Here's something that blew my mind when I first heard it: 90% of people read online reviews before they buy anything. Seriously! I thought my wife was the only one who spent twenty minutes reading Amazon reviews for a £3 phone case, but turns out nearly everyone does it. It reminded me of my old dog Buster - he never approached another dog without having a proper sniff first. Smart boy, that Buster was.
Why Reviews Are Like Dog Logic (Bear With Me...)
You know what I love about dogs? They're brutally honest about trust. My mate's Labrador won't even take a treat from you unless he's had a good sniff and decided you're alright. No offense, but that dog's got better judgment than most of my teenage customers back when I worked retail!
And that's exactly what your customers are doing online. They can't smell your business (thankfully - some of the plumbers I work with...), so they rely on what other people say. Reviews are their "sniff test." Makes perfect sense when you think about it, doesn't it?
Some Numbers That'll Make You Spit Out Your Coffee
I'll be honest - when I first saw these stats, I thought they were made up. But then I watched my own behavior. Last week I spent fifteen minutes reading reviews for a £12 curry house. Fifteen minutes! For a curry! That's when it really hit home.
How I Help My Clients Get Reviews (Without Being Annoying)
🎯 My "Right Place, Right Time" Method:
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1
Strike while they're happy: I had this electrician client, Dave. He used to ask for reviews three weeks after the job. Rubbish! Now he asks right when he's packing up his tools and the customer's chuffed with their new socket. Works a treat.
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2
Make it dead simple: None of this "please search for us on Google" nonsense. Send them a direct link. One click, job done. I've got a plumber who gets 3x more reviews just by doing this.
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3
Follow up once (nicely): A gentle text a few days later. "Hope the new boiler's keeping you toasty! If you're happy with the work, a quick review would mean the world to us." Works better than being pushy.
What Happens When You Ignore This Stuff
I've got this builder client - lovely bloke, does brilliant work. But he's old school, doesn't "do" the internet much. His competitor down the road has 47 Google reviews. He's got 3. Guess who gets more phone calls? It's painful to watch, really.
- People choose businesses with more reviews (even if they're not better)
- Google shows businesses with fresh reviews higher in search results
- You miss out on free feedback that could actually improve your business
Real Talk from Phil:
Bad reviews aren't the end of the world - honestly. I had a roofer client get a proper stinker of a review last year. He replied professionally, explained what went wrong, and offered to fix it for free. The customer updated their review to 5 stars, and three new customers mentioned they hired him because of how he handled that situation. Sometimes the best marketing comes from how you deal with problems, not avoiding them.
Right, So What's Next?
Look, getting more reviews isn't rocket science, but it does need a proper system. I've been doing this for ten years now, and I've seen what works and what's a complete waste of time. The difference between businesses drowning in 5-star reviews and those struggling to get any isn't talent or luck - it's having the right process.
That's where I come in. I set up review systems for local businesses that run on autopilot. No more awkward conversations with customers, no more forgetting to follow up, no more wondering why your competitor with worse work has better reviews than you.