The rules you must not break
Review platforms want reviews that reflect real experiences. Their rules differ in detail, but the main ones are the same almost everywhere.
- No incentives. Do not offer a discount, gift card, raffle entry or anything else for a review. Not even for an honest one, and not even after the review is posted.
- No gating. Do not ask only the customers you expect to be happy. Do not send a survey first and pass only the good ones on to a review site. Ask everyone the same way.
- No reviews from yourself, staff or family. Do not review a competitor either.
- No buying or trading reviews. Not from a service, not from another roofer, not as a favor.
- No pressure. Do not write the review for the customer or stand over them while they post it.
- No deals to remove a bad review. Do not offer money or free work for a customer to take a review down.
Google's rules for its business profiles forbid incentives and selective asking. Other platforms have similar rules. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission also acts against fake reviews and review suppression. A platform can remove reviews that break its rules, and it can add a warning to your profile. One shortcut can undo years of honest reviews.
On our site, the review policy says a review must not be paid for or rewarded, and must not come from the owner, staff or a rival.
Ask at the right moment
The best moment is the final walk-through. The roof is done, the yard is clean, and the customer is pleased. Ask in person, then follow up with a link.
- At the walk-through: "Would you leave us a short review? It helps people near you find a roofer they can trust."
- The same evening: send a text with your review link, so it takes one tap.
- Day three: if no review came, send a short email with the link.
- Day ten: one last text, only to a customer who said yes but did not post. Then stop.
Ask for detail, not for stars. "It helps if you mention the job, such as a full replacement or a leak repair" leads to reviews that tell the next homeowner something useful.
Find your Google review short link in your Google Business Profile. Use the same ask and the same timing for every customer, so no one can say you picked only the happy ones.
Reply to every review
Homeowners read your replies as closely as the reviews. A short, warm reply to a 5-star review shows you care. A calm reply to a 1-star review can win more trust than the review loses.
- Thank them. Use their first name, and name the job if you can.
- For a good review, keep it short. Two sentences is enough.
- For a bad review, reply within a day or two. Say you are sorry they had a bad experience. Say in one sentence what you will do. Ask them to call you so you can talk it through.
- Do not argue in public. Do not share the customer's private details, prices or claim information.
- Fix the problem if it is real. Then the customer may update the review on their own. Do not ask them to change it in return for the fix.
When a review is fake
If you believe a review is not from a real customer, use the platform's report process. Say why, for example that you have no record of the name or the address. Keep a record of what you sent. Then post a short, calm reply that says you cannot find the job and invites the writer to call you.
Never pay anyone who offers to remove reviews for a fee. Only the platform decides what comes down.