What customers check before they call
BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 asked 1,002 US adults how they use reviews when choosing a local business. A few findings stand out for anyone in the trades:
- Recency: 74% look for reviews from the last three months. 32% want one from the last two weeks.
- Star rating: 31% will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or higher, up from 17% the year before.
- Replies: 80% are more likely to use a business that replies to all of its reviews. Half are put off by generic, copy-paste replies.
- Reading habits: 41% always read reviews when looking for a business, up from 29% in 2025.
- Impact: 85% are more likely to use a business after reading positive reviews, and 77% are put off by negative ones.
The takeaway is simple. A pile of old reviews tells a customer what you were like. A steady stream of new ones tells them what you’re like now. A profile with 200 reviews and nothing since June reads like a business that’s slowed down, even when it’s busier than ever.
Fix 01: Ask after every finished job
The contractors with the most reviews ask every time.
- Ask the same day. The job is fresh, the customer is happy the leak is fixed, and a text takes them 30 seconds.
- Send a direct link. In your Google Business Profile, open Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy your review link. A link that opens the review form makes leaving a review far easier than “find us on Google.”
- Keep the ask short. “Thanks for having us out today. If you’re happy with the job, a quick Google review would really help us: [link].”
- Ask everyone. Don’t screen for happy customers first. Google’s review policies don’t allow businesses to selectively ask only satisfied customers, and it isn’t needed: if the work is good, most reviews will be too.
Make it part of closing out the job, like taking the final photo. If it depends on someone remembering at 6pm, it won’t happen.
Fix 02: Reply to every review in your own words
Every future customer reads your replies, along with the person who wrote the review. A good reply shows you pay attention.
For a positive review:
- Thank them by name.
- Mention the job (“glad the new water heater is running well”).
- Add one specific detail, or a tip for keeping it that way.
- Sign off with your name.
Those four lines are enough. Avoid pasting the same reply under every review: half of customers say generic, copy-paste replies put them off.
For a negative review:
- Reply within a day or two, calmly.
- Acknowledge the problem without arguing the details in public.
- State what you’ve done or offered to fix it.
- Give a direct number or name so they can reach you.
Future customers read how you handled it. A calm, specific answer can win you work.
Fix 03: Check your newest review date every Monday
Pick one person and one day. Every Monday, open your Google Business Profile and look at the date of your most recent review.
- Less than two weeks old: the asking is working.
- More than two weeks old (or older than your last few jobs, if you do fewer, bigger jobs): the asks have stopped somewhere. Find out where: a new tech, a busy week, a broken link.
It takes one minute, and it catches the problem before your profile starts to look quiet.
This week’s checklist
- Copy your Google review link and save it as a text shortcut on every phone that closes out jobs.
- Reply to every review from the last month that doesn’t have a reply yet.
- Put “check newest review date” in the Monday calendar.
Common questions
How many Google reviews do I need?There’s no magic number. A steady flow of recent reviews and a rating of 4.5 or higher matter more than a big total, given that 74% of customers look at the last three months and 31% filter on 4.5 stars.
Can I offer a discount for a review?No. Google’s policies don’t allow incentives for reviews, and it puts your profile at risk. Asking quickly and making it easy works better anyway.
Should I reply to old reviews?Yes, if they have no reply. It shows the next customer you read every review, old or new.
How Goanna Digital handles this
Every Goanna Digital plan sends a review request once a job is finished and fully paid, and your customer’s own page includes a place to leave one. We handle replies, and your Google Business Profile is set up and managed, with regular Google posts featuring your real jobs. Your monthly plain-English summary keeps you up to date.
Want this handled for you?
Goanna Digital runs your website, your Google presence, your lead inbox, estimates and invoicing from one app on your phone.
Sources
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (1,002 US adults, published February 11, 2026): https://www.brightlocal.com/research/consumer-review-survey/
- PinMeTo summary of the BrightLocal survey: https://www.pinmeto.com/news/brightlocal-local-consumer-review-survey-2026/
- Google Business Profile Help, “Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews”: https://support.google.com/business/answer/16816815
- Google Maps user-contributed content policy (fake engagement, incentives and selective soliciting): https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114