How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Grooming Business (Scripts Included)
If you want to know how to get more Google reviews for a grooming business, the honest answer is less clever than most marketing advice: you ask more people, at a better moment, with a link that takes them straight to the review box. Below: the setup, the timing, scripts to copy word for word, reply templates, and the rules that get reviews deleted. It takes an afternoon to set up and ten minutes a week to run.
We already cover the rest of your profile (categories, photos, services, posts and Q&A) in our Google Business Profile guide for groomers, and the wider marketing picture in how to get more grooming clients. This page goes deep on reviews only.
Why Google Reviews Matter for a Local Groomer
Google explains its local ranking in plain terms on its own help page, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google. Results are mainly based on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for, such as "dog groomer" or "cat grooming".
- Distance: how far your business is from the person searching. You cannot change this one.
- Prominence: how well known your business is. Google says this is based partly on "how many reviews you have" and that "more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking."
Reviews are the part of prominence you can grow every week without a budget. Google also says "positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out", which matters as much as ranking: an owner comparing groomers on the map reads your reviews before calling.
The good news is that most clients are willing. In BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 (1,026 US consumers), 96% said they were open to writing a business a review, but far fewer actually did in the past year. Email was the request method people said made them most likely to leave one (40%), followed by being asked in person (27%). Asking, and making it easy, is how you close that gap.
Step 1: Get Your Direct Review Link and QR Code
Never ask someone to "find us on Google". Send them a link that opens the review box directly. Google's help page, Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews, gives the current steps:
- On a computer, sign in and open your Business Profile. Google says review QR codes can only be generated in a desktop browser, not on a phone.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews (the share icon).
- Click the copy icon to copy your review link. Paste it into a note on your phone so it is always ready.
- Right click the QR code and choose Save image as to download it for printing.
Google moves these buttons occasionally. If your screen looks different, look for a button labeled Ask for reviews or Get more reviews. You must have a verified profile to reply to reviews, so if you have not verified yet, do that first.
Where to put the link and code once you have them:
- A note on your phone, ready to paste into a text
- Your email signature and receipts
- A printed card at the counter or on the grooming room door
- Your website's contact or reviews page (see how to build a website for your grooming business)
Step 2: Ask at the Right Moment
For groomers, the best moment is obvious once you notice it: pickup, right when the owner sees the dog. The owner is pleased, already has their phone out for a photo, and is standing in front of the person who did the work. A request feels natural then.
Who to ask matters more than when: everyone, the same way. Google prohibits merchants from selectively asking only happy customers (more on that below), so the pickup moment is about timing, not about choosing who deserves the link. A simple rule that keeps you honest and consistent:
- New clients: ask at the end of their first visit.
- Regulars who have never been asked: ask once, at their next visit. Many loyal clients have simply never been asked.
- Clients who already reviewed you: do not ask again.
If a client is unhappy at pickup, deal with the problem first. They still receive the same link later, and a fair review from a client whose problem you took seriously is worth having.
Copyable Scripts
Each script below asks for an honest review, offers nothing in return, and does not tell the client what to write. That last point is deliberate. Google's policy says merchants should not ask for reviews that include specific content, and it gives naming staff as an example, so do not ask clients to mention your bather by name.
In person at pickup
"Doesn't she look great? If you have a minute this week, an honest Google review really helps a small business like ours. I'll text you the link so you don't have to search for us."
Short version for a busy counter:
"Would you mind leaving us a Google review? I'll send you the link."
Do not hand them a tablet, stand over them while they type, or ask them to do it before they leave. Google's policy says businesses should not require or pressure customers to leave reviews while on the premises. Ask, send the link, and let them do it at home.
Personal text message
Send this yourself, from your business number, to clients who gave you their number and agreed to receive texts from your business. Keep it to one message, one link, and one ask per client. If anyone replies stop, stop.
"Hi [Name], it's [your name] from [salon]. [Dog] was a star today! If you have a moment, an honest Google review helps other dog owners find us: [review link]. Thank you either way."
For a first visit:
"Hi [Name], thanks for trusting us with [Dog] for their first groom. If you'd be willing to share how it went, here is our Google review link: [review link]. We'll see you both in six weeks."
Our SMS guide for groomers covers consent and opt outs in more detail.
Email was the most persuasive channel in the BrightLocal survey, and it suits clients who rarely text.
Subject: How did [Dog]'s groom go?
