50 marketing mistakes / Mistake #24
Mistake #24 of 50Don’t forget to ask for reviews.
Happy customers say nothing unless you ask. Make asking part of your routine.
What it costs you
Nobody asked.
Think about the last time you needed a new dentist or a place for dinner.
You looked them up. You read the reviews.
Your customers do the same thing. At 2 in the morning, while you’re asleep, somebody is reading what people said about you and deciding whether to call.
You can’t be there for that moment. Your reviews can.
But happy customers don’t write reviews on their own. Not because they don’t love you. Because nobody asked.
A real example
The groomer with 12 reviews
A dog groomer does beautiful work. Happy dogs. Happy owners. People rave about her to their friends.
She has 12 reviews online.
Her customers would have been glad to write one. It just never crossed their minds.
So she starts doing one simple thing. Every time a dog goes home, she texts the owner a photo of the freshly groomed pup and a link to leave a review.
A year later, she has more than 200.
Same groomer. Same work. She just started asking.
The only thing that changed was one text.
Why it happens
Why the reviews never come
Every customer you don’t ask is a review you didn’t get.
Do this instead
Ask every customer. Every day.
Ask at the finish line, when the job is done and they’re happy. Ask in person first. Then send the link the same day, so it’s one tap. And ask everyone, not just the ones you think will love you.
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| A text | Sent the same day the job is done, starting with a thank-you |
| Your receipt or invoice | “Happy with us? Tell your neighbors.” Plus the QR code |
| The counter | A small sign with the QR code, right by the register |
| Your thank-you note | One line and the QR code |
| Your email signature | “Loved working with us? Leave a review.” |
| Every review that comes in | A short, personal thank-you, with their name |
Answer every review, good and bad. A bad review answered calmly and kindly can sell you better than a good one. And follow the rules: never pay for a review, never give a gift in exchange for one, and never fake one. Just ask, every time.
Do this today
- 1
Find your Google review link, and save it in your phone.
- 2
Turn it into a QR code.
- 3
Text it to every customer you served this week, starting with “Thank you.”
- 4
Answer every review you already have.
Your customers already love you. Ask them to say it where other people can read it.
Stolen from the masters · Jeff Bezos
When Amazon was just a little online bookstore, Jeff Bezos let customers post reviews of the books, good ones and bad ones. Some people thought he’d lost his mind. Why would a store let customers trash the things it was trying to sell? His answer was simple:
“We don’t make money when we sell things. We make money when we help customers make purchase decisions.”
That’s what your reviews do. They help the next customer decide, while you’re asleep.
From the book
Chapter 18: Ask for the Review
Starts on page 161. The whole chapter, plus 250+ ways to market your business, in the free book.
Download the free bookIdeas that fix it
Put your review link in front of them.
Idea 64 · book page 293Stickers$0.25–$1 eachGood stickers end up on laptops, bottles and cars: free ads.
Idea 134 · book page 328Pet Bandanas$3–$10 eachThe customer literally walks your ad around the neighborhood.
Idea 186 · book page 354Aprons$15–$40 eachA uniform and an ad in one.Want a plan that brings in reviews every week?
Our team hand-curates a marketing plan for your business, your location and your market. Free, and ready in 2 to 3 business days.