Key points
- Ask every customer at the same point in the job, straight after the install is signed off, not only the ones you think are happy.
- Send one direct Google review link by text or email, and carry a QR code card to the site for customers who prefer to do it on the spot.
- No discounts, free extras or prize draws in return for a review, and no review targets for your installers.
- Reply to every review, briefly and in plain words, including the unhappy ones.
- Put your reviews to work on your website: link to your Google profile and quote real reviews with the customer’s permission.
Window companies get more Google reviews by asking every customer, at the same point in every job, with a direct link that takes ten seconds to use. The rules are simple: ask everyone, offer nothing in return, and never write, filter or edit reviews yourself.
A replacement window or a new shower screen is a considered purchase, and homeowners read reviews before they let a glazier measure up. This guide sets out a review routine that fits the way window jobs actually run, from the check measure to the final clean-up, and shows where reviews belong on your site. If you want that site built and kept up to date for you, see what the plan includes.
Why reviews matter for a window company
Reviews help in two places: in Google’s local results, and in the mind of a homeowner comparing three quotes. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence 1 , and that prominence takes in how many reviews a business has and how many sites link to it 1 . Google also says plainly that more reviews and positive ratings can help 1 a business’s local ranking. It does not say how much, and nobody can promise a position.
The second effect is easier to see. Window, door and glazing jobs usually cost enough that people check before they book a measure. Reviews that mention the things homeowners worry about, such as whether the installers turned up on time, protected the floors, sealed the frames properly and took the old glass away, answer questions your quote can’t.
When in a window job to ask
Ask at sign-off, when the last window or door is in, the site is clean and the customer has checked the work. That is the moment the job is fresh and complete. Asking at the measure or the deposit is too early: the customer hasn’t had the service yet.
Window jobs have a longer tail than most trades. Glass is often ordered to size, so there can be weeks between the check measure and the install. Build the review request into the job itself rather than leaving it to memory.
A review request routine for a window or glazing job
- Measure and quote Set expectations: lead time for the glass, what the install day involves, what is and isn’t included.
- Install day Protect floors and furniture, remove the old frames and glass, clean up before leaving.
- Sign-off Walk the customer through every opening, show how locks and restrictors work, fix any snag on the spot.
- Ask the same day Hand over a card with your review QR code, then send the direct review link by text or email that evening.
- One reminder If there is no review after about a week, send one polite reminder with the same link. Then leave it.
For commercial glazing or builder work, the person who signs off may not be the person who chose you. Ask the contact who dealt with you day to day, and accept that some businesses have a policy against leaving reviews.
How to ask: the link and the card
Use the direct review link from your Google Business Profile. Google says a business can ask customers to leave a review through a Google link or QR code 2 , so you don’t need a paid tool to do this.
The message
Keep it short and personal. Name the job, say thanks, and include the link. For example: “Thanks for choosing us for the double glazing at your place on Tuesday. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other homeowners decide. Here’s the link.” Don’t ask for five stars, and don’t suggest what to write.
The card
A business card with the QR code printed on the back suits installers, who are often the last people the customer speaks to. Leave it with the handover paperwork: warranty details, care instructions for the frames and seals, and the WERS label information if the product is rated.
Keep a simple record
Note the date you sent the link on the job record. That stops customers being asked three times and shows your routine applies to everyone.
What the ACCC and Google rule out
Fake, filtered or paid-for reviews break both Australian law and Google’s policies. The ACCC says it is against the law 4 for a business to create fake or misleading reviews, or to arrange for others to do so.
| Practice | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Writing reviews yourself, or getting friends to | ACCC: against the law 4 |
| Reviews from staff or family without saying so | ACCC: misleading unless the connection is stated 4 |
| A discount, free flyscreen or prize draw for a review | Google prohibits incentives for any review 3 ; the ACCC says incentives risk misleading consumers 4 |
| Only asking customers you know are happy | Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews 3 |
| Review targets for installers or sales staff | Google treats review quotas for staff as fake engagement 3 |
| Hiding or editing negative reviews on your own site | ACCC: may mislead consumers 4 |
The incentive rule catches common habits in the window trade, such as “free flyscreen if you leave us a review” or a monthly draw for customers who post. Both count as giving something in exchange for a review. Asking every customer and offering nothing is the routine that keeps you clear.
Replying to reviews, good and bad
Reply to every review, and keep each reply short. Google’s advice is to keep replies short and simple 2 , and with a negative review to address the reviewer by name and acknowledge their specific feedback.
Positive reviews
Thank the customer and mention something from their job, such as the sliding door or the bathroom screen. Don’t paste the same line under every review.
Negative reviews
Unhappy window reviews usually come down to a few things: glass arriving later than promised, a frame that whistles in the wind, a scratch found after the installers left, or a quote that grew. Reply once, calmly, with the facts and what you will do. For example: “Sorry the replacement pane took three weeks longer than we said. The supplier’s delay was ours to manage and we should have told you sooner. We’ve booked a return visit to check the seal.” Then move the conversation to the phone. Prospective customers read how you respond as much as the complaint itself.
Using reviews on your website
Your website should send people to your reviews and show a few of them in context. Link to your Google Business Profile from the contact page and the footer, so visitors can read every review rather than a selection.
If you quote reviews on service pages, use them word for word with the customer’s permission and place them where they answer a question. A review about a tidy install belongs near your installation process; one about a shower screen belongs on the shower screen page. Businesses selling frameless screens and splashbacks often lean on this, as covered on our page for shower screen and splashback glaziers.
Don’t display star badges or review counts you can’t keep current, and don’t build a “reviews” page that only shows the good ones. For the rest of what a site needs, read what a window company website needs, and for the profile itself see Google Business Profile for window companies.
What to do next
- Copy the review link from your Google Business Profile and save it where your office staff can find it.
- Order cards with the QR code for every installer’s van.
- Add “review link sent” as a step on your job sheet, after sign-off.
- Write one short template message and one reminder, and use them for every customer.
- Remove any offer that gives a discount, extra or entry for a review, including on social media.
- Reply to any unanswered reviews on your profile this week, oldest first.
The short version
A steady flow of genuine reviews comes from a routine, not a campaign. Ask every customer at sign-off, send one direct link and one reminder, and reply to what comes back. Leave out incentives, targets and filtering, because the ACCC and Google both treat those as misleading. Then make sure your website points people to the full profile and quotes real reviews where they help a homeowner decide. If you would like a site built around that, with your reviews linked and kept current as part of the monthly edits, see pricing or book a call.
Questions window company owners ask
Can I ask only the customers I know were happy with the job?
No. Google’s policy rules out selectively asking for positive reviews, so the safe routine is to ask every customer at the same stage of the job. A consistent routine also gives you a more honest picture of how your installs are going.
Can I offer a small discount on the invoice for leaving a review?
No. Google prohibits payment, discounts and free goods or services in exchange for any review, and the ACCC says incentives for positive reviews risk misleading consumers. Thank people for their time instead.
Can my installers ask for reviews on site?
Yes, handing over a card with your review QR code is fine. What you should avoid is setting installers a number of reviews to collect, or telling them what customers should write, because Google treats both as fake engagement.
Should I copy my Google reviews onto my website?
You can quote real reviews if you do it accurately and with the reviewer’s permission, and link to the full profile so visitors can read the lot. Never edit a review to make it sound better or leave out a customer’s connection to the business.