Reviews for Tradespeople: Build a Stronger Local Reputation

Reviews matter because homeowners cannot see the future. They use other customers' experiences as one piece of evidence when deciding who to contact.

The safest review strategy is also the simplest: do real work, ask real customers and let them give their real opinion.

Last reviewed: September 2026 using current Google review policies.

Ask recent customers for genuine reviews

Ask after a genuine job or customer interaction when the work is complete enough for the customer to have a real experience to review.

Keep the message simple.

Example — short message

Thanks again for the work. If you have a minute, would you mind leaving an honest review of your experience? It helps other local customers understand what we are like to work with. Here is the link: [review link]

Example — email

Thanks for choosing us for your recent work. If you are happy to share your experience, an honest review would be really helpful. Please say what you genuinely thought — there is no need to write anything specific. [review link]

Do not ask only people you believe will leave five stars. Do not tell customers what rating to give.

TradeKind reviews and feedback

Use TradeKind's own review/request flows for genuine TradeKind interactions.

A TradeKind review that meets TradeKind's review rules is distinct from:

• an external Google review;
• an external reputation source;
• historical customer feedback added with its source.

Keep those labels honest.

Never create a fake TradeKind job or request just to generate a review.

Google reviews

Google provides businesses with ways to share a review link and, in supported interfaces, a review QR code.

Google prohibits incentives in exchange for reviews and fake engagement. That means no discount, free item or reward offered because somebody leaves a review.

Google's policies also prohibit practices intended to manipulate ratings by selectively encouraging only positive reviews.

See Google's current review link and QR guidance and Maps contribution policy.

Review links and QR codes

Make the legitimate review route easy to find.

Useful places can include:

• a thank-you message;
• a completion email;
• a small printed card;
• a QR code handed over after the work;
• your normal customer follow-up process.

Test the link before sending it.

Common mistake: A QR code is not a review strategy. It is just a shortcut to the real review page.

Historical customer feedback

If a platform lets you show genuine historical feedback, preserve the source and wording accurately.

Do not rewrite a customer's comment to make it stronger.

Do not present customer-provided feedback as independently verified by TradeKind unless TradeKind actually verified it.

Reply to reviews

Replies are visible to future customers, so write for them as well as the reviewer.

For a positive review:

Thanks for taking the time to leave this. We really appreciate it and are glad the decorating work went well.

For criticism:

Thanks for the feedback. We are sorry this did not meet your expectations. We have checked the points you raised and would like to discuss the remaining issue directly so we can understand what happened.

Do not argue in public or reveal private customer information.

Build a steady review habit

A repeatable routine is easier than a campaign.

For example:

1. finish the job;
2. check the customer has what they need;
3. send the normal invoice or completion message;
4. ask for an honest review;
5. send one polite reminder if appropriate;
6. stop.

A natural stream of reviews over time is more credible than a sudden pile created by pressure.

No bought or fake reviews

Avoid:

• purchased review packages;
• review swaps;
• friends pretending to be customers;
• staff reviewing their own employer as a customer;
• fake jobs;
• multiple accounts;
• paid incentives;
• scripts that tell customers which rating to leave.

Google can remove fake engagement and can apply review restrictions after policy violations.

No review gating

Review gating means filtering customers based on sentiment — for example, sending happy customers to Google but sending unhappy customers to a private feedback form so their experience is less likely to be public.

Do not do it.

You can collect private feedback from everyone, but do not use that process to decide selectively who gets the public review opportunity.

When a review is unfair

Do not threaten the reviewer.

If a review genuinely violates a platform policy, use that platform's reporting process. A critical review is not automatically a policy violation simply because you disagree with it.

Keep evidence and respond calmly where a response is useful.

Track the habit, not just the star number

Useful measures include:

• how many real customers were asked;
• whether the review link works;
• whether new feedback mentions services you actually performed;
• whether repeated criticism identifies something to improve.

Do this now: Put one short, neutral review-request message in your phone notes or customer template. Use it after the next genuine completed job.