Janet: So for listeners out there who may not have ever heard of the phrase local service ad, if you whip out your phone or you’re in front of a computer, do a search on something like Roofers near me and you should see some ads at the top of the screen screen that have a green check mark that say Google guaranteed. Those are paid placements as part of the local service ad program that Google has. And Arden is absolutely right. If you don’t have any reviews, even if you want to give Google your money, your local service ads are not going to run. So you know, people, if they’re doing a search and they are presented with multiple options through, through those local service ads and they see one business with 250 reviews and a 4.8 rating and another business with 12 reviews at five stars, they’re probably going to pick on the one with two pick the one with 250 reviews because it feels like a more established business.

Arden: Exactly. It’s kind of like social proof at a scale and it’s also giving you fresh user generated content. You know, the more reviews you have, that’s more voices speaking for your brand. And Google loves that as well. Not just people, it’s seeing ongoing activity and that’s also going to start to play in hand not just with those LSAs but also with some of your SEO and organic rankings as well.

Janet: So one Thing that I think it’s important to mention here it is, August 2025. It’s the year that AI seems like it’s in every single conversation. When I’ve talked to clients in the past and I’ve stressed the importance of getting more reviews, we. One thing that contractors have told me they struggle with is they may be at a homeowner’s house, they’re walking, doing the final walk through on a completed job and the homeowner is super happy and they ask for a review and they know they need to get more reviews on their Google business profile. They ask the homeowner, let’s call her Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Smith I love that you’re happy with our job. Will you leave us a review? And she says, sure, how do I do that? And then your project manager says, oh, well, maybe he sends her a link or she scans a QR code or he hands her a business card with a URL to go to. The very first thing that’s going to happen is Google is going to ask her to log in with her Gmail account if she doesn’t have a Gmail account. Now you’ve got this huge challenge to try to overcome to get that super important Google review. But you, Arden and I were talking about this right before we recorded. That challenge may not be as challenging as it used to be because of AI. So you know, when I, when I was asking you about this before we recorded and I said, hey, what advice do you give to your clients when they say, man, I’m trying to get reviews, but some of my customers don’t have a Gmail account. You know, what were you telling me about the impact of AI on reviews here in summer 2025?

Arden: Right. I mean, AI is becoming more and more popular. And the good thing is there’s so many different review channels out there, whether it’s Yelp or Guild Quality or even the Better Business Bureau, you know, people can leave their reviews there and AI engines are actually looking to all these different review engines to show your business. When people are searching for roofing contractor, siding contractor, near contractor, whatever. Yeah, whatever it is. The AI engines are looking for a reputable business. So they’re going to be looking at these other sources for reviews as it’s.

Janet: Such a weird world to live in. I mean, right now Google is still the dominant search engine, but they, Google has inserted these AI generated results at the top of the page and now that AI result is scanning other things on the Internet that are not Google, like guild quality. So Even a year ago, we wouldn’t have been having this conversation. We would say, find a way by hook or by crook to help Mrs. Smith give you that review on a Google business profile. And now we’re saying, well, if she can do it somewhere else, let her, let her. Because the more reviews you have, the better, even if not all of them are on Google. And that’s pretty, that’s pretty new in the world of digital marketing. So if we know that reviews are not just about reputation they’re also, you know, they kind of play into your overall visibility and your lead acquisition costs. You know, if we know that, let’s get tactical. How do you actually generate reviews? Arden walk me through some of the like mechanics for our listeners.

Arden: I mean, this is a big question I get too, from clients is how do I get more reviews? And I will say first timing is everything. You have got to ask your customers when they’re at their happiest point. That’s typically right after the project wraps up, service is delivered, the emotions are high, they have their new completed job, they love the way it looks, so they’re most likely to respond then.

Janet: Okay, so what you’re saying is if you need to get more reviews, you have to strike while the iron’s hot. Don’t wait four months from now to ask that homeowner what they think of their new gutters.

