Asking for reviews the right way

Ask, and make it easy

Most happy customers never think to leave a review unless they are asked. Ask soon after a good experience, and send a direct link to your review page so it takes them seconds.

Good moments to ask

• Right after a job is finished and the customer is pleased.
• In a thank-you email after a purchase or appointment.
• When a customer thanks you in person or by message.

Stay within the rules

Fake reviews are not allowed. Since April 2025, the UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has treated fake reviews, and concealed incentivised reviews, as banned practices. Google's own review policies also prohibit offering incentives for reviews and asking only customers you expect to be positive.

• Never write reviews yourself, or ask friends and family to pose as customers.
• Do not offer discounts, gifts or prize draws in exchange for reviews.
• Ask every customer in the same way, not just the ones you expect to be happy.
• Never buy reviews or pay a service to post them.

Reply to every review

A short, genuine thank-you shows you are listening. For a negative review, reply politely, acknowledge the problem, and offer to sort it out directly. Future customers often judge you by how you handle complaints.

Automate the asking

If you have a customer list, a simple automatic email after each job or purchase can ask every customer for a review, consistently, without you remembering each time.