Where should a cafe put its Google review QR code?

Where people wait or pay: on the receipt, the bill folder, a table card or by the coffee pickup point. A code that opens the review form directly works better than one that opens your Google listing.

Can we give a free coffee to customers who leave a review?

No. Google's policy does not allow rewards for reviews, including free food or drinks and discounts. Reviews obtained that way can be removed.

How should a restaurant reply to a bad Google review?

Reply within a day or two, thank the person, apologise for the experience without arguing the details, and invite them to contact you directly. Keep it short and never share booking details in public.

Can Rocket Review send requests after bookings or functions?

Yes. Upload a CSV of guests or function organisers from your booking system, or add them by hand, and Rocket Review sends each one a request by email or SMS/TXT after the delay you choose. Xero invoices can also trigger requests if you invoice functions or catering through Xero.

Guide for hospitality

Google reviews for cafes, restaurants and accommodation

Diners and travellers check Google before they choose where to eat or stay, and they pay close attention to the most recent reviews. This guide covers how to ask without slowing service, how to follow up bookings and functions, and how to reply when you are run off your feet.

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Why hospitality is different

Hospitality has more customers and shorter visits than almost any other business. That is an advantage, because you have far more people who could review you, and a challenge, because most of them leave without you knowing their name or number.

It also means your rating moves quickly. A busy weekend with a short-staffed kitchen can bring several unhappy reviews in a day. The best protection is a steady flow of reviews from ordinary good visits, so one bad night does not define you.

Ask at the table, the counter and the door

For walk-in trade, the ask needs to be visible and quick:

A small QR code on the bill folder, the receipt or a table card that opens your Google review form directly. The free Google review link generator makes the code and a printable card.
A line from staff when a table is clearly happy: "Glad you enjoyed it. If you have a second, a Google review really helps us."
A sign by the door or the coffee pickup point, for customers who are in a hurry but might scan it while they wait.

See our guide to Google review QR codes for where codes get scanned and where they get ignored.

Follow up bookings, functions and stays

When you do have contact details, use them. Online bookings, function enquiries, catering orders and accommodation stays all come with an email address or phone number. Send a short thank-you the day after the visit with your review link.

Functions and Christmas parties are worth extra attention. The organiser has usually spent weeks planning, chose you over other venues, and is often relieved and grateful the next day. A personal note from the manager to the organiser, with the link, tends to get a detailed review that helps you win the next booking.

For accommodation, send the request after check-out, not during the stay. Guests who had a problem should be able to tell you privately first so you can put it right.

Bring the team in on it

In hospitality the person who earns the review is usually the one serving, not the owner. Explain to the team once, at a pre-shift briefing, why reviews matter: most new customers check Google before they walk in, and recent reviews that mention friendly service bring in the next booking.

Give staff a single line they are comfortable saying, and let them choose when to use it. Forced scripts at every table feel awkward and customers notice. A natural moment, such as a regular saying the meal was great or a guest thanking someone at check-out, is all it takes.

Share good reviews with the team when they come in, especially ones that name a staff member. It costs nothing, it keeps people asking, and it shows new staff what good service looks like in your place. When a review is critical, talk it through privately with the people involved rather than in front of the whole team.

Busy seasons: summer, holidays and events

Summer holidays, long weekends, school holidays, local festivals and big sporting events bring in visitors who may never come back, but whose reviews will be read by the next wave. Visitors also tend to review on the day, so make the QR code easy to find when the place is full.

Quieter months are a good time to tidy your Google Business Profile: current opening hours, holiday hours, menus, photos of the food and the space, and replies to anything you missed in the rush. Our seasonal review calendar sets out what to do month by month.

Replying when you are flat out

Set aside ten minutes on a quiet morning each week to reply. Thank people for specific things they mention, such as a dish or a staff member. For complaints about waits, cold food or a rude moment, apologise for the experience, avoid excuses about staffing, and invite them to get in touch directly.

Do not reply in anger to a review you think is unfair, and never reveal details about a guest's booking. Our guide to responding to negative reviews has calm wording for the hard ones, and the longer guide to reviews for restaurants covers menus, photos and staff training.

What not to do

No free coffee, dessert or discount in exchange for a review. Google does not allow it.
Do not ask only the tables that look happy. Offer the same link to everyone.
Do not write reviews for yourself or ask staff to. It breaks Google's policy and can mislead customers, which also raises fair trading issues.

Let the requests send themselves

Rocket Review sends your review request to every customer you approve, by email, or by SMS/TXT on Growth and Pro, after the delay you choose, with one optional reminder. Customers come in from Xero invoices, a CSV upload or manual entry, and every customer gets the same two choices: a public Google review or private feedback to you. You can read and reply to your Google reviews from the same dashboard.

Starter $39, Growth $59 and Pro $99 a month, in NZD excl. GST. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, and you do not need a card to start. See pricing or how automated review requests work.

Common questions

Where should a cafe put its Google review QR code?: Where people wait or pay: on the receipt, the bill folder, a table card or by the coffee pickup point. A code that opens the review form directly works better than one that opens your Google listing.
Can we give a free coffee to customers who leave a review?: No. Google's policy does not allow rewards for reviews, including free food or drinks and discounts. Reviews obtained that way can be removed.
How should a restaurant reply to a bad Google review?: Reply within a day or two, thank the person, apologise for the experience without arguing the details, and invite them to contact you directly. Keep it short and never share booking details in public.
Can Rocket Review send requests after bookings or functions?: Yes. Upload a CSV of guests or function organisers from your booking system, or add them by hand, and Rocket Review sends each one a request by email or SMS/TXT after the delay you choose. Xero invoices can also trigger requests if you invoice functions or catering through Xero.

More guides

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