How to get more reviews for your salon

The salons with the most reviews are not the ones with the happiest clients. They are the ones that ask every client, at the right moment, with a link that takes ten seconds to use. Ask right after the appointment, make it one tap, reply to every review, and never pay or filter for good ones: that is the whole method.

Reviews matter twice. New clients read them before choosing, and Google uses review count and rating as part of how it ranks local businesses on Maps. A salon with 150 recent reviews simply gets seen more than one with 12.

Ask every client, not just the happy ones

It is tempting to only ask the clients who were all smiles. Don’t. Google’s rules forbid selectively asking for positive reviews or discouraging negative ones, and it can remove reviews or restrict a profile that does it. Beyond the rules, a wall of perfect five-star reviews looks suspicious. A 4.8 with a few honest four-star reviews is more believable than a flawless 5.0.

Ask at the right moment

The best moment is while the client is still looking at the result: at the mirror, at the till, or within a few hours of leaving. A day later, the feeling has faded and the request lands in a full inbox.

• In person: “If you’re happy with it, a review really helps us. I’ll send you the link.” Short, sincere, no pressure.
• In writing: a short message the same day with a direct link. Vezeli does this for you: when an appointment is completed, the client receives an email inviting them to leave a review.

Make it one tap

Every extra step loses people. “Search for us on Google and find the reviews tab” loses most of them. Give a direct link instead:

• Google Business Profile has a “Ask for reviews” option that gives you a short link. Save it as a quick reply.
• Print it as a QR code next to the till or on the mirror.
• Add it to your follow-up message and your email signature.

What not to do

• No rewards for reviews. A discount, a free treatment or a prize draw in exchange for a review breaks Google’s rules.
• No fake reviews, from friends, staff or paid services. Google can remove them and restrict your profile, and clients often spot them.
• No pressure in the salon. Don’t hand someone your tablet and wait. Ask, then let them do it in their own time.
• No dictated content. Asking for “five stars please” or specific words is off-limits. Ask for an honest opinion.

Reply to every review

Replies are read by future clients more than you think. They show there is a person behind the salon.

• Positive: thank them by name and mention the service. “Thank you Sara, so glad you love the balayage!” Ten seconds, and it feels personal.
• Negative: reply calmly within a day or two. Acknowledge, don’t argue, and offer to talk privately. “We’re sorry the colour wasn’t what you hoped for. Please call us, we’d like to make it right.”

A negative review with a good reply often reassures more than ten positive ones. It shows how you treat clients when something goes wrong.

Catch problems before they become reviews

Most bad reviews come from clients who left unhappy without saying anything. Ask before they pay: “Are you happy with it? Anything you’d like me to adjust?” Fixing a fringe on the spot costs five minutes. A one-star review stays for years. The same attention is what turns a first visit into a regular client.

Make it a routine, not a campaign

A burst of fifty reviews in one week, then nothing, helps less than three or four new reviews every week. Recency matters to clients reading them, and a steady flow looks natural. Make the request part of every checkout, like offering the next appointment.

On Vezeli, only clients who completed an appointment can review you, and each one is invited automatically after their visit. See how client reviews work, and read our guide to the Google Business Profile for salons.