Arden: Exactly. And not just timing, but you also need to make sure that you’re making it easy in that moment. Don’t just say, leave us a review and then walk away. Send them a direct link or show them a QR code, something that they can easily refer to, to leave you that review.

Janet: We’ve even seen clients go, I mean, I would call it old school where we’ve helped clients. We’ve designed and printed either a business card or a postcard that the project manager can leave with the homeowner that gives them, you know, really clear instructions with multiple platforms of where they could leave a review either on the businesses Google my business profile or their BBB profile or Facebook. So if you know that there’s a platform where you’re trying to get more reviews or, or boost them. Let’s say there’s three review platforms and you’ve got a hundred on one and three on another, and you want to boost that lower one, then your project managers and your, the folks who are interacting directly with your customers can kind of guide that request. So Arden, you’re saying timing is everything and make it easy. And so by Making it easy. You’re telling them exactly where to go and exactly what to do. What else do they need to think about?

Arden: They also need to think about, you know, your staff should know what to say. Train them when to ask for that review. So if a customer says, this looks amazing, have your staff trained and ready to say, that’s awesome. You know, if you love it so much, can you leave us a review on Google?

Janet: So that’s training and like role playing. Yeah, I love it. I think we mentioned that we’ve seen businesses use like print pieces. You can put QR codes. People have a love hate relationship with QR codes, but I think they’re, I think anybody who’s gone out to a restaurant in the past five years may be more familiar with QR codes now. Often you’re like scanning a QR code to even see the menu. But you can put those again on a, a printed piece that you hand to a homeowner and see if you can convince them, you know, right there on the spot when you’re wrapping up the job. Like, hey, to your point, Arden, the scripting and the coaching and the practicing is spot on. You know, strike while the iron’s hot. You got a happy homeowner, hand em a QR code that they can scan and then, you know, help them get to the right platform to leave that human review.

Arden: And we still live in a digital world, so maybe if you don’t give QR code. There’s a lot of really cool automations out there nowadays too, where once you mark a job completed in your CRM, maybe an automated email or text goes out as well, asking for a review. So you have a lot of options and ways you can ask for reviews. But I think timing is everything with.

Janet: That and, you know, there’s no harm in doubling up. So if you’ve trained your staff, when you’re doing the final walkthrough, when you’re wrapping up the job, when you’re cleaning up and sweeping off the driveway, ask for review. That’s that human touch. Then there’s no harm in an automated reminder to go out to any customers that didn’t leave you or review. So what’s the, what’s the next thing, Arden, when we’re talking about reviews?

Arden: I think another thing to keep in mind as well are incentives. I’ve had a lot of clients ask, can we incentivize reviews? Great question. And unfortunately you can’t pay people for reviews. It does violate Google. Policies. But you can do some light ethical incentives, like entering reviewers into a monthly thank you drawing, or just showing appreciation with a branded thank you. So you can’t incentivize it with something monetary, but you can always give, like a little personal handwritten note that can kind of help you draw in more reviews.

Janet: Okay, so you’re saying if you need to build up reviews, there’s sort of a formula to it. You have to ask customers at the right time. You have to make it easy.

Arden: Easy.

Janet: Send them direct links, use a QR code, train your staff, involve your team, automate the request and encourage consistency.

Arden: Yeah, ex. Consistency is going to be key too. You don’t just want 50 reviews this month and then silent for weeks. Encourage that consistency because Google’s going to favor businesses with that steady stream of fresh reviews, and so are the AI engines.

Janet: I’ve actually never thought about that. I’ve never thought about making sure that you’re getting like a. Almost like a pattern that looks I mean, I don’t. I’m trying not to use the word consistency because I’m trying to, like, spice it up. But really, you’re. What you’re saying is Google, from an SEO play, wants to see this, like, steady drip of reviews at a pace that looks normal for your business. And. And if you jam a hundred in this month and then none next month, have you seen people get penalized or have you read articles about that?

