Asking Google Reviews Politely (and Effectively)

When to ask (timing is 80% of success)

• Right after a happy moment: service done, goods received, issue solved.
• Never: 3 months later, or while a complaint is open.

Wording that works

• "Got 30 seconds? Tap this link, stars plus one sentence."
• Send the direct review link (1 click to the form), not "search our name on Google".
• For delighted customers: "tell which part helped most".

Managing what comes in

• Reply to 100% of reviews, name + specifics.
• Bad review: brief public apology + solve privately, then update the outcome.
• Never buy or swap reviews — patterns get detected and it backfires.

50 real reviews beat 500 passive followers for local business.