses with the strongest review profiles are rarely the ones with the most satisfied customers. They are the ones that ask every customer, every time. This guide sets out the rules you have to work within, the timing and wording that get responses in different trades, and how to reply to every review in a way that wins the next customer.
The rules first
Google's Maps user-generated content policy is short and clear on reviews, and breaking it can cost you reviews or worse. In plain terms, as of October 2026:
- No incentives. You cannot offer payment, discounts, free goods or services, or anything of value in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing one.
- No selective asking. You cannot ask only the customers you expect to be satisfied, and you cannot discourage negative reviews.
- No pressure or scripts. Do not push customers to review while you are on their premises, and do not ask for specific content.
- No staff quotas. Employees should not be required to hit review targets or to collect reviews that name them.
- No conflicts of interest. Reviews from employees, former employees, relatives, contractors or partners count as manipulation.
- No unnatural patterns. Sudden unusual volumes can be treated as a sign of manipulation.
There is also a Canadian layer. Review requests sent by text or email are electronic messages, and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation requires commercial electronic messages to have the recipient's consent, identify the sender and include a working unsubscribe mechanism. Whether a particular review request counts as commercial depends on its content and context, so read the CRTC's guidance and confirm your approach. The safe habit is simple: identify your business, keep the message about the job they just had done, and include an easy way to opt out.
This guide summarises the rules for marketing purposes; it is not legal advice.
When to ask
Ask at the moment the customer is most aware of the result and before life moves on. That moment differs by trade:
| Trade type | Best moment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency service (plumbing, electrical, locksmith) | Same day, a few hours after the fix | Relief is fresh; the problem is solved |
| Scheduled repair (appliance, garage door, small electrical) | Same day or next morning | Short job, quick memory |
| Project work (roofing, renovation, landscaping) | After the final walk-through, once the customer has seen the finished result | They judge the whole project, not a day of it |
| Recurring service (cleaning, lawn care, pest control) | After the second or third visit | They have seen consistency |
| Seasonal work (snow, gutters, irrigation start-up) | After the first visit of the season | Before the season blurs together |
One request and one reminder a few days later is enough. More than that turns gratitude into irritation.
What to say
Short, personal and direct. The message should come from a real person, name the job, and include a direct link to your review form. Here are templates you can adapt; replace the placeholders with your own details.
Text after a service call:
"Hi [Customer first name], it's [Your name] from [Business name]. Thanks for having us out for the [job type] today. If you have a minute, we'd appreciate an honest review of how it went: [review link]. Reply STOP if you'd rather not hear from us. [Business name], [phone]."
Email after a project:
Subject: "Your [project type] with [Business name]"
"Hi [Customer first name], thank you for trusting us with your [project type] in [Town]. If you have a few minutes, we'd value your honest feedback on Google: [review link]. It helps other homeowners in [Town] decide who to call, and it helps us improve. If anything isn't right, reply to this email or call [phone] and we'll sort it out. [Your name], [Business name], [phone]. To stop receiving messages from us, reply 'unsubscribe'."
Reminder, a few days later:
"Hi [Customer first name], just a quick follow-up from [Business name]. If you're happy to share your experience with the [job type], here's the link again: [review link]. Thanks either way."
Notice what the templates do not do: they do not ask for five stars, do not suggest what to write, and do not offer anything in return.
Make it easy
Friction kills reviews. A few small things make a large difference:
- Use the direct review link from your Google Business Profile, not a link to your listing that makes customers hunt for the button.
- Shorten it if it is long, and test it on a phone.
- Send from the number or address the customer already recognises.
- Add the link to your invoice or job completion email as a quiet second prompt.
How to reply to reviews
Replies are read by future customers more closely than you might think. Reply to every review within a few days.
To a positive review: thank them by first name, mention the job briefly, and keep it human. "Thanks, [Name]. That old cast-iron drain put up a fight, glad it's flowing again." Avoid identical copy-paste replies.
To a mixed review: thank them, acknowledge the specific concern, and say what you have done or will do.
To a negative review: reply once, calmly, with facts and an offer to talk offline. Do not argue, do not share private details, and do not accuse. A measured reply to an unfair review often reassures readers more than a dozen five-star ones.
If a review clearly breaks Google's policy, such as one from a competitor or about a business you never served, you can report it. Google makes the final call, and plenty of reported reviews stay up.
Measuring the routine
Track four numbers each month:
- Request rate: completed jobs that received a request, divided by all completed jobs. Aim for close to all of them.
- Response rate: reviews received, divided by requests sent.
- Recency: reviews in the last 90 days, compared with the three businesses beside you in the map results.
- Reply time: average days between a review and your reply.
If the request rate is low, the problem is the habit, not the customers. If the response rate is low, look at timing and the link.
What consistent asking looks like
Among the results from our HVAC work, GasBoilers.ca holds 5.0★ from 76+ Google reviews across a service area of 26+ BC communities. It is a heating business, but nothing about the habit behind it is specific to heating.
When to get help
If you want the routine set up, the templates written in your voice and the numbers tracked for you, see our review earning system. It pairs naturally with map visibility. You can also browse the other guides or contact us by call, text or email.
Frequently asked questions
How many reviews do I need?
There is no magic number. What matters is how you compare with the businesses shown beside you, and how recent your reviews are. A steady few each month usually does more than a large total that stopped growing a year ago.
Can my staff leave reviews for the business?
No. Google's policy treats content based on a conflict of interest, including employment and family relationships, as rating manipulation. Reviews must come from genuine customers.
Can I ask customers to mention a specific service or town?
Google's policy says businesses should not ask for specific content. You can ask customers to describe their experience honestly; many will naturally mention the job and the area.
Should I use review software?
It can help with sending and tracking, but check that it asks every customer and does not filter out unhappy ones before they reach Google. Some tools are built around exactly the gating Google prohibits.