Arden: I haven’t seen anyone get penalized, per se. But you do notice a difference in how they’re showing up. I think especially with AI coming into play now, the more consistent you are, the more they’re going to see that those signals that you’re active, that you’re active in your business, and that your customers are active with your business as well, so penalized?

Janet: No. I wonder if Google, which is still the dominant search engine, if you, like, jammed a whole bunch of reviews into your profile, if they would flag it as fake. I mean, I haven’t seen that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we do see it. Okay, so let’s get back to the story here. We’re talking about reviews. So you’ve collected reviews. Now, what, do you just let them sit there? Oh, no.

Arden: How you respond to those reviews matters just as much as collecting them. Reviews are public. It’s a conversation, and Google is seeing it, potential customers are seeing it. And the way you respond can either help you build trust or hurt it.

Janet: Okay, so are you saying that our listeners should be responding to positive and Negative reviews, and if so, what. I mean, somebody said something good about you. What do you. What do you. What do you say to a positive review?

Arden: You definitely want to respond to both. And with positive reviews, keep it simple but personal. Make sure you say thank you and try to mention something specific that reinforces your values and your brand. So, for example, you might want to say something like, thanks for trusting us with your kitchen remodel, Sarah. We’re going to say her name. Sarah. Yeah. We loved bringing your vision to life. A simple message like that shows future customers that you care and that you’re listening.

Janet: You know that. I know. I’ve talked to clients about this. It can almost be like an SEO play. We have so many James Hardie clients. I’m always thinking about, like, like just sort of James Hardie tactics, and we’ve actually encouraged clients to do this. So we’ll go back to this fake Sarah that we’ve got. So let’s say Sarah had her siding done and she leaves the business a good review. Then the owner’s response could be Sarah. We’re so happy we were able to install Arctic White James Hardy siding in your Knightdale, North Carolina home. So then you’ve listed James Hardie, the manufacturer. You’ve listed Arctic White, the color that someone might search on, and you’ve listed a town, Knightdale. So then you’re like, it’s this three for SEO play. So, you know, responding to even the positive reviews gives your marketing team or you as the owner, another opportunity to insert content into your Google business profile that you want to be known for.

Arden: Exactly. It’s kind of like a mini ad. Like your responses are almost like mini ads, the more you can packed in there. So definitely encourage whoever’s responding to reviews for you to slip in those little keywords like the kitchen remodel or the James Hardy like you mentioned.

Janet: Right. Or the some sort of color product name that people might search on. All right, so that’s all, all fun and games when you’re getting all these positive reviews. But what happens? You know, it’s going to happen because people can be kind of crazy. What happens when you get a negative review? What should you do?

Arden: I think the first thing is make sure you don’t ignore them. I know sometimes it can be frustrating, so you want to just take a while. Yeah. But don’t beat. Yeah, don’t ignore it. 53% of customers, they. They’re expecting a response within a week, even if it’s a bad review. And silence. Actually, almost Looks like you don’t care even to future customers.

Janet: Yes.

Arden: So acknowledge the issue, apologize if needed, and move the conversation offline if needed. A bigger issue. Take it off Google review and contact the customer directly. I think a good example of a response is just to say we’re sorry to hear this and we’d love the chance to make it right. Please reach out to us so we can discuss it directly.

Janet: I love that as sort of a templated response, but because it’s showing you’re not arguing with the customer, you’re not telling them they’re wrong. You’re not getting into the details of the product. You are sorry that this person feels like they had a bad experience that is genuine, and you definitely want to take this conversation offline. We had a client. This was years ago, before you started working with us. Arden. I’m not going to name names, but whoo. Business owner. They were doing swimming pool installation. Somebody left him a bad review. The owner, I mean, it was like, hold my beer, Let me take off my earrings. She went to town, back and forth with a customer in the review platform. And it wasn’t just like. It was like, bad review. Her response. Then the customer came back and they just went at each other. And we were like, oh, my God, put the keyboard down. So let that be a lesson to you. If you’re. If you’re frustrated with the customer, if you feel like you’ve done everything that you should have done, maybe you lost money on that job, and now these people are coming at you online. If you are in an emotional state, do not respond. Just give it an hour or two, come back the next day and use this. Like, use this as a template. Quote. We’re sorry to hear this. Comma. Insert customer’s name. John, Sarah, Ramesh, whatever his name is, we’d love the chance to make it right. Please contact us at our office so we can discuss directly. Copy and paste that. Just use that. Don’t get into an argument with people online. You won’t win. As the business owner.

