How to ask customers for a Google review (the right way)

Simply asking is the most effective way to get reviews — most customers are happy to help if you make it easy. But how you ask matters, both for how many reviews you get and for staying inside Google's rules.

When to ask

• Right after a positive moment — the meal's finished, the job's done, the problem's solved.
• Offer the link without pressure — one they can tap or scan in their own time, or a short follow-up message within a few hours.
• Not before they've actually experienced the service, and not so late that the visit is a distant memory.

How to ask

Keep it short, warm and specific, and hand them a one-tap link so there's nothing to search for. A simple, honest line works best:

Ready-to-use lines for Indian businesses

Customers respond best in the language they're comfortable with. The same honest ask works in any language — here it is in the ones most used at Indian counters. Reviews written in Hindi or Marathi are welcome on Google too.

• Hinglish: “Aapka experience kaisa raha? Google par apna honest review zaroor dijiye — bas 30 second lagenge.”
• Hindi: “आपका अनुभव कैसा रहा? Google पर अपना सच्चा रिव्यू ज़रूर दीजिए — बस 30 सेकंड लगेंगे।”
• Marathi: “तुमचा अनुभव कसा होता? Google वर तुमचा प्रामाणिक रिव्ह्यू नक्की द्या — फक्त ३० सेकंद लागतील.”

The lines you must not cross

• No incentives — don't offer discounts, freebies or entries into a draw in exchange for a review.
• No review gating — don't screen customers so only happy ones are sent to Google.
• No pressure on the premises — under Google's 2026 rules you must not pressure customers to review while they're still in your shop; offer the link and let them choose in their own time.
• Don't set staff review targets, and don't ask customers to name a staff member in their review — Google's 2026 rules prohibit both.
• Don't write or submit reviews for customers, and don't ask staff or friends to post reviews.
• Don't collect reviews on a shared shop tablet or kiosk, or post lots of reviews from the same device or network — each review should come from the customer's own phone.

Make the ask effortless

The easier you make it, the more reviews you'll get from a simple, honest ask. A QR card or NFC tag carrying your review link turns 'please leave us a review' into a single tap.