How plumbers and electricians can get more genuine Google reviews

When a plumber or electrician asks me how to get more Google reviews, the work is rarely the problem. The ask never happened. You need one link, a moment at the end of the job, and a message you can send from the van. This is how I set that up for trades working across Sussex.

Reviews sit on your Google Business Profile, next to the phone number. I will not invent a figure for map positions. People read recent reviews before they call, and those should come from real jobs.

When to ask

Ask when the work is finished and the customer has seen it. The tap runs, the circuit tests fine, you have wiped up, and they are still there. Hand over the link, or say a text is coming, and then leave.

Google's rules say you should not pressure someone to write it while you are still in the house, or tell them which words to use. A text or WhatsApp the same day, or the next morning, is the backup. A week later, it is easy to ignore.

Finish a problem before you ask. A weeping joint or a breaker that still trips is unfinished work. Fix it, then send the link. Ask every customer you did the work for, whether it was a washer or a rewire. Asking only the people who seemed pleased is review gating, which Google does not allow.

If the profile is suspended, wait. Reviews will not bring it back. There is a separate guide on why a Google Business Profile gets suspended, and how to appeal.

Use a review link or a QR code

Asking someone to search your name sends them to the wrong listing. In the Business Profile manager, open the option to ask for reviews and copy the short link. Keep it in your phone. If the button has moved, search the help there for reviews. Test the link. You want your trading name and a box for stars.

A QR code is that link on paper. Put it on the invoice, or on a card by the consumer unit or on the worktop, and say it opens a Google review if they have a minute later. Make it big enough for a hallway, scan it once, and replace it if you create a new profile.

A text or WhatsApp you can send

"Hi [first name], it's [your name] at [your business]. Thanks for having me today to change the kitchen tap. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other people find a plumber. Here is the link: [your review link]. If anything is not right, message me and I will come back to it."

Change the job to the one you did, such as an electric shower, a consumer unit, or a tripping socket, and say electrician if that is you. One follow-up a few days later is enough. Do not ask for five stars or particular words.

Reply to every review

Reply to the good ones and the bad ones. Thank them and mention the job plainly. "Glad the new tap is in and the cupboard is back on" is enough. Leave out the street, the house number, and anything private.

On a bad review, apologise, say you will put the work right, and move the detail to a phone call or an email. Do not argue or blame the customer. Fixing the job is fine. A discount, a free visit, or any reward for changing the review is an incentive. Do not offer one.

Reply in the Business Profile manager, a couple of times a week. If a review is for a job you never did, flag it and say why. I cannot promise Google will remove it. Leave a short reply too, so the next reader can see it was not your customer.

What Google does not allow

The rules are in Google's prohibited and restricted content policy. This is practical guidance from that policy, not legal advice. Google decides what happens to a listing. Reviews can be removed, and a profile can be restricted.

No incentives. Do not offer money, a discount, a free call-out, a voucher, or entry in a prize draw for a review. Taking money off for five stars still counts. So does a hamper draw.

No review gating. Do not ask only happy customers. "Were you happy? Reply yes for the link" is gating. So is a private score form that only sends the top marks to Google. Send the Google link itself. If someone is unhappy, talk to them and fix the work.

No fake reviews. Do not review yourself, buy a pack, or ask staff to pose as a customer. Google treats staff and family as a conflict of interest. Skip a parent, partner, or friend who did not pay you, and skip a favour at your own house. Do not set a quota or a script for an apprentice. If a firm offers reviews for a fee, only accept that if they come from your own customers after real jobs.

A short checklist

1. Test your review link on your phone.
2. Put a QR code on the invoice or a card, and scan it once.
3. Ask when the job is done, then let them write it after you leave.
4. Use the same ask for every customer you actually worked for.
5. Reply to every review, and offer nothing for a change of stars.
6. No discounts, gifts, prize draws, gating, family reviews, or staff reviews.

If you want me to look at the listing and the link, start with a free website and Google review. Tell me if you are a plumber or an electrician, and where in Sussex you work. I will tell you what I would sort first.