Arden: No, you’re spot on. And I think a professional response can really turn a bad review into a credibility boost.

Janet: Yes.

Arden: People know that there is no perfect company, and if there is, it’s a little scary. So they’re watching to see how you handle even those bad reviews.

Janet: Yes. And I think the good customers out there, the ones that you want to work with, they’re going to scan through your reviews. I mean, when I’m looking at reviews, I look at first of all look at the most recent ones and then if I can, depending on the platform, I will immediately go to the one star and I’ll read what the one star person said and then I’ll read what the management said. And more than often, I would say eight times out of ten. Even though I’m intentionally reading the one star review, be it a hotel, a restaurant, a service provider, most of the time in my mind I’m kind of siding with the business owner. I’m like, God, that customer seems like a pain in the backside to deal with. So don’t let one review really like make you freak out or ruin your day. Your good customers are going to see straight through that and they’re going to your point, Arden. They’re going to see you as a responsive owner that thanked the people that left them a good review and responded professionally to the ones with a bad review. Okay, so let’s wrap this up. I think we’ve covered a lot today about the power of reviews. Arden why don’t you summarize a little bit about some of the tips that we’ve shared and let people kind of recap what it is that we’re talking about today.

Arden: Yeah, big picture reviews aren’t just a nice to have. It’s your digital word of mouth. But they can also impact your SEO, your Google business ranking, and even your ads, your local service ads. And as AI comes into play more, we’re going to, we’re starting to see an impact there as well. So it’s big for your home improvement business, responding to them quickly and professionally.

Janet: I would even take it a step further and say it’s really critical and it’s non negotiable at this point.

Arden: Exactly.

Janet: Like if you are trying to compete and you don’t have any reviews before the sun rises every day, you’re already 10 steps behind all of your competition. Just because like we’ve all been trained, all of us humans with all these phones in our pockets, we’ve all been trained to go online and find out what somebody else thinks before we buy anything. And until that changes, you gotta get some stinkin reviews.

Arden: That’s right.

Janet: Whether you like it or not. So if you’re grumbling about it, go ahead and get it out of your system and just know that you gotta generate some reviews and then decide you’re gonna have a better attitude. And no, it’s all about timing. You need to make it easy for customers. You can automate it. You can use business cards with QR codes You can train your team. It doesn’t have to be that hard. And so then once you’ve generated those reviews, Arden, what do you want them to do? You want to respond. You want to respond to all of them, right?

Arden: All of them. The good and the bad.

Janet: Okay, so lost my train of thought for a second. That’s what happens with aging. Just, like, forget why you walked into a room. I totally forgot why I walked into this room. Okay, so if there’s one thing that you do after this episode, make reviews part of the system that you use to run your business. Don’t leave it to chance. Script it out, have a strategy, have software, have scripting. Talk to your team, know how critical it is. And speaking of reviews, we would love it if you guys would review us. So go to your whatever platform you’re using, you’re listening to this podcast on, and leave us a review. We’d to love, love to hear from you. So that’s it for today’s episode. If you found it helpful, check out our past episodes always. You can go to our website and look for more resources. That’s fat catstrategies.com. we’ve got all of our back episodes, plus some free downloads. And don’t forget to subscribe so you can check out our next episode. Thanks for joining us today, Arden.

Arden: Oh, yeah.

Outro: Digital marketing for contractors is created by Fat Cat Strategies. For more information, visit fatcatstrategies.com.