Why recent reviews decide the call
BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US consumers found that 97 percent read reviews for local businesses, and 74 percent look for reviews written in the last three months. A shop with a great rating from two years ago can lose to a shop with fewer, fresher reviews.
The same survey found that 83 percent of people who were asked to leave a review went on to leave one. The gap between a shop with steady reviews and one without is rarely the work. It is whether anyone asked.
Ask at the moment of relief
The best time to ask is the same day the problem is solved: the heat is back on, the leak is fixed, the roof is dry. Wait a week and the relief has faded into an invoice.
- Tech closes the job and tells the customer a short text is coming.
- The text goes out within a couple of hours, with one direct link to your review page.
- One reminder a few days later if there is no review. Then stop.
Every extra tap loses people. Send the direct review link, not your homepage or a list of five platforms.
What the message should say
Hi Dana, it's Mike's Heating. Glad we got the furnace running tonight. If Carlos took good care of you, a quick review helps other families find us: [link]. Thank you.
- Use the customer's name and the tech's name. People review people.
- Name the job, so the review mentions the service others search for.
- Keep it under three lines. It is a thank-you, not a survey.
Ask everyone, and call the unhappy ones
Ask every customer the same way. Google's review policy prohibits selectively asking only happy customers, or steering unhappy ones away from reviewing. It is called review gating, and it can get reviews removed.
What you can do is make sure a job that went badly also gets a call from the owner the same day. Fixing the problem on the phone is worth more than any review, and a customer who was heard writes a very different one.
Answer the reviews you get, good and bad, in your own voice. Future customers read the replies as closely as the stars.
Make it a system, not a memory
Review requests fail in busy weeks because they depend on someone remembering. That is exactly when you finish the most jobs.
In Rivvet, review requests are part of the front office, included with every plan, never an add-on. You set the timing and the words, every finished job gets the same ask, and the jobs that went badly come to you for a call.
Questions owners ask
When should a home-service company ask for a review?
The same day the job is finished, while the customer still feels the relief. Send one text with a direct link within a few hours, and at most one reminder a few days later.
Do customers actually leave reviews when asked?
Most do. BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey found 83 percent of people asked to leave a review went on to leave one.
Is it allowed to offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google's policy prohibits offering payment, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for a review, and it prohibits asking only happy customers. Ask every customer the same way and let the work speak.
Review requests are included in Rivvet, never an add-on. Start free 14-day trial.