Google Reviews for Salons: Get 5 New Reviews This Week (Free Method)
Before Automation
- Awkwardly ask for reviews in person
- Most clients forget immediately
- Stuck at 12 Google reviews
- New clients choose competitors with 200+ reviews
- Manual follow-up is exhausting
After Automation
- Automated text 2 hours after appointment
- Clients review from their couch
- 5-10 new reviews per week
- Top salon ranking in Google Maps
- Hands-off once set up
After this tutorial you'll have:
- Your direct Google review link ready to use
- Automated text request system operational
- 5 proven review request templates
- A system to respond to negative reviews
- 5-10 new reviews in your first month
Tools You'll Need (All Free to Start)
5-Step Tutorial
Get Your Google Review Link
5 minutes
- Go to Google Business Profile (search "google business profile" in Google)
- Sign in with your salon's Google account
- Click on your salon name in the left menu
- Scroll down and find the "Get more reviews" section
- Click the Copy button to copy the unique review link
- Save this link somewhere safe—you'll use it in every text message
💡 Pro tip: Your link should start with "google.com/reviews/" followed by a long ID. This is your golden ticket to automated reviews.
Choose Your Review Request Method
2 minutes to decide
Method A: Podium Text Automation (Recommended for most salons)
Why: Hands-off. Send review requests automatically 2 hours after every appointment. Podium has a free trial, so test it first.
How: Connect your booking system to Podium. Set it to send a text 2 hours after appointment completion. Done.
Cost: Free trial, then $99-199/month (but you'll get it back in new bookings)
Method B: Zapier + SMS Gateway (DIY option)
Why: Completely free. Use Zapier to connect your booking system to Twilio or another SMS service. More setup, but zero cost.
How: Create a Zapier automation: "When appointment ends → send SMS with review link 2 hours later"
Cost: Free (Zapier free tier), Twilio SMS costs ~$0.01 per text
Method C: Manual Text (Simplest)
Why: No setup needed. You manually send texts from your phone right after appointments. Takes 30 seconds per client.
How: Copy one of the templates below and paste + send via text as you close out each appointment.
Cost: Free (you're just using your phone's texting)
Most salons start with Method C (manual), then upgrade to Podium after seeing results.
Write Your Review Request Texts
10 minutes
- Pick the template that sounds like you
- Replace [Name] with the client's first name (more personal)
- Replace [Salon Name] with your salon's name
- Replace [link] with the Google review link from Step 1
- Save it somewhere you can copy-paste (notes app, Podium, Zapier)
📝 Pro tip: The emoji at the end of the message (💅 or 😄) increases engagement by 34%. People are more likely to click links in friendly messages.
Set Up Podium Automation
15 minutes
- Go to podium.com (use this link for free trial)
- Sign up for Podium's free trial (no credit card needed)
- Connect your Google Business Profile in Podium's settings
- Connect your salon's booking system (Acuity Scheduling, Vagaro, etc.)
- Go to "Automations" → Create new automation
- Set trigger: "When appointment status changes to completed"
- Set delay: 2 hours (people have time to relax and think about reviewing)
- Add your review request text (from Step 3)
- Enable the automation
- You're done! Podium now sends review requests automatically
⏱️ Why 2 hours? Clients need time to cool down (especially if haircut took longer than expected). A 2-hour delay gives them time to calm down, snap a selfie, and feel motivated to review.
Respond to Every Review
2-3 minutes per review
How to respond: Go to your Google Business Profile → Reviews section → Click on each review → Click "Respond"
Response Template for 5-Star Reviews:
Response Template for 4-Star Reviews:
Response Template for Negative Reviews (1-3 Stars):
- Always respond within 24-48 hours
- Use the client's name (personalization matters)
- For 5-star reviews: Thank them, keep it short and warm
- For 4-star reviews: Acknowledge feedback, invite them back
- For negative reviews: Apologize, offer a solution, take it offline
- Never argue with negative reviews—stay professional
🎯 Pro tip: Salons that respond to every review see 25% more customer inquiries. It's not just good for reputation—it's good for business.
Salons using automated review requests get 5× more Google reviews
The difference between manually asking and automated texts is enormous. Stop relying on hope. Start automating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ask customers for reviews at the salon? +
Yes, you can ask in person, but it's significantly less effective. When you ask face-to-face, customers feel put on the spot and often forget. A text message sent 2 hours after they leave is much more likely to get a response because:
- They're home and relaxed (not feeling rushed)
- They can review from their phone with one tap
- They have a direct link, not a vague instruction to "find us on Google"
- It feels less like a request and more like a helpful reminder
The data is clear: automated texts get 5× more reviews than in-person asks.
What if I get a bad review? +
Bad reviews happen to every salon, even great ones. The key is responding quickly and professionally. Here's what to do:
- Respond within 24-48 hours — Speed shows you care
- Acknowledge the issue — Don't dismiss their experience
- Apologize if appropriate — Even if it wasn't entirely your fault, empathy goes a long way
- Offer a solution — Free touch-up, discount, or direct conversation
- Take it offline — Ask them to message you or call so you can resolve it privately
Potential customers actually trust salons that respond to negative reviews better than salons with only 5-star reviews. It shows you're real and stand behind your work.
How long until I see results? +
Timeline depends on your setup method:
- Method C (manual texts): First reviews in 3-5 days
- Method A or B (automated): First reviews in 1-2 weeks
- 5-10 reviews per week: After 4-6 weeks of consistent requests
- Significant ranking impact: After 20-30 new reviews
The most important factor is consistency. Send review requests after every appointment. Salons that skip weeks won't see the growth they expect.
Is Podium worth paying for? +
Podium's free trial lets you test it first, so you can decide based on real results. Here's the economics:
- Podium cost: $99-199/month
- If you get 5-10 new reviews/week: That's 20-40 reviews/month
- Each new review brings ~2 new clients: That's 40-80 new appointments/month
- At $60-100 per appointment: That's $2,400-8,000 in new revenue
The verdict: If Podium helps you get 5-10 reviews per week, the paid plan pays for itself 10× over. Plus, you save time not manually texting every client.
Start with the free trial and manual method. If you're consistently getting reviews, upgrade to Podium.