Hi [Name],
Thanks for bringing [Dog] in today. We hope they are enjoying the fresh coat.
If you have a minute, would you leave us an honest Google review? It helps other dog owners in town find a groomer they can trust. Here is the direct link: [review link]
And if anything about the visit was not right, just reply to this email. We read every one.
Thanks,
[Your name], [salon]
That last line gives an unhappy client a way to reach you, but everyone still gets the review link. Sending only happy clients to Google is review gating, which is not allowed.
A card at the counter
Print your QR code on a small card, table tent or sticker near where clients pay.
Was your dog's visit worth talking about?
Scan to leave us an honest Google review. It takes about a minute and helps a local business more than you'd think.
[QR code]
Keep the wording neutral. "Love your groom? Leave us five stars!" asks for a specific rating, which is the kind of influence Google's policy rules out.
A social media post
A post works well once or twice a year, paired with a good before and after photo (with the owner's permission).
"Every review on our Google page comes from a real client, and every one helps a neighbor decide where to take their dog. If we've groomed your pup, we'd be grateful for an honest review, good or bad. The link is in our bio. Thank you for supporting a small, local salon."
A Weekly Review Routine (With the Math)
Reviews come from a habit, not a campaign:
Worked example: how long does it take to catch up?
The numbers below are assumptions for illustration, not industry averages. Replace them with your own; the math is what matters.
Phase one, the sweep: 120 clients asked over 6 weeks is 20 asks a week. At 20%, that is 4 reviews a week, or 24 reviews in six weeks. At 10% it is 12; at 30% it is 36. You go from 25 reviews to somewhere between 37 and 61.
Phase two, steady state: after the sweep you are mostly asking new clients. 3 new clients a week at 20% is about 0.6 reviews a week, so call it 2 to 3 a month.
The gap: after the sweep, say you have 49 and the competitor has 96. If you gain 0.6 a week and they gain 1, you never catch up. That is the real lesson of the math: the sweep alone is not enough. Add the counter card and the email so more of the people you ask actually follow through, and remind regulars once more in person if they said they would and have not yet. Getting to 2 reviews a week against their 1 closes a 47 review gap in about 47 weeks. Slow, but Google publishes no target number, so you do not have to match anyone exactly.
Your own "share who actually post" is the number to watch. Track it for a month. If it is low, check three things: the link (one tap, straight to the review box), the timing (same day, not next week), and whether the in person ask is actually happening.
What Is Not Allowed (Google and the FTC)
Two sets of rules apply, and they are not identical. Google's rules decide whether a review stays up. The FTC's rule is federal law. Following Google's is the stricter path in most cases.
Google's review policy
Google's prohibited and restricted content policy for Maps reviews says fake engagement "is not allowed and will be removed." For a grooming business, that means:
- No incentives. No payment, discount, or free goods or services in exchange for a review. A free nail trim, a coupon, or 10% off the next groom all count. Google applies the same rule to paying someone to revise or remove a negative review. We would treat prize drawings for reviewers the same way.
- No review gating. Google says merchants may not "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." A survey that sends happy clients to Google and unhappy ones to a private form is exactly that.
- No pressure on the premises, and no requests for specific content such as naming a groomer.
- No staff quotas. Google lists merchants asking staff to collect a certain number of reviews as rating manipulation.
- No conflicts of interest. Reviews from current or former employees, family members or competitors can be removed.
Breaking these can cost you more than the review. Google's help page on review links points to its Business Profile restrictions for what happens to profiles that violate the policy.
The FTC rule on fake reviews
In August 2024 the Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, which the FTC says took effect on October 21, 2024. It lets the FTC seek civil penalties against knowing violators. Among other things, it prohibits:
- Fake reviews, including ones written by AI or attributed to people who do not exist
- Offering compensation or incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment, such as a reward for five stars
- Reviews by company insiders that do not clearly disclose their connection to the business
- Suppressing negative reviews with unfounded legal threats, intimidation, or certain false public accusations
The FTC's own questions and answers on the rule add two points worth knowing. Review gating is not specifically banned by the rule, but the FTC says "this practice could violate the FTC Act." And while the rule itself does not ban every incentive, Google does, so for Google reviews the answer stays no.
One more platform note: Yelp is stricter than Google. Its content guidelines say "businesses should never ask customers to write reviews." Use these scripts for Google, not Yelp.
