Reviews & Maps / Past-customer review campaign
How to get Google reviews from past customers
Short answer
To get Google reviews from past customers, text the ones from your last 3 to 6 months and make the review one tap away. Most contractors have hundreds of happy customers who were never asked. We text them in small daily batches over two weeks, so you have time to answer every reply. Each text has their name, your logo and your Google review link. That’s where most of the 25 reviews in your free trial come from.
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Included in every plan, starting with Reviews ($97/mo). Free 2-week trial. Month to month.
How the campaign runs
- Day 1: we pull your customer list from your job software, or you upload a spreadsheet.
- Clean-up: duplicates, wrong numbers and anyone who opted out are removed.
- Days 2 to 14: a small batch goes out each day, never 300 at once.
- Each text has their first name, the job, your logo and your review link.
- Replies come to one inbox. Anyone unhappy is flagged to you right away.
Where to find your past customers
Your job software is the easiest source. If you don’t use one, or it’s missing older jobs, build the list from what you already have:
- Paid invoices in QuickBooks or your accounting software.
- Text threads with customers on your phone from the last 6 months.
- Payment app exports, if customers paid by card or app.
- Invoice and job confirmation emails in your inbox.
Only include people you did a job for, who gave you their number for it. Put first name, mobile number, the job and the month in a spreadsheet. That’s enough for a personal text. Customers from now on get the automatic review request after every job.
Why spread it out?
A few texts a day means a few replies a day. You can answer each one, and anyone unhappy reaches you while it’s still easy to make it right. It matters to Google too: its systems watch for sudden bursts of 5-star reviews, and it can pause new reviews on a profile. Every review still comes from a real customer of yours.
Example text
Hi Tom, it’s Jake from Summit Roofing. We replaced your roof back in May and hope it’s treating you well. Would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? [link]
Example only: the names and company are made up. More review request text templates.
Who can be texted
- Customers who gave you their number for the job.
- Anyone who replies STOP is removed immediately and never texted again.
- No discounts or gifts for reviews, ever.
Who to leave off
If you build the list yourself, keep it to real customers. Unhappy customers stay on it, because leaving them off is review gating. Here’s why every customer gets asked. Leave these off instead:
- You and your staff. Google’s Maps content policy treats reviews from people who work for the business as a conflict of interest.
- Family, friends and suppliers who never hired you.
- Customers who already left you a Google review.
- Anyone who asked you not to contact them.
The guarantee
25 new Google reviews in your free 2-week trial, or we keep working free until you have them. It applies to companies doing 25+ jobs a month; smaller shops get a target that fits their volume.
Which plan includes it?
Included in every plan, starting with Reviews at $97/mo. Every plan starts with a free 2-week trial, no setup fee, month to month. Compare plans.
Past-customer campaigns by trade
Which customers to include, and how far back to go, depends on the work you do. See the playbook for roofers, HVAC companies, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, painters, garage door companies, pest control companies, pool service companies, concrete contractors and window and door companies. The campaign is one part of our done-for-you Google review management.
How many reviews you need depends on your market. In our October 18, 2026 check of Google’s top 3 non-paid Map Pack listings, 22% of the listings for “roofer near me” (30 US cities), 31% for “ac repair near me” (30 cities) and 22% for “plumber near me” (24 cities) had fewer than 100 reviews. Reviews are only one factor, so no review count guarantees a spot. See the Google review benchmarks and how many Google reviews you need.
Questions about past-customer review campaigns
Can I ask old customers for Google reviews?
Yes. Google allows asking any real customer for a review, no matter when the job was. Customers from the last 3 to 6 months remember the job well enough to write a useful one.
How far back should a review campaign go?
Three to six months is the sweet spot. Further back, fewer people remember the details or reply. Newer customers get asked by the after-job request instead.
Will a burst of new reviews look suspicious to Google?
Google watches for sudden bursts of 5-star reviews and can pause new reviews on a profile. That’s one reason we send a small batch each day over two weeks instead of one big blast, and only to real customers.
What if a past customer had a bad experience?
Their reply is flagged to you right away, so you can call and make it right. They already have the same review link as everyone else, and we never hold it back.
How do you ask customers to write a review?
Remind them who you are and which job you did, then ask in one short sentence with a direct review link. For past customers, naming the job and the month matters most, because it helps them remember you.
What are examples of good 5-star reviews?
Useful ones name the job, the town or the crew, and say what went right. For example (made up, not a real review): “They replaced our roof in two days and cleaned up every nail.” You can remind a customer which job you did, but don’t write the review for them or ask for 5 stars.
How do I see which past customers already left a review?
Open your reviews on Google, sort by newest, and check the names against your customer list. Reviewer names don’t always match your records, so expect a few you can’t match.
Rather have it done for you?
Try it free for two weeks: we text your past customers and connect your job software. 25 reviews, or we keep working free until you get them. Applies at 25+ jobs a month.
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More services
Automated review requests → Google Business Profile optimization → Missed-call text-back → Google review widget for your website → Business listing cleanup → Automated Google review replies → How to find your Google review link and QR code → How to remove a Google review →