When someone needs a plumber, an electrician or a builder, they are letting a stranger into their home and trusting them with real money. Reviews are how they decide who to trust.
For trades, a handful of strong, recent, detailed reviews often beats a big rating count. Here is how to get them and use them.
What homeowners look for
- Recent jobs like theirs. "Replaced a boiler in a terraced house" says more than "great service".
- Reliability. Turning up when promised, tidying up, communicating.
- How you handle problems. Every trade has a job that goes wrong. Readers watch how you respond.
When to ask
Ask on the day the job is signed off, when the customer is standing in a finished kitchen or has hot water again.
- In person: "If you are happy with the work, an honest review really helps us. I will text you the link."
- Then send the link the same afternoon.
For longer projects, you can also ask at a natural milestone, but keep the main ask for the end.
What to ask them to mention
You cannot tell people what to write, and you should not. But you can help them be specific:
If you have a minute, an honest review helps other homeowners. It is useful if you mention what the job was and the area.
That nudge produces reviews like "Fixed a leaking stack pipe in Hove, explained everything, cleaned up", which are exactly what future customers search for.
Replying to the hard ones
"The quote went up"
Explain briefly and factually, without blame.
Thanks for the feedback, Sam. Once the floor was up we found rotten joists that were not visible at quote stage. I should have explained the extra cost more clearly before starting, and I am sorry it felt like a surprise.
"They were late" or "they never turned up"
Own it. Say what you have changed.
Disputes about workmanship
Move it offline immediately and offer to inspect. Never argue technical details in public.
Our reply templates for every star rating cover the general shapes.
Show proof where decisions happen
Trades have more places to show reviews than most businesses:
- On quotes and invoices: your rating and a link to check it.
- On your van and site boards: a QR code to your review page.
- On your website: a live, checkable seal rather than a pasted star graphic. See your seal beyond your website.
Avoid the traps
- No incentives. No discount on the next job for a review. Google prohibits incentives and the FTC rule bans rewards tied to positive reviews.
- No gating. Ask every customer, not just the delighted ones.
- No reviews from family or friends who did not use your services.
How Reputfy helps trades
Reputfy keeps your reviews from every site in one place, lets you send the same review request to every finished job, drafts replies you approve, and seals each review so a homeowner can see it has not been edited. The seal on your quotes, website and van tells them your reviews are real.
