When someone nearby searches for a salon, Google shows a map and a short list, and the star rating and review count are among the first things they see. Google says so in its own advice to business owners: more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking.
Plenty of happy clients would leave a review. They just don't think of it, or it takes too many taps. Here's how to change that while staying on the right side of Google's rules.
1. Get your Google Business Profile in shape first
- Choose the most accurate primary category, such as "Beauty salon", "Hair salon" or "Spa", and add secondary categories that genuinely apply.
- Keep your hours, phone number and address exactly right, including holiday hours.
- List your services, with prices where you can.
- Add real photos of the space, the team and the work, and keep adding new ones.
- Add your booking link so people who find you can book straight away.
Reviews do more for a profile that already looks cared for.
2. Get your direct review link
In your Google Business Profile, look for the option to ask for reviews. It gives you a short link that opens the review box directly. Use that link everywhere. Asking clients to "search for us and find the reviews section" loses people along the way.
3. Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask is while the visit is fresh: at the end of the service, or a few hours later once the client has had a chance to enjoy the result. Two touches work well together:
- In person: the stylist or front desk says something like, "We'd love a Google review. It really helps a salon like ours." Friendly, never pushy.
- On WhatsApp: a thank-you message a few hours after the visit, with the one-tap review link.
4. Make it easy to write
Clients often don't know what to say. A gentle prompt helps: "If you leave a review, mentioning the service you had and your stylist's name helps others choose." Reviews that name specific services, like balayage, keratin or bridal makeup, also tell future clients exactly what you're good at.
5. Put the link where clients already look
- A QR code at reception and at each station
- Your WhatsApp thank-you message
- The bottom of your printed or digital bill
- Your Instagram bio and website
6. Ask everyone, and stay within Google's rules
Google's policies on reviews are strict, and content that breaks them can be removed. Among other things, Google's policy on rating manipulation prohibits businesses from:
- Discouraging or prohibiting negative reviews, or selectively asking only happy customers for reviews.
- Offering incentives, such as payment, discounts or free goods or services, in exchange for a review.
- Asking staff to collect a set number of reviews.
- Posting reviews with a conflict of interest, such as reviews from current or former employees.
So ask every client the same way, don't offer a discount for a review, and never write reviews for your own salon or ask staff or family to. Private feedback is still valuable for hearing about problems quickly, but it shouldn't stand between a client and a public review.
7. Reply to every review
Google's advice to businesses notes that positive reviews and helpful replies can help a business stand out. Replies also show future clients that someone is listening. Keep them short and personal:
- Positive: thank the client by name, mention the service, and invite them back.
- Negative: reply within a day, apologise for the experience without arguing, and take the conversation offline: "Please message us on WhatsApp so we can put this right." Future clients read your reply as closely as the complaint.
Never reveal private details about a client in a public reply, even when the review is unfair.
8. Catch problems early
A client who leaves unhappy and hears nothing from you has every reason to vent online. A short "How was your visit?" message after every appointment gives them a direct line to you. When someone rates their visit low, call them the same day. Many problems, such as a fringe cut too short or a long wait, can be put right with a quick fix or a sincere apology. Doing that doesn't stop them posting a review. It means they're more likely to have something fair to say.
9. Aim for a steady flow
A steady stream of reviews keeps your profile current, and new clients notice when the latest review is a year old. Build asking into your daily routine instead of running a one-off drive and then forgetting about it.
Get the team involved without turning it into a target. Share new reviews in the staff group, read out the ones that name a stylist, and make asking part of how every visit ends. Just don't set review quotas for staff, which Google's rules specifically prohibit.
10. Handle fake or abusive reviews properly
Sooner or later you may get a review that breaks Google's policies: spam, abuse, a review meant for another business, or one from someone who was never a client. You can report it from your Business Profile, and Google decides whether it comes down. Reviews aren't removed just because they're negative, so for a genuine complaint, a calm and helpful reply is the better tool. Never pay anyone who offers to remove reviews or to post good ones for you.
How SpotBay helps
SpotBay's salon and spa software helps you collect feedback after every visit:
- After the bill, an after-purchase WhatsApp message can thank the client and ask them to rate their visit.
- When a client rates a visit low, the owner gets an urgent alert, so someone can call that client the same day.
- A Google review QR for your reception and stations, with tracked clicks.
- Your online booking page and WhatsApp number make it easy for new clients who find you on Google to book.
The after-purchase message is set up alongside your bills; see salon billing software. It sits alongside birthday, win-back and other WhatsApp follow-ups for salons.