Ask every customer the same way, soon after the job is done, with a direct link to your Google review form, and offer nothing in return. Google’s rules forbid any incentive for a review, asking only the customers you expect to be happy, discouraging negative reviews, pressuring customers to write one on the spot, and setting review targets for your staff. In practice that means one line from the crew at the end of the job and a text with the link the same day. Below are the rules and sample messages.
What Google allows and what it forbids
Google’s Maps content policy allows businesses to ask for reviews “without offering incentives to do so or attempting to influence the rating or the contents of the review.” Its Business Profile help suggests asking customers “to visit a Google link or scan a QR code.”
The same policy lists what is not allowed:
- Incentives: you may not offer payment, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for posting any review. The policy also covers reviews changed or removed “in exchange for an incentive.”
- Choosing who to ask: businesses may not “discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.”
- Pressure: “merchants should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises.”
- Staff targets: the policy names “merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews” and asking staff to collect reviews “that include specific content.”
- Conflicts of interest: reviews from current or former employees, or from people with a contractual relationship to the business.
Google removes reviews that break these rules, and its policy says it may take action against accounts “from suspending the account privileges to account termination.”
What US law adds
The Federal Trade Commission’s rule on consumer reviews took effect on October 21, 2024. It bans incentives that depend on a review saying something positive or negative, such as a discount offered only for five stars. The FTC’s own questions and answers say the rule “does not prohibit giving incentives for reviews” that carry no such condition, but Google’s policy goes further and forbids incentives for any review on Google. On asking only happy customers, the FTC says the rule has no specific ban, and that the practice could still break the FTC Act.
For Google reviews, the result is simple: ask everyone, give nothing for it, and don’t suggest a rating.
When to ask
Ask when the work is finished and the customer has seen the result, such as the day the furnace runs again or the last coat of paint is dry. The easiest way to make sure every customer is asked is to tie the request to the job record. When the job is marked complete in your CRM or job software, the text with the review link goes out, so nobody has to remember and nobody chooses who gets one.
If there is no review after a few days, one reminder is reasonable. Stop after that.
How to ask, with sample messages
We ask in two steps. The crew mentions it in person at the end of the job, then a text or email brings the link.
What the crew says at the door, in one sentence and without waiting for an answer:
“You’ll get a text from us today with a link to our Google page. If you have a minute to tell people how it went, we’d appreciate it.”
The text message that follows:
“Hi [first name], thanks for choosing [company] for your [job]. If you have a minute, would you tell others how it went? [review link] Thank you, [technician name]”
The email version, for customers who prefer email:
“Subject: How did your [job] go? Hi [first name], thank you for having us out on [day]. Your review on Google helps other homeowners in [town] decide who to call. It takes a minute: [review link]. If anything about the job wasn’t right, reply to this email and we’ll fix it. [Owner name], [company]”
None of these messages mentions stars or asks for a good review, since Google’s policy forbids trying to influence the rating. None offers a discount, a gift card or an entry into a draw. And none goes only to customers who seemed happy: the same message goes to everyone.
To get the link, open your Business Profile, go to Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link or save the QR code. A QR code fits on an invoice, a leave-behind card or a door hanger. Customers need a Google Account to leave a review, and Google notes they can create one with an email address that isn’t Gmail.
Yelp works differently
Yelp asks businesses not to request reviews at all: “Don’t ask anyone to review your business, be it customers, mailing list subscribers, friends, family, etc.” Send Google links only, and look after your Yelp page by keeping it accurate and replying to the reviews that come in.
Questions about asking for reviews
Can we give a discount for leaving a review?
Not for a Google review. Google forbids offering payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for any review, whatever the rating.
Can our technicians earn a bonus for each review?
Google’s policy forbids asking staff to collect a certain number of reviews. A bonus per review pushes technicians toward that target, and toward asking only the customers who seem happy, so we don’t recommend one. Tying the request to the completed job, so every customer gets it, removes the need for one.
Can we ask only customers who had a good experience?
No. Google’s policy forbids selectively asking for positive reviews, so every customer gets the same request.
Can employees or family members leave reviews?
No. Google treats current or former employees and people with a business relationship to you as a conflict of interest.
How many reviews does a home service business need?
There is no single number. For Local Services Ads, Google recommends five or more, and some business types need five before the ad shows at all. Our article on what Local Services Ads cost explains how reviews affect the price of each lead.
Who can run the requests and replies for us?
We send a review request after every job, reply to every review on Google and the other sites your customers read, and report new reviews and the rating for each location every month. Our review and reputation management page explains how it works, and our home services marketing page covers the rest of our work for local trades.
Sources
- Google, Prohibited and restricted content (Maps user contributed content policy: fake engagement and rating manipulation), read November 2026.
- Google, Tips to get more reviews (Business Profile Help), read November 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers, read November 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, August 14, 2024.
- Yelp, Don’t ask for reviews, read November 2026.
- Google, Improve your Local Services Ads performance (five or more reviews), read November 2026.
Disclaimer: We are a marketing company, not a legal one. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice; all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.
Roman ZelvenschiChief Storyteller
Roman Zelvenschi is a digital marketing strategist and founder with over 15 years of experience helping businesses grow through data-driven marketing and brand strategy. Since 2008, he has turned ideas into profitable, scalable ventures—working with brands ranging from global enterprises like Mondelēz to startups such as The Kosher Express. His expertise lies in SEO, AI-driven marketing, and lead generation, particularly within highly regulated industries such as healthcare, long-term care, and finance. Roman believes effective marketing blends brand investment for long-term growth with short-term performance through lead generation and customer lifetime value optimization. An early adopter of AI in marketing, Roman has leveraged machine learning since 2022 to enhance targeting, personalization, and campaign performance. He continues to advocate that technology should amplify human creativity—not replace it.
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