Reviews are among the first things many people read before they choose a hairdresser, a dentist, a café or a gym. A few lines from a stranger can decide whether they call you or the next business on the list.
The good news is that you can get more reviews without tricks. Most happy customers simply never think of writing one. They need to be asked, at the right moment, in a way that takes ten seconds. This guide shows how, and what to avoid, because Google’s rules on reviews are strict.
Why reviews matter
When someone searches for your business, your Google Business Profile shows your rating next to your name, photos and opening hours. People read the latest reviews, and they also read how you answer. A profile with recent, specific reviews and polite replies feels alive. A profile with nothing since last year feels uncertain.
Reviews also tell you things that no report shows: what customers like, what annoys them, which team member they mention by name.
1. Make it easy: one short link and a QR code
Every step you add loses people. The easiest path is a direct link that opens the review form on a phone.
- Open your Google Business Profile and look for the option to ask for reviews. Google gives you a short link for your business.
- Turn the link into a QR code (many free tools do this) and print it large enough to scan from about 30 centimetres.
- Test it yourself on a phone, with your own account.
- Use the same link everywhere: a card at the counter, the receipt, the e-mail after a visit, a WhatsApp message.
Customers need a Google account to leave a review. Most phones already have one, but some people will give up. That is normal.
2. Ask at the right moment
Ask when the customer has just had a good experience, and no later than a day or two afterwards.
- Restaurant or café: when the bill is paid and the guest is relaxed, or in a message the next morning.
- Salon or barber: when the customer looks in the mirror and smiles.
- Clinic or practice: after the appointment, in a short message, never during treatment.
- Gym or studio: after a milestone, such as the first month or a finished course.
Keep the request short and personal: “Thank you for coming today. If you were happy, a short Google review helps us a lot. Here is the link.” One request per customer is enough. Do not send reminders again and again.
3. Make it a staff habit
A QR code on the wall does nothing if nobody mentions it. Your staff are the ones who see the happy faces.
- Agree on one sentence that everyone says, in your main languages.
- Put the QR code where the customer already looks: at the till, on the table card, on the appointment card.
- Share good reviews with the team once a week. People repeat what gets noticed.
- Decide who answers reviews, and by which day of the week.
The request after the visit can also run by itself. Our messages and bookings service sets up the message that goes out after each visit, so it does not depend on somebody remembering.
4. Reply to every review
Reply to good and bad reviews. It takes two minutes, and future customers read it.
For a positive review:
- thank the person by name if they give it;
- mention something specific, such as the dish, the haircut or the team member;
- invite them back in one short sentence;
- do not paste the same text under every review.
5. Reply to a bad review calmly
A bad review feels personal. Wait an hour before you reply, then:
- Thank the person for the feedback.
- Stay factual. Do not argue, and do not reveal private details about the customer.
- Apologise if something went wrong.
- Offer to continue by phone or e-mail, and give the contact.
- Keep it short.
Future customers judge you by the tone of your reply more than by the complaint. If a review is clearly fake, abusive or about another business, you can report it to Google through your profile. Reporting does not guarantee removal, so reply anyway when it is a real customer.
6. Reply in the customer’s language
In Luxembourg, customers write in French, English, German, Luxembourgish and sometimes Portuguese. Reply in the language of the review.
- If you do not write well in that language, keep the reply short and simple, and check it before you publish. Translation tools sometimes get names and tone wrong.
- If nobody on your team reads the language, reply in English or French.
- Ask in the right language too: the message after the visit should match the language the customer spoke with you.
What not to do
These practices go against Google’s policies and can lead to reviews being removed or the profile being suspended:
- Buying reviews, or paying a service or a friend to write them.
- Writing your own reviews, or asking family and staff to do it.
- Review gating: asking only happy customers to review, or sending unhappy ones to a private form first. Ask everyone in the same way.
- Incentives: discounts, a free coffee or a prize draw in exchange for a review.
- Asking someone to change or delete a review in return for a refund or a favour.
- Pressure: standing next to the customer while they write.
Honest reviews, including the occasional bad one, make your rating believable. Google updates its rules from time to time, so read the current review policy in its help pages before you start.
How it links to your Google Business Profile
Reviews live on your profile, so the profile has to be right before you invite people to it. Check that name, address, hours and category are correct, and that the photos are current. Our Google Business Profile checklist goes through it step by step.
Then check your website. Customers often read your reviews first and open your website second, and they should find the same hours, languages and contact details there. The free website check shows what is missing.
A simple monthly routine
- At the start of the month, scan your own QR code and open your own link. Make sure both still work.
- Every week, reply to new reviews within two working days.
- Once a month, count the new reviews and read them all. Write down one thing to improve.
- Share the best reviews with the team.
Common questions
How many reviews do I need? There is no magic number. A steady flow of recent reviews is better than one big burst.
Can I ask customers by WhatsApp or e-mail? Yes, if the customer has been in touch with you and the message is polite and sent once. Do not send it to people who did not visit.
Can I thank customers with a small gift? Not in exchange for a review. A thank-you in the reply is fine.
What about a review that is unfair? Reply politely and factually. If it breaks Google’s rules, report it. Do not argue in public.
If you would like the request after each visit to run by itself, see messages and bookings or write to us.