Getting More Customer Reviews and Local Reputation

For a trade business, reputation is often the only marketing that genuinely works. When a homeowner needs an electrician, plumber or carpenter, the first thing they usually do is search online, and the first thing they look at is the stars and what other people have written. You could have twenty years of experience and flawless workmanship, but if you have three reviews and your competitor has sixty, you lose the job before the phone even rings. The good news: reviews are one of the few areas where a small local operator can beat the big players, because they come from real customers in your own area.

This guide is about how to ask for reviews systematically, handle both praise and criticism, and build a reputation that brings in work year after year, without ever feeling pushy.

Why reviews decide whether the phone rings

Most buying journeys start with a search like "electrician [your town]" or "plumber near me". Google then shows a local list with map pins, ratings and review counts. Research into consumer behaviour consistently suggests that a clear majority of customers read reviews before contacting a local business, and that they trust them almost as much as a personal recommendation. Exact figures vary between studies and years, so treat them as a direction rather than a fixed truth.

Three things tend to matter most to a local buyer:

• The number of reviews. A business with a 4.6 average across 80 reviews feels safer than one with 5.0 across four reviews.
• How recent they are. A review from last month says more than one from 2019. A steady stream signals that you are still active and reliable.
• How you respond. Replying to reviews, especially the critical ones, shows that you take customers seriously.

Set up and nurture your Google Business Profile

The single most important platform for a Swedish trade business is the Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). It is free and it controls how you appear on Google Maps and in local search. If you have not done so already, start here:

• Create or claim the profile and verify it (usually by postcard or phone).
• Fill in everything: correct business name, phone number, opening hours, the area you serve and the services you offer.
• Add real photos, ideally before/after shots of completed jobs. Your own pictures beat stock images every time.
• Keep the details identical everywhere: the same name, address and phone number on your website, on hitta.se and on eniro.se. Inconsistent information confuses both customers and Google.

Do not forget industry-specific sites. Many Swedish consumers also check reco.se and, for construction work, platforms tied to quote matching. Do not spread yourself too thin, but if your customers are on reco.se, you should be there too.

Ask for reviews systematically, not at random

The most common mistake is waiting for customers to write something on their own. Happy customers rarely do it spontaneously; unhappy ones do it far more often. The fix is to make the ask a natural part of every finished job.

What works in practice:

• Ask when satisfaction peaks. That is right after the job is done and the customer sees the result, not three weeks later. "Glad you're happy, it would mean a lot if you'd leave a couple of lines on Google" takes ten seconds to say.
• Make it effortless. Send a direct link to your review page by email, or put a QR code on the invoice. The fewer the clicks, the more the reviews. Never ask the customer to "find you on Google".
• Be personal. An email that mentions their specific job ("thanks for letting us replace your fuse box in Bromma") gets more responses than a generic blast.
• Be persistent but not naggy. One friendly reminder is plenty. More than that becomes intrusive.

Having the right system helps here. When you invoice and communicate through FieldApp, you already have the customer's email and you know exactly when the job is finished, so it is easy to send a well-worded thank-you with a review link in the same flow, rather than trying to remember it after the fact.

What you must never do

The temptation to cut corners is always there, but it is not worth it. Google and most platforms explicitly forbid buying reviews, writing them yourself, or asking friends who were not customers to post them. Fake reviews can be removed and, in the worst case, your profile suspended. In Sweden it may also breach the Marketing Act and be judged misleading by the Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket). Verify the current rules with Konsumentverket and each platform's terms, as these are updated over time.

A grey area is rewarding reviews with a discount or gift. Paying for a positive review is not allowed. Encouraging honest feedback regardless of rating is a finer line, but stay on the safe side: ask for an honest review, not a good one.

Reply to every review, especially the bad ones

A low rating is not the end, it is a chance to show how you handle problems. Many customers weigh how a business responds to criticism more heavily than the complaint itself.

• Respond quickly and calmly. Thank them for the feedback, acknowledge the experience and offer to put it right. Never get defensive or accusatory in public.
• Take the details offline. "Please call me on [phone] and we'll sort this out" shows resolve without airing the laundry in public.
• Thank people for the good ones too. A short, personal reply to a positive review feels genuine and encourages others to write.
• Handle unfair reviews with composure. If a review is fake or from someone who was never a customer, you can report it to the platform, but do so without losing your tone in public.

Build a reputation that lasts

Reviews are the tip of an iceberg. Below the surface sits everything that does not show but drives it all: turning up on time, giving clear quotes, cleaning up after yourself, and getting in touch if something is delayed. A reliable, documented way of working, with clear self-inspection, photos of the finished work and tidy paperwork, makes customers feel safe and therefore happy to recommend you. The reviews then become a by-product of the job being done well, not something you have to chase.

Set up a simple routine: ask for a review after every completed job, reply to everything within a couple of days, and check how your average is trending once a quarter. Do that consistently and your local reputation will grow on its own, and the jobs with it.

Want that routine built into your day rather than your memory? Try FieldApp free for 14 days and let booking, invoicing and customer follow-up connect, so the review ask becomes a natural last step in every job.