Ask anyone how they choose a tradesperson they have never used before and reviews come up within a sentence. A profile with a handful of genuine, recent reviews looks alive. A profile with none looks like a gamble.
The good news: the first five are the hardest, and you can get them in a few weeks with a simple routine.
Start with people who already rate you
You almost certainly have customers who were happy with your work but were never asked to say so. Make a list:
- Customers from the last six to twelve months
- Repeat customers
- Landlords, letting agents or property managers you work for regularly
- Contractors you have subcontracted for, if they were the customer
These people already like you. Most will happily leave a review if you make it easy and ask at the right time.
Make it one tap
In your Google Business Profile there is an option to ask for reviews, which gives you a short link that opens the review box directly. Save it in your phone notes so you can paste it in seconds.
Then send a short, personal message. Something like:
Hi Sarah, thanks again for having us do the bathroom. If you were happy with the job, would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It really helps a small business like ours. Here is the link: [your link]
Keep it personal, keep it short, and send it yourself rather than from a faceless system.
Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask is when the customer is happiest: at the end of the job, when they have just said "that looks brilliant". Ask in person, then send the link that evening while it is fresh. A week later, the moment has gone.
Make it a habit, not a campaign
Five reviews in one week and then nothing for a year looks odd. A steady trickle looks natural and keeps your profile fresh. Build it into the end of every job: finish, tidy up, invoice, send the review link.
Reply to every review
Thank people by name. If you get a bad review, reply calmly and politely, explain what you did to put it right, and do not argue. Future customers read your replies as much as the reviews. A professional answer to a complaint can win you more trust than another five stars.
What not to do, and why it matters more now
It can be tempting to "get the ball rolling" with a few reviews from friends, or by paying a service that promises five-star reviews. Do not.
- In the UK, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act banned fake reviews from 6 April 2025. That includes writing or commissioning fake reviews and hiding the fact that a review was incentivised. The Competition and Markets Authority can fine businesses up to 10% of their global turnover.
- In the US, the Federal Trade Commission's rule on fake reviews and testimonials took effect on 21 October 2024. It covers fake reviews, buying reviews and reviews from insiders presented as customers, and allows fines for each violation.
- Google's own rules forbid fake reviews, paying or rewarding customers for reviews, and only asking customers you know are happy. Profiles caught doing it can lose reviews or be suspended.
On top of the legal risk, fake reviews simply do not work for long. Customers notice reviews that all sound the same, competitors report them, and one exposed fake review undoes years of honest work.
So: no reviews from family pretending to be customers, no "leave us five stars and get 10% off", no paid review packages. Ask real customers, every time, and let the reviews be whatever they are.
Use your reviews everywhere
Once you have a few, use them. Quote one or two on your website (with the customer's first name and town, and their permission), mention them when you send quotes, and keep collecting.
On a SiteForTrades website you add real reviews yourself, with the customer's name, town and where they left it. We never invent reviews or star ratings for you, because a trade's reputation is the one thing that cannot be faked.