Reviews that help you win bigger electrical jobs, and the rules to follow

A homeowner about to spend thousands on a panel upgrade does homework first. Reviews are a big part of it.

In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of 1,002 U.S. consumers:

• 97% read reviews for local businesses.
• 41% said they always read them.
• 74% look for reviews written in the last three months.
• 80% said they are likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews.

Old reviews and no replies send a quiet message: nobody is minding the store.

When to ask

Ask at the end of every job, while the homeowner is happy and the work is fresh. The easiest way is a short text with your review link, sent before your truck leaves the driveway.

Make it the same routine every time, for every customer. Small jobs count too. The outlet repair customer may be the one who calls you for a generator next year.

How to ask, inside the rules

Google’s rules for Maps reviews say a business may ask customers to post reviews about real experiences, without incentives. The same rules ban three common mistakes:

• Offering anything for a review, like a discount, a gift card or free work.
• Asking only the happy customers. Google calls out “selectively” asking for positive reviews.
• Discouraging negative reviews.

The Federal Trade Commission added its own rule in 2024. It bans fake reviews, paying for reviews that must say something positive, reviews by company insiders without clear disclosure, and threats used to get bad reviews taken down.

The safe habit is simple: ask everyone, offer nothing, and never write a review for someone.

A text you can copy

Thanks for having us out today. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other homeowners find us: [your review link]. If anything wasn’t right, reply here and I’ll fix it.

How to reply

Google says replying to reviews shows customers you value their feedback. A good reply is short:

1. Thank them by first name.
2. Name the job, in plain words: “Glad the new charger is working.”
3. Keep private details private. No addresses, prices or job notes.

For a bad review, stay calm. Say you want to make it right, give a way to reach you, and take the rest offline. People read how you handle a problem as closely as they read the problem.

Photos make the review stronger

Ask the homeowner if you may post a photo of the finished panel or charger with your reply or on your profile. Before-and-after photos show the quality of the work in a way stars can’t.

Your checklist

• A review text goes out after every job, to every customer
• No discounts, gifts or free work tied to reviews
• Every review gets a reply within a week
• Bad reviews get a calm reply and an offline fix
• Real job photos are added to your profile each month