Why Your Five-Star Rating Isn't Making the Phone Ring
I was sitting down with a sparky in Chermside last month. This bloke is one of the best in the business—tidy van, always on time, and does a cracking job. He showed me his phone. He had forty-two five-star reviews. He was proud of them, and he should be.
But then he asked me the question that prompted this article: "If I’ve got all these great reviews, why is the bloke down the road with half as many getting all the big switchboard upgrades?"
It’s a frustration I hear from plumbers and electricians all over Brisbane. You’ve been told that "reviews are king," so you bust your gut to get them, yet the results don't always show up in your bank account.
Most of what you’ve been told about Google reviews is a bit of a furphy. You don't need a thousand reviews to win. You don't need a perfect 5.0 score. And you definitely shouldn't be paying some "guru" $500 a month for a software tool that just sends an automated text message.
If you want more phone calls and better-paying jobs, you need to stop thinking like a technician and start thinking like a customer who’s just had a pipe burst in their kitchen at 8:00 PM on a Tuesday.
Myth #1: "The Person with the Most Reviews Always Wins"
This is the biggest load of rubbish in the industry.
I’ve seen plumbers in Indooroopilly with 150 reviews get consistently beaten by a guy with 40 reviews. Why? Because Google cares about relevance and recency more than a total number from three years ago.
Imagine you’re looking for a mechanic. You see one guy with 200 reviews, but the last one was from 2021. Then you see another guy with 35 reviews, and five of them were from last week. Who are you calling? You’re calling the guy who is clearly still in business and doing good work now.
For a local tradie, the "sweet spot" isn't a massive number. It’s about having slightly more than your top three local competitors and making sure you get a new one every single week. If the top sparky in your suburb has 50 reviews, you don't need 500. You need 60, and you need them to be fresh.
Myth #2: "A 5.0 Rating is Perfect"
Believe it or not, a perfect 5.0 rating can actually cost you money.
Customers aren't stupid. When they see a business with 100 reviews and every single one is five stars with no complaints, they get suspicious. They think you’ve paid your mates to write them or you’re using a dodgy service to delete the bad ones.
Research actually shows that people are more likely to trust and hire a business with a 4.8 or 4.9 rating than a perfect 5.0. Why? Because it looks real. A 1-star review from a cranky customer who complained about the price (even though you did a great job) actually makes your other 45 great reviews look more authentic.
Don't sweat the occasional bad review. It’s how you respond to it that shows potential customers what kind of bloke you are to deal with. If you're polite and professional in your reply, you'll win more work than if you had a "perfect" record.
The Real Reason People Hire You (It’s Not Just the Stars)
When a homeowner in Carindale is looking for an electrician, they aren't just looking at the number of stars. They are looking for proof that you can solve their specific problem.
If your reviews all say "Great service, thanks!", that’s okay. But if your reviews say "Jason arrived on time, fixed my flickering lights, and didn't leave a mess on the carpet," that is gold. That review sells for you.
This is where a lot of tradies miss out. They focus on the quantity of reviews but forget that the content of the review is what wins high-paying jobs because it builds real trust. When a customer sees a review that mentions a specific suburb or a specific job (like a hot water system replacement), they feel confident you can do the same for them.
How to Get Reviews Without Being a Pest
Most tradies hate asking for reviews. It feels like begging. I get it. You’ve done the work, you’ve been paid, and you just want to get to the next job or get home to the family.
But here is the reality: if you don't ask, you won't get.
However, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. The wrong way is sending a generic, automated email three days later. By then, the customer has forgotten how great you are and is annoyed by the notification.
The "Golden Moment" Strategy
The best time to ask for a review is the "Golden Moment." This is that 30-second window right after you’ve finished the job, showed the customer what you’ve done, and they’ve said, "Oh, that looks great, thanks so much!"
That is when they are happiest. That is when they feel the most value.
Try this: "No worries at all, Mrs. Smith. Glad we could get that power back on for you. Hey, as a small local business, these Google reviews really help us out. Would you mind if I sent you a quick link now to leave a rating? It takes about ten seconds."
90% of people will say yes. If you send the link right then while you’re packing your tools into the ute, they’ll do it before you’ve even pulled out of the driveway.
Stop Wasting Money on Fancy Software
You’ll see ads everywhere for "Review Management Platforms" that cost $199 a month. For a plumber or a sparky, this is a total waste of money.
