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⭐ Review Automation

Google Reviews for Contractors:
Get 5 New Reviews This Week

The free, 30-minute system that sends automatic review requests after every job — no tech skills required. Includes copy-paste SMS templates that work.

F
Fredrik Filipsson10+ years building small businesses with AI automation
⏱ 30 min to set up 💰 $0 to start (free tools) 🔧 Difficulty: Beginner 📅 Updated March 2026
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Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we've tested and would use ourselves.
88%
of homeowners check online reviews before hiring a contractor
5×
more new jobs from contractors with 50+ reviews vs. fewer than 10
$0
cost to get started — free tools handle everything
30 min
to set up your entire review automation system

If you finish a great job and forget to ask for a review, that's money left on the table. Most contractors say they ask sometimes — when they remember. That "sometimes" is the difference between 12 reviews and 120.

This guide shows you how to set up a system that asks every customer, every time — automatically, the moment a job is complete. You'll have it running in under an hour, for free.

Before Automation
  • Ask for reviews only when you remember
  • 12 reviews collected in 2 years
  • Lose jobs to competitors with more reviews
  • Awkward face-to-face review requests
  • No system for responding to negative reviews
After Automation
  • Every customer gets a review request, automatically
  • 5–10 new reviews per month consistently
  • Rank higher in Google local results
  • Friendly SMS that customers actually respond to
  • Template responses ready for any review type

✅ After Following This Guide You'll Have:

  • Your Google review link (the short URL customers click to leave a review)
  • 3 review request methods: SMS, email, and QR code sign
  • 3 personalised SMS templates ready to send
  • Automatic requests triggered when a job is marked complete
  • Professional response templates for 5-star, 4-star, and negative reviews

Tools You'll Use

🏢 Google Business Profile Free
📲 Podium Free trial → $249/mo
⚡ Zapier Free tier available
📋 Jobber / ServiceTitan Your job software

Note: You can run Steps 1–3 completely free using your phone. Podium (Step 4) makes it fully automatic but isn't required to start.

1

Get Your Google Review Link

This is the link customers click to leave you a review. You'll put it in every SMS and email.

How to find it:

  1. Go to Google.com and search for your business name
  2. Click on your business in the right-side Knowledge Panel
  3. Find the "Get more reviews" button and click it
  4. Copy the short link it gives you (looks like: g.page/r/your-business/review)
  5. Test it on your phone — it should go straight to the review form
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Google Business Profile "Get more reviews" button
💡 Pro tip: Create a free short link at bit.ly or tinyurl.com (e.g., bit.ly/YourCompanyReview). This is easier to type and looks cleaner in SMS messages.
2

Set Up 3 Review Request Methods (Pick What Works for You)

Different customers respond to different requests. Here are 3 methods — you can start with one and add more later.

Method A: SMS

Best response rate (98% open). Send within 2 hours of job completion.

Method B: Email

Good for customers who prefer email. Easier to include photos of the completed job.

Method C: QR Sign

Print a QR code sign for your vehicle, office, or to hand to customers on completion day.

To create a QR code (free): Go to qr-code-generator.com, paste your Google review link, and download the PNG. Print it at Staples or on a laminated card.

📸 Screenshot placeholder: QR code generator with Google review link pasted in
3

Write Your 3 SMS Templates

These are the exact messages to send after completing a job. Personalise the [brackets] for each customer.

Template A — Standard completion:

Hi [Customer Name], it's [Your Name] from [Company]. Just finished up — hope everything looks great! If you have 60 seconds, a Google review really helps us out: [Review Link] Thanks so much! 🙏

Template B — After a big job:

Hey [Customer Name]! The [job type] is all done. Really enjoyed working with you. When you get a chance, would you mind leaving us a Google review? It makes a huge difference for a small business: [Review Link] No worries if you're busy — just wanted to ask! 😊

Template C — Next-day follow-up (only if no response):

Hi [Customer Name], just checking in after yesterday's job. Hope you're happy with everything! If you get a moment, a Google review would mean the world: [Review Link] And let us know if anything needs attention. We stand behind our work!
💡 The golden rule: Send Template A within 2 hours of finishing the job. If no review after 24 hours, send Template C once. Never send more than 2 messages — you'll annoy people and risk a bad review.
4

Set Up Podium to Send Automatically

Podium (think of it as a "review robot") connects to your job management software. When a job is marked complete in Jobber, ServiceTitan, or Housecall Pro, Podium automatically sends a review request — you don't have to do anything.

