Ask at the peak, not at the end
The best moment is when the customer is visibly happy — the job is finished and they are looking at it, or the meal has just landed and they said something nice. Not the invoice. Not a week later by email.
Make it one tap
Every extra step loses people. A short link straight to the review box, sent by text, converts far better than a card with a QR code they will look at later. Google gives you that link inside your profile.
One person owns it
Review generation dies when it is everybody’s job. Give it to one person, give them a weekly number, and check it.
Reply to every single one
Including the bad ones, especially the bad ones. A calm, specific reply to a one-star review sells better to the next reader than the complaint damages you. Google also reads replies as activity on the profile.
What not to do
Do not offer discounts for reviews — it violates Google’s terms and can get your reviews stripped. Do not filter customers to catch only the happy ones. Do not buy them. All three are detectable and the recovery is worse than the problem.
This is what we do for clients as part of local SEO. If you would rather it was handled, tell us what you are trying to grow.