Electricians: how to ask for a review on a service call

An electrical service call rarely starts calmly. Half the house is dark, a breaker trips every time the microwave runs, an outlet smells hot, or the kids’ room has no heat. The customer called you because they were worried. An hour later the lights are on, they have been shown what failed, and they are relieved. That relief is the best moment you will get to ask for a Google review, and also the easiest one to spoil.

This guide is about the service call specifically: the one visit job, often same day, often a stranger’s house. For panel upgrades and remodels that run over several days, the logic is the same but the moment moves to the final walkthrough.

Where the review fits in the visit

A service call has a natural order. Keep the review out of it until the very end.

1. Diagnose and fix. No talk of reviews while you work.
2. Test it in front of the customer. Flip the breaker, run the circuit, show the new device. The customer needs to see that it holds.
3. Explain what you found and anything they should watch for.
4. Do the paperwork. Invoice, payment, warranty note. Never mix the review into the money conversation; a customer who is still reading the invoice is not in the mood.
5. Mention the review in one sentence, on your way out.
6. Send the link by text later, from the truck or at the end of the day.

The order matters because Google now regulates the moment, not just the offer. Its policy now says merchants “should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises” (Google). For an electrician, the premises is the customer’s kitchen. Saying you would appreciate a review is fine. Handing over your tablet, or standing in the hallway while they type, is the pressure Google describes.

What to say at the door

Keep it short, plain and free of conditions. A few versions that work:

“Everything’s back on. If you have a minute later, I’ll text you a link to leave us a Google review. It really helps a small shop like ours.”

“Thanks for calling us. I’ll send the invoice and a review link by text. No rush on either one.”

Then pick up your bag and go. Three things to leave out: “if you were happy with the work” (that sorts customers by mood, which Google bans as selectively soliciting positive reviews), anything about stars, and any request to mention you or your tech by name. Google’s policy lists “content that identifies a staff member” among the requests merchants must not make.

No power and safety calls need a different tone

Some calls are about safety: a scorched outlet, a buzzing panel, a customer who got a shock, a breaker you had to leave off until a part arrives. On those, the customer’s first need is to understand what happened and whether the house is safe tonight.

• Lead with the facts. What failed, what you did, what they should not use until the next visit.
• Skip the door mention if the customer is still shaken. The text later is enough.
• If the repair is temporary, wait. A circuit made safe and waiting for a return visit is not a finished job. Ask after the return visit, when the problem is actually solved.

A review that comes in a week later, written by a customer who feels looked after, is worth more than one typed in a hurry that evening.

Help Google file the review under the right job

Google asks some customers of service businesses to say what work was done. In Google’s words, customers “may be asked to identify what tasks your business performed”, and the available tasks come from your service list, your website or a standard list for your type of business (Google). Google adds that if a job type is missing, merchants can add it to their service list.

For an electrician, that is worth ten minutes. Add the work you actually do on service calls, such as breaker and circuit troubleshooting, outlet and switch repair, panel replacement or EV charger installation, so a customer can pick the right one. Reviews that name the job you did are more useful to the next person searching for that job.

That is different from telling the customer what to write. You can name the job in your own thank you (“thanks for having us out for the breaker”) because that tells them who is texting. You cannot ask them to mention it in the review.

Four texts to copy

Get your link from your Business Profile under Read reviews, then Get more reviews (Google). Our guide to finding your Google review link explains how to test it. Replace the words in brackets.

1. A standard service call, a few hours later

Hi [first name], it’s [your name] from [business]. Thanks for having us out today for the [breaker / outlets / light fixture]. If you have a minute, a Google review helps people nearby find a local electrician: [link]

2. After a no power call in the evening, sent the next morning

Hi [first name], [your name] from [business]. Hope the house stayed lit overnight. When you have a moment, would you share how the call went on Google? [link] And if anything trips again, call me first.

3. After a safety repair, once the return visit is done

Hi [first name], it’s [your name] at [business]. Your [panel / circuit] is fully sorted now. Thanks for your patience between the two visits. If you are willing, an honest Google review helps us a lot: [link]

4. A tenant who called you while the landlord pays

Hi [first name], [your name] from [business]. Glad we got the [kitchen circuit] working again. You are the one who dealt with us, so if you’d like to share how it went on Google, here is the link: [link]

The person who let you in and watched you work is the one with the experience to review. Ask them, and ask the landlord or property manager separately if they were involved. Send one reminder a few days later if nothing comes in, then stop. Customers must be signed in to a Google Account to post, though they can create one with an address that is not Gmail (Google), so if someone says the link “didn’t work”, that is the usual reason.

Rules for a shop with several techs

Owner operators can skip this. If you run trucks, these are the habits Google and the FTC now target:

• No review quotas. Google lists “merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews” as a violation. A monthly target per tech breaks it.
• No rewards to customers. Google bans incentives “such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services” for any review. In the US, the FTC rule bans incentives tied to a positive review, and its staff give an example of an implied condition: “Tell us how much you loved your visit to John’s Steakhouse and get a $5 coupon” (FTC).
• Same request for every customer. Do not let techs decide who gets the link.

Reward techs for good work, such as jobs fixed on the first visit and customers who ask for them again, not for review counts. The full list of what is banned is in Google’s rules on asking for reviews, and the wording for other situations is in how to ask for a Google review by text.

A routine that takes a minute per call

1. Save template 1 as a text shortcut on every tech’s phone.
2. At the door: one sentence, then leave.
3. Within a few hours: send the text from the number the customer called.
4. Temporary fix? Hold the request until the job is finished.
5. A few days later, one reminder if no review came in.

Whether the text should go the same day or the next morning depends on the call; we weigh it up in review request timing.