Reviews are the lifeblood of a contracting business. They drive your Google ranking, they build trust with new customers, and they're often the deciding factor when someone is choosing between you and a competitor. But most contractors struggle to get them consistently.
The biggest mistake contractors make is asking for reviews manually. You finish a job, tell the customer 'please leave a review,' and they say yes. Then they get home, get distracted, and never do it. It's not that they didn't want to — they just forgot.
The solution is automation. The moment a job is marked complete, the system sends a text message: 'Thanks for choosing us! If you were happy with our work, would you mind leaving a quick review? It takes 30 seconds. Here's the link.'
The text arrives while the customer is still feeling good about the job. The link takes them directly to your Google review page. The friction is minimal — one tap to open the text, one tap to open the link, and they're writing a review.
Here's a critical piece: filter for negative feedback. Before sending the customer to Google, ask them to rate their experience 1-5. If they rate 4 or 5, send them to Google. If they rate 3 or below, capture their feedback privately and give yourself a chance to address the issue before it becomes a public negative review.
This system does two things: it maximizes positive reviews (happy customers are directed to Google) and minimizes negative reviews (unhappy customers are handled privately). Over time, your review profile becomes overwhelmingly positive.
Never buy reviews. Never incentivize reviews with money. Google can detect fake reviews and will penalize your ranking. Authentic reviews from real customers are the only kind that work long-term. An automated system generates authentic reviews at scale — and that's the kind Google rewards.