To set up Podium:

  1. Start a free trial at Podium.com →
  2. Connect your Google Business Profile (Settings → Integrations → Google)
  3. Connect your job management tool if you use one (Podium supports Jobber, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro)
  4. Set up the trigger: "When job status changes to Complete → send review request"
  5. Paste your SMS template from Step 3 into the message box
  6. Set a 1-hour delay (so it sends after you've left the property)
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Podium dashboard showing trigger setup for automatic review requests
💡 No Podium yet? You can do this manually for free using the templates in Step 3. Start manual for 2 weeks to get in the habit, then add Podium to automate it permanently.
5

Respond to Every Review (Templates Included)

Google rewards businesses that respond to reviews — and homeowners read your responses when deciding who to hire. Here's what to say.

5-Star review response:

Thank you so much, [Name]! We loved working on your [project type] — it was a great project. We're really glad everything came out the way you hoped. If you ever need anything in the future, we're always here. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! 🙌

4-Star review response:

Thanks for the kind words, [Name]! We're glad the work came out well. If there's anything we could have done better to earn that 5th star, we'd love to hear from you — just give us a call. We always want to improve!

Negative review response:

Hi [Name], thank you for sharing your experience. We're sorry it didn't meet your expectations — that's not the standard we hold ourselves to. We'd really like to make this right. Please call us directly at [Phone Number] so we can address this properly. We appreciate you giving us the chance to fix it.
⚠️ Never argue in a review response. Potential customers are watching. A calm, professional response to a bad review is often more impressive than the 5-star reviews around it.

What Contractors Typically See After 90 Days

These are typical results for contractors who use this system consistently.

+40New Google reviews in 90 days
4.7★Average rating after 6 months
+30%More inbound leads from Google

Want Your Review System Built For You?

Our consulting team sets up Podium + Zapier + Google Business Profile in one afternoon — you arrive to a fully running review machine.

Book a Free Strategy Call → Compare Review Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I ask customers for Google reviews without being annoying?
Send one SMS within 2 hours of job completion — satisfaction is highest then. Keep it friendly, personal, and under 160 characters. Never send more than one follow-up. The templates in Step 3 are designed to feel warm, not pushy.
Can I automate Google review requests as a contractor?
Yes. Tools like Podium connect to your job management software (ServiceTitan, Jobber) and send review requests automatically when a job is marked complete — no manual work needed. You set it up once and it runs forever.
What's the best time to ask for a review after a job?
Within 1–2 hours of completing the job, while the customer is still happy and the experience is fresh. SMS open rates in this window are around 98%. Waiting until the next day or week dramatically reduces response rates.
How many Google reviews do I need to rank well locally?
Most local contractor markets require 50–100 reviews with a 4.5+ star average to rank in the top 3 Google map results. Getting there takes 3–6 months of consistent requests using this system.

What to Automate Next →

You've got your review system running. Here's what successful contractors automate next:

📧
Email Marketing for Contractors
Turn one-time customers into repeat jobs with seasonal email campaigns
 ⚡
Zapier for Contractors
Automate job confirmations, follow-ups, and lead alerts in 90 minutes
 🤖
AI Tools for Contractors
The 6 tools saving contractors 12 hours per week right now

Ready to Get Your First 5 Reviews This Week?

Start with the free SMS method in Step 3 — you can send your first review request today. Try Podium free to automate everything else.

Try Podium Free → Get Personal Help