Google Review Request Templates For Home Service Businesses
Copy-ready texts and emails by trade, when to send them, how to reply to good and bad reviews, and the rules that get businesses’ reviews removed. No gimmicks, no gating, no discounts for stars.
The Rules First
- Ask everyone. Google’s Maps user-generated content policy prohibits businesses from discouraging negative reviews or selectively soliciting positive reviews. “Review gating” (asking how the job went, then sending only happy customers to Google) falls on the wrong side of that line.
- No incentives. The same policy prohibits offering payment, discounts, or free goods or services in exchange for a review.
- No fake, bought, or insider reviews. The FTC’s rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, announced August 14, 2024, bans fake reviews, compensation conditioned on a particular sentiment, undisclosed reviews by employees, and suppressing reviews through threats or intimidation (FTC announcement).
- Don’t set staff quotas for a number of reviews. Google lists that as a prohibited practice too.
None of that stops you from giving every customer an easy way to tell you about a problem. Just make sure the review link goes to everyone.
When To Ask, By Trade
| Trade / Job | Send The Request | Why Then |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC repair | That evening, once the house is comfortable | Relief is highest when the temperature is back to normal |
| HVAC install | After the first week | They’ve lived with the new system and the crew is gone |
| Plumbing emergency | Same day, a few hours after | The crisis is over and the memory is fresh |
| Cleaning (first or deep clean) | Same day | The home looks its best right now |
| Recurring cleaning, lawn, or pest | Once, after the second or third visit | Asking every visit wears out the relationship |
| Roofing | After cleanup and the final walkthrough | Debris gone, job visibly finished |
| Electrical | Same day as completion | Simple jobs are forgotten quickly |
Review Request Texts You Can Copy
Replace the brackets. Put your direct Google review link where it says [link] (in your Google Business Profile, use “Ask for reviews” to get it).
Any trade
HVAC repair
Plumbing
Cleaning
Roofing
One follow-up, three days later (then stop)
Email version
Hi [Name],
Thanks for choosing [Business] for your [job]. We’re a small team and most of our new customers find us through reviews. If you have a minute, we’d appreciate an honest review on Google: [link]
If anything wasn’t right, just reply to this email. It comes straight to me.
[Owner name], [Business]
How To Reply To Reviews
Reply to every review, good or bad, within a few days. Keep it short, specific, and human. Never confirm private details about the customer or the job in a public reply.
Positive review
Negative review
A review that isn’t from a customer
Common Questions
Can I only send review requests to happy customers?
No. Google’s policy for Maps reviews prohibits businesses from selectively soliciting positive reviews or discouraging negative ones. Ask every customer. You can still give everyone an easy way to reach you directly with a problem, as long as everyone also gets the review link.
Can I offer a discount for leaving a review?
No. Google prohibits offering incentives such as payment, discounts, or free services in exchange for reviews, and the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews bans offering compensation conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment.
When is the best time to ask for a review?
When the customer feels the result: the evening after a repair, the same day as a first deep clean, after the first week with a new system. Ask once, follow up once, then stop.
Should I reply to negative reviews?
Yes, calmly and briefly. Future customers read your reply more than the complaint. Acknowledge it, take it offline, and never argue or reveal private details.
Find Your Biggest Leak, Reviews Included
The free Money Leak Scorecard ranks reviews alongside missed calls, quotes, no-shows, and your website, in dollars, so you fix the one that pays back first.