You don't need a middleman. You just need a direct link to your Google Business Profile. You can create a QR code for free, stick it on the back of your business card or even on your phone's lock screen.
If you find that your website isn't ringing, it's often because you're missing that social proof. You don't need a complex system; you just need to make it dead simple for the customer to click a button and give you five stars.
Dealing with the "Dreaded" 1-Star Review
It’s going to happen. You’ll get a 1-star review from someone you’ve never even worked for, or from a customer who was unreasonable from the start.
When this happens, most tradies do one of two things: 1. They ignore it and stew on it for weeks. 2. They reply with a three-page rant calling the customer a liar.
Both are mistakes.
When you get a bad review, remember: you aren't writing a reply for the person who complained. You are writing it for the 500 people who will read it over the next year.
Keep it short, professional, and helpful. "Hi [Name], I'm sorry to hear you weren't happy with the service. We pride ourselves on our work in the Brisbane area. Please give me a call on [Number] so I can make this right."
That’s it. To a potential customer, you look like the adult in the room. If the reviewer keeps screaming, they look like the crazy one, and you look like a professional business owner.
Why Google Cares About Your Reviews
Google’s job is to give their users the best possible result. If someone searches for "emergency plumber North Lakes," Google wants to show the business that is most likely to answer the phone and do a good job.
They look at your reviews to see: - Are you local? (Do people mention Brisbane suburbs in the reviews?) - Are you active? (Have you had a review in the last 30 days?) - Are you reliable? (Do people mention you being on time?)
If you have 100 reviews from five years ago and your competitor has 20 reviews from the last two months, Google will often show the competitor first. Freshness is the secret sauce. This is why a steady trickle of reviews is much better than a huge burst of 50 and then nothing for a year.
The "Photo" Secret to Doubling Your Leads
If you want to really beat the competition, ask your customers to upload a photo with their review.
Google loves photos. More importantly, customers love photos. A review that says "Great job on the LED downlights" is good. A review that says that AND includes a photo of the bright, clean living room is a sales machine.
It proves you were actually there. It proves the work looks good. It makes the person reading it think, "I want my house to look like that."
I’ve seen this work wonders for fencing contractors too. People want to see the finished product. If you're struggling to get fencing jobs without spending a fortune on ads, start focusing on getting your happy customers to post photos of your work on Google. It’s free advertising that lasts forever.
How Long Until This Makes You Money?
This isn't an overnight fix. If you start asking for reviews today, you won't see your phone explode tomorrow.
However, in my experience working with Brisbane tradies, if you can get 2-3 reviews every week, you will start to see a noticeable jump in phone calls within 60 to 90 days.
Why? Because you’ll start climbing the "Local Map" (the three businesses Google shows at the top of the page). Once you hit that top three spot, the game changes. You stop chasing work and start choosing the jobs you actually want to do.
What to Do First (Your 3-Step Plan)
If you’re busy and don't have time for "marketing," just do these three things:
1. Get your link: Go to your Google Business Profile and find the "Get more reviews" button. Copy that link and save it in your phone's "Notes" app. 2. The 30-Second Ask: At the end of every single job this week, ask the customer: "Would you mind if I sent you a link for a quick review? It really helps us out." 3. The Text: Send that link via SMS before you leave their driveway. Don't wait until you get home.
That’s it. No fancy software, no expensive agencies, no complicated "algorithms." Just good old-fashioned customer service backed up by a bit of digital proof.
Is it Worth the Effort?
Look, I know you’re tired at the end of the day. The last thing you want to do is manage a Google profile. But think of it this way: every 5-star review you get is a little salesman who works for you 24/7 for free.
While you’re sleeping, while you’re on a job, and while you’re spending time with your family on the weekend, those reviews are convincing people in your local area to call you instead of the other bloke.
In the long run, it’s the cheapest and most effective way to grow your business. You’ll spend less on ads, you’ll get better customers who already trust you, and you’ll be able to charge what you’re actually worth because you have the proof to back it up.
If you’re struggling to get your head around the technical side of Google or you want to know how to beat that one competitor who seems to be everywhere, we can help.
At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane tradies get more calls and better jobs without the marketing fluff. We don't care about "engagement metrics"—we care about how many times your phone rings.
Ready to grow your trade business? Contact Local Marketing Group today.