How soon after a job should a tradie ask for a review?

The same day or within a week, while the customer can still see the work and remembers who did it. For long projects, wait until the job is signed off and the customer has lived with the result for a few days.

Is it better to ask in person or by TXT?

Both. Ask in person at the end of the job because it is personal and hard to ignore, then send the link by TXT or email the same day so the customer has it on their phone.

Can I give customers a discount for leaving a review?

No. Google's policy does not allow incentives for reviews, including discounts, freebies and prize draws. Reviews obtained that way can be removed. Thank people for their time instead.

Does Rocket Review work with my job management software?

Xero is the built-in integration, so review requests can start from approved Xero invoices. For other software, export your customers as a CSV file and upload it, or add customers by hand. Connectors for other software with an API are assessed on request.

Guide for tradies

Google reviews for tradies: a practical guide

Most people choosing a plumber, sparky or builder read the reviews before they ring anyone. This guide covers how to ask every customer at the right moment, what to say, and how to keep reviews coming in when you are flat out on the tools.

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Why reviews matter more for trades than most businesses

A trade job is a big decision for the customer. They are letting someone into their home, often for a job they cannot judge themselves, and they usually find you by searching on their phone. Your Google Business Profile, your star rating and the most recent reviews are often the first things they see, before your website.

Recency matters as much as the rating. A 4.9 from reviews that are two years old looks like a business that has gone quiet. A steady trickle of new reviews that mention the suburb, the type of job and the person who turned up tells a new customer exactly what they will get.

When to ask

Ask when the customer can see the result and the relief is fresh. For most trades that is one of three moments:

At the end of the job, once you have walked the customer through the finished work and cleaned up.
When the invoice goes out, because the customer is already looking at your name and the job details.
After a callback or warranty fix, if you sorted it quickly. A problem handled well often earns a better review than a job that went smoothly.

For bigger projects such as renovations, landscaping or new builds, wait until the work is signed off and the customer has had a few days to live with it. Asking halfway through a six-week job rarely gets a response.

What to say on site

Keep it short and honest. Something like: "We're a small business and most of our work comes from Google. If you're happy with the job, would you mind if I sent you a link to leave a review?" Then send the link the same day by TXT or email, so the customer does not have to search for you.

Mention the job in the message. "Thanks for having us out to sort the hot water cylinder" reads as personal and reminds the customer what to write about. Our review request templates include a trades version you can copy.

Make the link do the work

Every extra step loses people. Use your direct Google review link, which opens the review form without the customer having to find your listing. Our guide to finding your Google review link shows where it lives, and the free Google review link generator makes the link, a QR code and a printable card in a couple of minutes.

A QR code on the back of your business card, on the van or on a sticker inside the meter box door gives customers a second way to find you later. See the Google review card guide for what to print.

Keep it going through busy and quiet seasons

Trades work is seasonal. Heating, insulation and roofing calls climb in winter, garden and outdoor work in spring, air conditioning in the summer heat, and the run before Christmas is flat out for nearly everyone. The trap is asking for reviews only when things are quiet, which means the busiest months, when you do the most work, produce the fewest reviews.

The fix is to tie the request to something that already happens on every job, such as the invoice. If you invoice from Xero, Rocket Review can start a review request from each approved invoice, so busy weeks produce reviews without anyone remembering to ask. If you use other job software, export a customer list as a CSV file and upload it, or add customers by hand.

Replying to reviews, good and bad

Reply to every review, briefly. Thank the customer by first name and mention the job if it is not private. Future customers read your replies as much as the reviews.

For a poor review, reply calmly, acknowledge the problem without arguing the details in public, and offer a way to talk it through. A short, fair reply often reassures new customers more than the complaint worries them. Our guide to responding to negative reviews has wording that works, and can you remove Google reviews? explains when Google will take one down.

What Google allows

Asking every customer for a review is fine.
Offering a discount, a prize draw entry or a free extra in return for a review is not.
Asking only the customers you expect to be happy is not allowed either. Send the same request to everyone.
Reviews from family, staff or mates who have not used you break 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

How soon after a job should a tradie ask for a review?: The same day or within a week, while the customer can still see the work and remembers who did it. For long projects, wait until the job is signed off and the customer has lived with the result for a few days.
Is it better to ask in person or by TXT?: Both. Ask in person at the end of the job because it is personal and hard to ignore, then send the link by TXT or email the same day so the customer has it on their phone.
Can I give customers a discount for leaving a review?: No. Google's policy does not allow incentives for reviews, including discounts, freebies and prize draws. Reviews obtained that way can be removed. Thank people for their time instead.
Does Rocket Review work with my job management software?: Xero is the built-in integration, so review requests can start from approved Xero invoices. For other software, export your customers as a CSV file and upload it, or add customers by hand. Connectors for other software with an API are assessed on request.

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