Key takeaways
- Ask on completion day, when the new surface looks its best, then send one reminder when the customer can first use it.
- Trigger the request from the job status in your CRM, so it goes out after every project without anyone remembering.
- Reply to complaints about scuffs, cracks or puddles with what is normal, what is not, and an offer to come look.
- Never reward reviews or ask only the happy customers. Both break Google's policy, and fake or suppressed reviews break FTC rules.
To get more Google reviews, a paving company should ask every customer on the day the job is finished, by text with a direct link, and let the CRM send it automatically. Reviews carry extra weight in paving, because a driveway is a large, rare purchase and homeowners want proof from neighbors that a crew finishes what it starts.
When and how to ask
Ask on completion day, at the final walk-through, when fresh asphalt is at its blackest and the edges are clean. Then follow up once the customer can actually use the surface.
- Have the crew lead say it at the walk-through. One line is enough: "You'll get a text from us tonight. If you're happy with the driveway, a review helps people find a local crew they can check."
- Send the text that evening. Include the customer's first name, the job ("your new asphalt driveway"), a photo of the finished work and the direct review link from your profile (Google's review tips).
- Send one reminder when the stay-off period ends. That is the day they first park on it, and the moment they appreciate it most.
- Stop after the reminder. Two messages is a request; more is pestering.
- Ask every customer. The cracked-driveway repair and the small sealcoat get the same message as the big tear-out.
The timing shifts a little by job:
| Job | First ask | Reminder |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | Evening of paving day, with a photo | The day your stay-off period ends |
| Concrete driveway, walk or patio | After the finish work, with a photo | When the cure time you gave them is up |
| Sealcoating and crack filling | Once the barricades come down | A few days later, if no review |
| Commercial lot | By email or text to the manager after the lot reopens | After the first week of normal traffic |
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 fires when a project is marked complete in your field service or construction CRM, not when the office remembers on a quiet Friday.
- Trigger on the job status, not on the invoice. Commercial invoices can take weeks, and the moment will be gone.
- Merge the details: first name, the service, the crew lead's name and the finished photo.
- Stop automatically when the customer leaves a review or replies STOP.
- Get consent to text on the estimate form or contract, and register your texting number under A2P 10DLC, or carriers may block the messages (The Campaign Registry).
For commercial customers, send the request to the person who hired you. A property manager who saw the lot reopen on schedule is the right reviewer.
Responding to reviews
Answer each review yourself, within the week, and mention the specific job. Future customers read your replies to judge how you handle a problem, which matters for a surface they expect to last years.
Paving complaints tend to be about a few things: scuff marks in fresh asphalt from turning tires, hairline cracks in new concrete, puddles after the first rain, sealcoat tracked onto a garage floor, or a start date pushed back by weather. Answer with what is normal, what is not, and an offer to come and look.
Example reply to a positive review: "Thanks, Pat. That tear-out was a big one, and the crew was glad to finish before the rain came in. Enjoy the new driveway, and call us when it's time for a sealcoat."
Example reply to a complaint: "We're sorry about the marks near the garage. New asphalt stays soft in hot weather for a while, and turning the wheels while parked can scuff it. We'd like to come out, look at it with you and tell you plainly what will settle and what we should fix. Please call the office and ask for the owner."
Never argue the details in public, and never share the customer's address or invoice.
What Google prohibits
Google prohibits rewarding customers for reviews and asking only the customers you expect to be happy (Google's policy). The FTC rule goes further. It bans fake reviews, including ones written by AI, paying for reviews and suppressing negative ones (FTC rule).
In paving terms, that rules out:
- "Ten dollars off your next sealcoat for a review," or any discount, gift or entry for one.
- A "how did we do, 1 to 5?" text that sends only the 4s and 5s to Google. That is review gating.
- Crew members, relatives or suppliers posting reviews.
- A contract clause or a threat aimed at stopping a customer from posting a bad review.
What is allowed is asking everyone, making it easy and replying well. On a busy season that is enough. The local SEO checklist for paving companies shows where reviews fit with the rest of the work.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
Our setup ties the review text to the "complete" status in your CRM, times the first ask to the surface and the reminder to the stay-off period you give customers, and drafts replies for you to approve. The profile and CRM remain in your name. The routine goes live by an agreed date, and the monthly report puts new reviews next to Maps calls and signed projects. Bring your current review history to a growth consultation and we will point out where requests are falling through.
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