How to get more Google reviews as a plumber in NZ

Most plumbing work comes from someone searching "plumber near me" with water somewhere it should not be. They look at the map, compare the star rating and the number of reviews, and ring one of the top three. A steady flow of recent reviews is the cheapest way to be one of those three.

The best moment to ask a plumber's customer

The best moment is right after the problem has gone away. A hot water cylinder that works again, a leak that has stopped, a toilet that flushes: the relief is real and so is the gratitude.

• At handover. Before you pack up, while you are showing them what you did.
• On the invoice. The customer sees it again when they pay, which is a second chance at the moment they are still thinking kindly of you.
• A text that evening or the next morning. Good for the customers who were at work during the job.

A message you can copy

Text it, email it, or read it out. Change the parts in brackets.

Hi [first name], thanks for having us out today. It was good to get your [hot water / leak / drains] sorted. If you have a minute, a Google review really helps a small local business like ours. This link opens it straight away: [your link]. Cheers, [your name], [business name]

Short, warm, one link. Do not add a discount or a prize, because that is an incentive and breaks Google's rules. You can read the details in our guide on incentives for reviews.

Where to put your review link

1. A QR code sticker on the van. Customers often stand at the van door while you load up.
2. A QR code on your invoices and quotes. One scan and the review box is open.
3. A QR code on the tag or sticker you leave on the cylinder or meter box. It is the thing the customer looks at again in a year, when they need you back.

You can make your link and QR code free with our review link and QR code generator.

Ask every customer

Ask every job, not just the ones you are sure went well. Plumbers have an unusual advantage here: most customers are very relieved, and a short request catches them at the best time. Asking everyone also keeps you inside the rules. We cover this in is review gating illegal.

If a job did not go smoothly, offer a private way to tell you about it next to the public link. Everyone still gets the public option, and you get to fix the problem fast.

Reply to what you get

A short, human reply to every review shows the next customer how you treat people. Name the job, say thanks, sign off with your first name.

Take the remembering out of it

You are under a sink most of the day. If a request goes out automatically after each job, the asking happens even on the days you forget. That is what Goodshout does, and it is free to try with a small number of requests each month.