How to Respond to Reviews (Templates)
Google's tips on replying to reviews are short and sensible: be professional and polite, keep replies brief, avoid generic copy and paste thank yous, do not use replies to offer deals, acknowledge mistakes but "don't take responsibility for things outside your control," and never share a reviewer's private information. Reviewers are notified when you reply, and they can update their review afterwards.
Positive reviews
You do not have to thank every reviewer with the same line. Reply when you can add something specific.
"Thank you, Maria! Biscuit was a joy, and her coat is in great shape this time. See you both in September."
"We're so glad Rocky's first groom went well. Nervous first timers are some of our favorite clients. Thanks for trusting us with him."
A negative review about service (lateness, price, communication)
"Hi Dan, thank you for telling us. You're right that pickup ran late on Saturday, and we're sorry it cost you part of your afternoon. We'd like to make sure it doesn't happen again. Please call us at [number] and ask for [name]."
Acknowledge what is true, apologize for the experience, and move the details to a phone call. Do not argue the timeline in public, even if you have the records. For the conversation itself, our guide to handling difficult grooming clients has scripts for late pickups and price disputes.
A mishap: a nick, clipper irritation or a cut
Show care and take responsibility for what you can control, without making detailed admissions in public before you have talked to the client and checked your insurance.
"Hi Karen, we're very sorry Max came home sore, and thank you for letting us know. His comfort matters to us, and we want to hear exactly what you've seen since his visit. Please call me directly at [number] so we can talk it through. [Name], owner"
What not to do in the public reply: describe what you think happened, blame the dog's behavior, discuss vet bills, or promise payment. Have that conversation privately. If a claim is possible, read your liability policy's conditions and contact your insurer before you agree to pay anything in writing. Our grooming business insurance guide covers what policies typically include, and a signed consent and release at intake, which our free grooming waiver generator can draft, sets expectations before anything goes wrong.
A shave down for matting
"They shaved my dog without asking" is a review many groomers dread. Even when you did ask, explain your reasoning kindly rather than proving the client wrong.
"Hi Sam, we understand it's a real shock to see your dog this short, and we're sorry the result wasn't what you expected. When a coat is matted close to the skin, brushing it out is painful for the dog, so a short clip is the kinder option, and the coat will grow back. We'd like to talk with you about a plan for her next visit. Please call us at [number]."
Explain the welfare reason in general terms and leave out the dog's condition, the client's brushing habits, and what was said at drop off. The best prevention is a conversation and a signed matting release before you start (the waiver generator above includes a matting and shave down clause), plus the client education in our matting prevention guide.
Turning critics into regulars
Some unhappy reviewers become loyal clients once they feel heard. If you fix the problem, you may ask whether they would consider updating their review. The FTC says asking satisfied customers to update a review is not prohibited by its rule, but never offer anything in return, which Google forbids. Our client retention guide covers the recovery conversation that comes first.
How to Flag a Fake or Abusive Review
Google's help page on removing reviews from your Business Profile gives two routes:
- From your profile: open Read reviews, select Report next to the review, choose the reason, and send.
- From the Reviews Management Tool: choose your business, report the review, and come back to check its status (decision pending, no policy violation, or escalated).
Google says evaluation typically takes several days. If it finds no violation, you get one appeal per review, and you can appeal up to 10 reviews at a time. Flag reviews that break the policy: spam, profanity, a competitor, someone who never visited, or a review offered in exchange for something. Google will not remove a review just because you disagree with it, and it does not step into disputes between businesses and customers. If someone is threatening negative reviews unless you pay, that is an extortion scam, and the same help page links to a separate process for reporting it.
While a flag is pending, a short neutral reply is reasonable:
"We can't find a record of a visit that matches this review. If we've missed something, please call us at [number] so we can look into it."
Keep it factual. Accusing a reviewer of lying in public can backfire, and the FTC rule lists certain false public accusations among the ways businesses may not suppress negative reviews.
Make the Review Lead Somewhere
A prospective client reads your reviews, likes what she sees, and then needs a next step. Make sure your profile's website or booking link goes straight to a page where she can book, not a home page she has to dig through. If you use GroomBoard, your online booking page link works well there, so the person who just read your reviews can pick a time on the spot.
The whole system fits on an index card: one link, one ask at pickup, one follow up the same day, one honest reply, and a Friday tally. Run it for three months and the count takes care of itself.