How to Get More Google Reviews as a Tradesman in Ireland

When a customer is choosing between three roofers, they'll often look at the stars before they look at anything else. A tradesman with forty honest reviews will usually beat one with two, even if the second lad is better on the tools. So getting reviews is one of the most useful things you can do with an hour a week.

The good news is that most happy customers are willing to leave one. They just need to be asked at the right time and made it easy.

Ask while the job is fresh

The best time is the day you finish, when the customer is delighted to see the work done. Don't wait a month. By then they've forgotten.

Keep it natural. Something like: "If you're happy with it, would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? It makes a big difference to a small business like ours. I'll text you the link now."

Send a direct link

This is the part most people skip, and it's the part that matters. If you tell a customer to "search for us on Google and leave a review", most won't. If you text them a link that opens the review box straight away, a good number will do it while you're still standing there.

You can get your own link from your Google Business Profile (look for "Ask for reviews"). Save it in your phone so you can send it in a few seconds. Ours is powerworld.ie/review, and we set one up like that for every client.

Make it part of finishing the job

Treat it like handing over the keys or sending the invoice. Add a line to your invoice or quote with the review link. Put a QR code on a card you leave behind. If you have a few jobs a week, set a reminder on Friday to text everyone you finished with.

What not to do

• Don't offer discounts or gifts for reviews. Google doesn't allow it, and it can get your reviews removed.
• Don't write them yourself or get friends to. Customers can usually tell, and it's against Google's rules.
• Don't only ask the easy customers. A natural mix looks more trustworthy than a wall of perfect ones.

Reply to every review

Thank people by name and mention the job: "Thanks Mary, glad the new bathroom turned out well." It shows future customers you're active and that you care.

If you get a bad one, don't argue. Reply calmly, say you'd like to put it right and invite them to contact you directly. A professional reply to a bad review can actually win trust, because the next customer reading it sees how you handle problems.

Put your reviews to work

Once you have them, show them off: on your website, in your Facebook posts, and on your quotes. A review that says "turned up on time, tidy, fair price" is worth more than any slogan you could write yourself.

If you'd like a system that does the asking for you, that's part of what we set up. Have a look at what's included.