Think about how a new client finds a salon today. She opens Google Maps, types "salon near me", and looks at three or four names. She checks the star rating, scrolls the photos, reads a few reviews — and decides in under a minute.
Your work might be the best on the street. But if the salon next door has more reviews and better photos, she'll walk past you without ever knowing.
The good news: you don't need tricks. You need to ask, every day, in the right way.
First, what not to do
The fix, in six steps
1. Complete your Google Business Profile
Before you ask for a single review, make the profile worth visiting: the right business category, opening hours (including holidays), your phone number, a list of services, your booking link and real photos — the reception, the chairs, your team at work and a few finished looks (with clients' permission). Add new photos every month.
2. Ask at the right moment
The best moment is when the client is looking in the mirror, happy with the result — or at billing. A simple, genuine ask works: "If you liked today, a Google review would really help our small salon."
3. Make it one tap
Nobody will search for your salon on Maps later. Send the review link on WhatsApp right after they pay, and keep a small QR card at the counter that opens your review page.
4. Let the stylist ask
Clients feel a connection with the person who did their hair or skin, not with "the salon". When the stylist asks personally, clients are far more likely to do it — and often mention the stylist by name in the review.
5. Reply to every review within 48 hours
Thank people by name and mention their service. Future clients read your replies as much as the reviews themselves — they show there's a real, caring person behind the business.
6. Handle bad reviews calmly
Never argue in public. Apologise, take the conversation private, and fix the problem. A calm, kind reply to a bad review often wins more trust than ten good ones.
Messages you can copy
A simple weekly habit
Make asking part of every checkout, not a once-a-month drive. At your weekly team meeting, read out the new reviews and thank the stylists who were mentioned. Staff start asking on their own once they see their name in a review.
What to track
- New reviews each month
- Your average star rating
- Calls, direction requests and website clicks — shown in your Google Business Profile performance section
How Salon Partner helps
- Sends every client a thank-you message with your review link after their visit
- Collects private feedback too, and alerts you to low ratings so you can call the client
- Puts your booking link in front of clients who find you on Google