How to get more Google reviews: 3 messages to copy

How do I ask a customer for a Google review?

Ask in person as the visit or job ends, then send the link the same day so the review is one tap away. Say it the same way to every customer, not only the ones who smiled.

Google says you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code to leave a review. Customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave one, but they can set one up with a non-Gmail email address.³

That's why the spoken ask and the link go together. Your words get a yes. The link makes it one tap, so a yes is more likely to become a review.

When to ask: the last minute of the visit

Ask as you hand back the car keys, take the payment or show the customer the finished job. How the visit ends is a big part of what they'll remember when they write.

The first reason has a name: the peak-end rule. Barbara Fredrickson and Daniel Kahneman described it in 1993: when people look back on an experience, they rely most on its most intense moment and on how it ended. A later review of the research by Balca Alaybek and colleagues found strong support for it.²

For you, the ending is the part you control. Make the ending good: explain what you did, then ask, while it's fresh.

The second reason is reciprocity. Robert Cialdini, who researches persuasion, says people feel obliged to give back a behaviour, gift or service they received first. In the restaurant studies he describes, a single mint with the bill typically raised tips by around 3%. When the extra mint came with a personal word, tips rose by 23%, because of how it was given.¹

What you give first is good work and a useful tip for afterwards, such as how to look after the new tyres or the colour. Ask straight after. Never tie a gift or discount to the review itself; that's the line, and it's covered below.

What to say: three messages to copy

Google's rules say businesses shouldn't ask for specific content in a review, so ask for an honest one, not five stars or particular words. Use the customer's first name and mention what you did for them.⁶

Send the text or email once. If you don't see their review after a few days, one friendly reminder is fine. After that, leave it.

How to get your Google review link or QR code

Do this on a computer. Google says review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser, not on mobile devices.⁴

1. Go to your Business Profile and select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
2. To copy your review link, select Copy.
3. To download the QR code, right-click the image and select Save image as…
4. Or send the request straight from there by email, WhatsApp or Facebook.

Save the link where you can paste it fast, such as a note on the shop phone or your saved text replies. When you print the QR code, make it big enough to scan from a step away and put a line above it: "Scan to leave us a Google review".

Where to put the link so people use it

Google suggests putting the link or QR code on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a chat, and on a printed QR code in your shop. Pick the one that matches the moment your customer is happiest.⁴

The rules in brief: no rewards, no picking

Asking is allowed: Google lets businesses encourage reviews of genuine experiences, as long as they don't offer incentives or try to influence the rating or the content. These are Google's rules, from its policy on fake engagement:⁶

• Don't offer payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for a review.
• Don't ask only the customers you think will be happy: Google doesn't allow businesses to selectively ask for positive reviews.
• Don't pressure people to review while they're still on the premises, or tell staff to collect a set number of reviews.
• Don't ask current or former staff, family, or anyone you have a contract or other professional tie with to review you: Google says a conflict of interest may include these relationships, and it doesn't allow reviews based on one.

Google's rules say incentivised or biased reviews aren't allowed and can be removed from Maps. Our advice: treat a prize draw for reviewers as a reward too, and leave it out.⁶

In the UK, the government's guidance tells businesses not to offer money or gifts to customers to write positive reviews. More broadly, it says businesses that engage in misleading practices may be in breach of consumer protection law, which can lead to a fine of up to 10% of global turnover. If you're unsure about your own case, check with your adviser.⁷

Reply to reviews as they come in

Reply to each review as it comes in, briefly, and sign with your name or initials.

Mistakes that cost you reviews

• Asking before the job is finished, when the customer can't judge it yet.
• A tiny QR code with no words around it, so nobody knows what it's for.
• One copy-and-paste message for everyone, with no name and nothing about their visit.
• Never following up, when one reminder a few days later is fine.
• Leaving reviews unanswered once they start coming in.