Key takeaways
- Ask on the spot, while the customer can feel the difference, and send the link by text before the van leaves the driveway.
- Time the ask by job type: repairs on completion, installs after the walkthrough, tune-ups once a year at most.
- Answer every review, and answer upsell and diagnostic-fee complaints with facts, not anger.
- No discounts for reviews, no asking only happy customers, no staff reviews. Google and the FTC both prohibit them.
To get more Google reviews as an HVAC company, ask every customer at the moment the problem is visibly solved, while the tech is still there, and send a direct review link by text right after. Make the request fire automatically when the job is closed, answer every review you receive, and never pay for, filter or fake one.
When and how to ask
- Prove the fix in front of the customer. Before packing up, the tech shows the thermostat calling, the supply air cooling or heating, and the old part that failed. A customer who felt the air change is a customer ready to say so.
- Ask in person, in one sentence. "If we got your heat back today, a Google review helps other people find us. I'll text you the link." No script longer than that.
- Send the link before the van leaves. The text should come from your business number with a direct link to your review form, so it takes two taps (Google's review tips).
- Make it personal. Include the tech's first name and the job: "Thanks for having Sam out to fix your AC today." A review that names the tech reads as real to the next homeowner.
- Follow up once. If there is no review after a day or two, one reminder. Then stop.
Timing changes with the kind of job.
| Job | When to ask | What they tend to mention |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency repair | On completion, the same visit | Speed, the after-hours answer, the tech by name |
| System replacement | After the install walkthrough, once the system has run | The crew, cleanup, the permit and the financing |
| Maintenance visit | Once a year at most, after a visit where something was found | Reliability and being reminded on time |
| Indoor air quality | After the customer has lived with it for a week or two | The difference in dust, dry air or stale smells |
The review loop
- Job finished
- Ask every customer Same time, same way, no filtering
- They leave a review
- You reply Thanks and specifics, no private details
- The next customer reads it
Then the next customer
Automating requests
Automate the request so it does not depend on a tired tech in August remembering to ask. The trigger is the job status changing to complete in your field software.
ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and Jobber can each send review requests when a job closes, either on their own or through a connected review or CRM tool. Set it up once:
- Trigger: job marked complete, for every job, not a hand-picked list.
- Delay: within the hour for repairs, the next day for installs.
- Content: the tech's name, the job, the direct review link and nothing else.
- Reminder: one follow-up, then the customer drops out of the sequence.
- Texting rules: business texts need A2P 10DLC registration through The Campaign Registry, and every message must honor STOP.
Check the numbers each month: requests sent, reviews received, and which techs' jobs get reviewed. A tech whose customers never respond is often a tech who never mentions it.
Responding to reviews
Answer every review, and write for the next homeowner reading it, not for the reviewer. Thank good reviews by naming the job. Answer critical reviews calmly with facts and an offer to talk.
HVAC has a few recurring complaints: the diagnostic fee, "they tried to sell me a new system", and long waits during a heat wave. Each has a factual answer.
An example reply to "They charged me just to look at it and then said I needed a whole new unit":
Thanks for the feedback. Our diagnostic fee covers the trip and testing, and we quote it on the phone before we book. On your system, the tech found a failed compressor and gave you both a repair price and a replacement price so you could choose. We are happy to walk through the findings with you. Please call the office and ask for the service manager.
Never share private details in a reply, and do not argue in public. If a review breaks Google's rules, for example one from a competitor or someone who was never a customer, flag it for removal.
What Google prohibits
Google and the FTC draw the same lines, and the penalties fall on your profile.
- No incentives. No discount on the next tune-up, no gift card, no entry into a drawing in exchange for a review (Google's review policy).
- No review gating. Do not ask customers whether they were happy first and send only the happy ones to Google. Everyone gets the same link.
- No staff or family reviews. Reviews from employees, owners or relatives are a conflict of interest.
- No fake or bought reviews, and no AI-written ones. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews bans them, along with suppressing negative reviews (16 CFR Part 465).
- No writing it for them. You can remind customers what was done; the words have to be theirs.
Reviews feed Map Pack prominence, so this routine pays twice. The Map Pack ranking guide for HVAC companies explains how.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
We set up review requests that fire from your field software after every closed call, with texting registered and compliant, and we can draft replies for your approval. It is a short project with a finish date, and the setup lives in your own accounts. We report requests sent and reviews earned alongside booked calls. Book a growth consultation and we will look at your review pace against the HVAC companies you compete with.
Sources
- Tips to get more reviews, Google Business Profile Help
- Prohibited & restricted content (Maps user-generated content policy), Google Maps Help
- 16 CFR Part 465: Use of consumer reviews and testimonials, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- The Campaign Registry (A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration), The Campaign Registry