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Learn how to use review sites in your favor to passively get more cleaning customers.
In today’s world it’s an absolute must that you pay close attention to your online reputation. Gone are the days you could ignore technology and social media with minimal repercussions.
You can now own the greatest maid service in the world, but if people are saying differently online, it’s going to hit your bottom line in a major way.
Today, we at ZenMaid wanted to share with you one of the best things you can do to proactively help your business with this: by requesting reviews from all your customers on sites like Yelp, then take advantage of these positive reviews. There are many benefits to doing so as outlined below.
Let’s jump into it:
To start, identify your most popular review site.
This is likely to be Angie’s List, Yelp! or even Google Places (all of which allow users to rate you from 1–5 stars and leave comments about your service). You’ll want to select the site that has the most highly rated reviews and makes your company look its best. We’re only going to pick a single site to focus on first so you don’t overwhelm your customers, but if you’re having trouble picking between two, that’s a great problem to have (just choose one to start and move your focus to the other in a few weeks or months).
Remember: it’s way better to be at the top of a Yelp search and the bottom of an Angie’s List one than to be in the middle of both. Get a high rating from multiple customers on a single review site and it will drive new customers to you. Once you’ve done that, focus on the next rating/review website.
Step 1 – Ask all of your customers for reviews after their first cleaning and periodically after (every 3–6 months)
After every customers’ first appointment you should be reaching out to confirm they had a great experience with your services. If they did, it’s a perfect time to ask at the end of the email for them to drop you a review on the site you’ve determined is best for you.
You’re much more likely to get reviews from long time customers and these reviews tend to be better on average (they stick with you for a reason!). With this in mind it’s important to also reach out every couple of months to a client that has been consistent with you to not only ask for a review but also to make sure you’re still doing the same work they loved on day 1.
At ZenMaid we recommend reaching out at least once every 3–6 months.
Benefits of having reviews for your cleaning business:
On the marketing side, more ratings means you’ll be regarded more highly by potential customers who visit that review site. Each time someone clicks on your rating page they’ll not only see the great marketing you’ve done for your service but also social proof from real customers of yours that speak directly to the quality of your work.
Added benefit:
Did you know asking your customers’ for feedback and a review is also something that benefits your business even if no one reads their rating? Simply asking (getting the actual review is good too) will enhance their perception of your service going forward (assuming they liked your service) and make them less likely to churn (leave) in the future.
In other words, just asking for a review will enhance your reputation. Poorly run maid services don’t ask for reviews because they’re afraid of feedback. At the very least, you can show you care about customer feedback to improve your service, right?
Shameless plug: ZenMaid can automatically follow up by email with all your customers after their appointments and can be easily customized to ask for reviews on sites of your choosing. Imagine your business getting more and more reviews with no additional work on your part! Set up your email templates once and we’ll do the rest.
Step 2 – Add the review site you’ve selected to your signature on all company emails
Note: Make sure to link directly to your review page so viewers don’t need to navigate there on their own.
When customers email you they’ll be reminded to leave a review if they haven’t done so already. Any time you’re conversing with a partner or vendor they’re one click away from seeing the quality of service they work with in you.
Finally, when potential customers email in with questions and inquiries they’ll always have a chance to click directly to your reviews to help their decision (in your favor).
The best part about this is by adding it below your signature you’re showing your reviews to people in a very non-obtrusive manner. It’s a pleasant way to share why they should work with you!
Shameless plug #2 – With ZenMaid we’ll work with you to both identify your best review sites and to customize your signature so all your automated emails push people toward this page!
Step 3 (optional) – Paid advertising
The majority of review sites offer advertising, usually in a pay-per-click fashion. The way these ads will work is a simple process where you bid to show up above other search results as a “sponsored link” and if you get clicked on you pay a small fee for that visitor.
These ads will show the reviews from your customers, so having good ones can really be the difference between wasting money and effective advertising. If you’re doing PPC already you’ll probably want to consider doing it on your best review site once you’ve implemented the first two steps of this article.
Implementing the advice in this article should take you a minimal amount of time (send an email blast to all your current customers asking for reviews then add the site to your signature) but the benefits can add up quickly. As your reputation improves online you’ll get more cleaning customers who are in turn more likely to leave you a review. Do this for about a year and you’ll see a big difference in your growth with minimal work and time invested.
How to Actually Get More Reviews (Beyond Just Asking)
The two steps above are a great foundation, but if you want reviews to become a reliable, consistent stream rather than an occasional trickle, you need a few more tools in your belt.
Make Your Ask Impossible to Ignore
Timing your ask right after a first cleaning is smart, but how you ask matters just as much as when you ask. A generic “please leave us a review” gets ignored. A warm, personal message gets clicks.
Try something like:
“Hi [Name]! We hope you love your clean home today. If you have 60 seconds, it would mean so much to us if you left us a quick review — here’s the direct link: [link].”
Short, friendly, and direct. No hunting for the page, no extra steps, no reviews in places you don’t expect. The easier you make it, the more reviews you’ll get, and the easier it will be to track your progress toward gathering more of them.
Respond to Every Review You Receive
Don’t overlook responding to reviews. Responding to all of your reviews, positive and negative, does two things: it shows existing clients you’re paying attention, and it signals to potential clients that you care about getting things right in your business.
For five-star reviews, a short and genuine thank-you is all you need. For critical ones, stay calm, acknowledge the concern, and invite them to reach out directly to make it right. How you handle a bad review often impresses potential clients more than the glowing ones do.
Don’t Stop at One Platform
As the article mentions, starting with one review site is the right move to keep things manageable, but don’t stay there forever. Once you’ve built a strong presence on Google or Yelp, and you have a strong system for review collection, direct some clients toward your Facebook page or Nextdoor profile. Local recommendations on neighborhood platforms carry surprising weight and can bring in clients your website never would have reached.
Automate It and Forget It
The real secret to consistently growing your reviews isn’t discipline — it’s automation. If your review request depends on you remembering to send it after every job, it won’t happen consistently for long. Set it up once inside your cleaning business software so the follow-up goes out automatically after every completed appointment, every time, without you lifting a finger.
That’s the version of this strategy that actually compounds over time.
Want to see if this advice works?
Check out our cleaning business software reviews for ZenMaid at Capterra.
We’ve only just started asking for reviews but are already building a few good ones (no bad ones, thank goodness) and have added the link to our email signatures (see below).
Also, if you’re a customer already please leave us a review on how you rate your maid service software.
You and your maid service deserve a little peace and quiet. Sign up for your free trial today at ZenMaid.com and discover the freedom and clarity that ZenMaid can bring to your cleaning business!
