The Review Problem Every Tradesperson Faces
You finish a job. The customer's happy. They say "I'll definitely leave you a review."
Two weeks later: nothing.
It's not that they don't want to help. Life gets busy. They forget. And you're left with a Google profile that doesn't reflect the quality of your work.
Why Manual Follow-Up Fails
Most tradespeople try the manual approach:
- Remember to ask for review (50% success rate)
- Actually follow up (20% success rate)
- Customer bothers to do it (15% success rate)
Result: 1.5% of happy customers leave reviews.
The Automation Sequence That Works
The key is timing and making it effortless. Here's the proven sequence:
Hour 2 after job completion:
SMS: "Thanks for choosing [Business Name] today. We hope you're happy with the work. If you have any questions, reply to this message."
This isn't asking for a review. It's checking satisfaction first.
Day 2:
SMS: "Hi [Name], if you were happy with our work, a quick Google review would really help other homeowners find reliable tradespeople. Here's a direct link: [1-click link]"
Day 7 (if no review):
Email: Slightly longer message with the same link, perhaps mentioning a specific aspect of the job.
Why This Works
- Timing: Fresh in their mind but not pushy
- Friction removal: 1-click link goes directly to the review form
- Satisfaction check first: Shows you care about the work, not just the review
- Multi-channel: SMS has 98% open rate, email catches the rest
The Results
Businesses using this sequence see:
- Review rate increase from 2% to 15-20%
- Star rating improvement (happy customers are more likely to respond)
- Faster accumulation of social proof
- Higher Google Maps rankings
Avoiding the Annoyance Factor
Never:
- Send more than 3 follow-ups
- Ask for reviews before the job is complete
- Incentivise reviews (violates Google's terms)
- Send generic, impersonal messages
Always:
- Use their name
- Reference the specific job
- Make it optional and pressure-free
- Provide a way to give private feedback instead
