How to ask for a review without feeling like a pest
Six scripts that work at a counter, at a front door, and over the phone — none of which mention five stars.
· 4 min read
The thing that makes asking awkward is the implied favour. You are asking them to do unpaid work for you, and both of you know it. The fix is to make the work almost nothing and to name the reason.
“If you've got ten seconds, tapping your phone here really helps us — we're a small team and reviews are most of how people find us.” That is it. You have named the effort, named the reason, and pointed at a thing. No stars mentioned, which matters: asking specifically for five stars breaches Google's policies and reads as desperate.
For tradies the line is different because the moment is different. You are packing up. “Job all good? If you're happy, tap this on your phone before I go — takes ten seconds and it genuinely keeps me busy.” Handing over an object does most of the work.
What never works: asking by SMS with no link, asking a week later, and asking twice.
