Reviews do two jobs for a moving company: they help you show up in local search, and they convince people to choose you once they find you. Most happy customers would leave one. They just need to be asked at the right moment, the right way.
When should a mover ask for a review?
Ask after the job is done and the customer has had a little time to settle in: the evening of the move or the next morning. Early enough that the crew’s names are fresh, late enough that they are not still surrounded by boxes.
What is the best way to ask?
- By text, with a link that opens your review form in one tap.
- Personal, mentioning the crew by name.
- Short, two or three sentences at most.
- The same for everyone. Ask every customer, not just the ones you think are happy.
A text that works
“Hi Sarah, thanks for moving with Kettle Creek today! If Marcus and the crew took good care of you, would you leave us a quick review? It really helps a small business: [link]”
One gentle reminder a few days later is fine. More than that starts to annoy.
How should you reply to reviews?
Reply to every review. Future customers read your replies as closely as the reviews themselves.
1. Five-star reviews
Thank them by name, mention something specific about their move and the crew, and keep it short.
2. Negative reviews
Stay calm and polite, acknowledge the problem, explain what you are doing about it and offer to talk directly. Never argue in public. A good reply to a bad review can win more trust than another five stars.
What should you never do?
- Buy reviews or post fake ones.
- Offer discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews.
- Only send review requests to customers you expect to be happy.
- Write reviews for yourself or ask staff and family to.
These break Google’s rules and can get reviews removed or your profile restricted. Genuine reviews from every customer are worth far more over time.
How do you make it automatic?
The hard part is remembering to ask after every single job. Automate it: when a job is marked done, the review request goes out on its own, and replies are drafted for you to approve.
LeadKeet does this as part of the $249 plan. See reviews and referrals.