Google Reviews for Salons: Get 5 New Reviews This Week (Free Method)
Before Automation
- Awkwardly ask for reviews in person
- Most clients forget immediately
- Stuck at 12 Google reviews
- New clients choose competitors with 200+ reviews
- Manual follow-up is exhausting
After Automation
- Automated text 2 hours after appointment
- Clients review from their couch
- 5-10 new reviews per week
- Top salon ranking in Google Maps
- Hands-off once set up
After this tutorial you'll have:
- Your direct Google review link ready to use
- Automated text request system operational
- 5 proven review request templates
- A system to respond to negative reviews
- 5-10 new reviews in your first month
Tools You'll Need (All Free to Start)
5-Step Tutorial
Get Your Google Review Link
5 minutes
- Go to Google Business Profile (search "google business profile" in Google)
- Sign in with your salon's Google account
- Click on your salon name in the left menu
- Scroll down and find the "Get more reviews" section
- Click the Copy button to copy the unique review link
- Save this link somewhere safe—you'll use it in every text message
💡 Pro tip: Your link should start with "google.com/reviews/" followed by a long ID. This is your golden ticket to automated reviews.
Choose Your Review Request Method
2 minutes to decide
Method A: Podium Text Automation (Recommended for most salons)
Why: Hands-off. Send review requests automatically 2 hours after every appointment. Podium has a free trial, so test it first.
How: Connect your booking system to Podium. Set it to send a text 2 hours after appointment completion. Done.
Cost: Free trial, then $99-199/month (but you'll get it back in new bookings)
Method B: Zapier + SMS Gateway (DIY option)
Why: Completely free. Use Zapier to connect your booking system to Twilio or another SMS service. More setup, but zero cost.
How: Create a Zapier automation: "When appointment ends → send SMS with review link 2 hours later"
Cost: Free (Zapier free tier), Twilio SMS costs ~$0.01 per text
Method C: Manual Text (Simplest)
Why: No setup needed. You manually send texts from your phone right after appointments. Takes 30 seconds per client.
How: Copy one of the templates below and paste + send via text as you close out each appointment.
Cost: Free (you're just using your phone's texting)
Most salons start with Method C (manual), then upgrade to Podium after seeing results.
Write Your Review Request Texts
10 minutes
- Pick the template that sounds like you
- Replace [Name] with the client's first name (more personal)
- Replace [Salon Name] with your salon's name
- Replace [link] with the Google review link from Step 1
- Save it somewhere you can copy-paste (notes app, Podium, Zapier)
📝 Pro tip: The emoji at the end of the message (💅 or 😄) increases engagement by 34%. People are more likely to click links in friendly messages.
Set Up Podium Automation
15 minutes
- Go to podium.com (use this link for free trial)
- Sign up for Podium's free trial (no credit card needed)
- Connect your Google Business Profile in Podium's settings
- Connect your salon's booking system (Acuity Scheduling, Vagaro, etc.)
- Go to "Automations" → Create new automation
- Set trigger: "When appointment status changes to completed"
- Set delay: 2 hours (people have time to relax and think about reviewing)
- Add your review request text (from Step 3)
- Enable the automation
- You're done! Podium now sends review requests automatically
⏱️ Why 2 hours? Clients need time to cool down (especially if haircut took longer than expected). A 2-hour delay gives them time to calm down, snap a selfie, and feel motivated to review.
Respond to Every Review
2-3 minutes per review
How to respond: Go to your Google Business Profile → Reviews section → Click on each review → Click "Respond"
Response Template for 5-Star Reviews:
Response Template for 4-Star Reviews:
Response Template for Negative Reviews (1-3 Stars):
- Always respond within 24-48 hours
- Use the client's name (personalization matters)
- For 5-star reviews: Thank them, keep it short and warm
- For 4-star reviews: Acknowledge feedback, invite them back
- For negative reviews: Apologize, offer a solution, take it offline
- Never argue with negative reviews—stay professional
🎯 Pro tip: Salons that respond to every review see 25% more customer inquiries. It's not just good for reputation—it's good for business.
Salons using automated review requests get 5× more Google reviews
The difference between manually asking and automated texts is enormous. Stop relying on hope. Start automating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ask customers for reviews at the salon? +
Yes, you can ask in person, but it's significantly less effective. When you ask face-to-face, customers feel put on the spot and often forget. A text message sent 2 hours after they leave is much more likely to get a response because:
- They're home and relaxed (not feeling rushed)
- They can review from their phone with one tap
- They have a direct link, not a vague instruction to "find us on Google"
- It feels less like a request and more like a helpful reminder
The data is clear: automated texts get 5× more reviews than in-person asks.
What if I get a bad review? +
Bad reviews happen to every salon, even great ones. The key is responding quickly and professionally. Here's what to do:
- Respond within 24-48 hours, Speed shows you care
- Acknowledge the issue, Don't dismiss their experience
- Apologize if appropriate, Even if it wasn't entirely your fault, empathy goes a long way
- Offer a solution, Free touch-up, discount, or direct conversation
- Take it offline, Ask them to message you or call so you can resolve it privately
Potential customers actually trust salons that respond to negative reviews better than salons with only 5-star reviews. It shows you're real and stand behind your work.
How long until I see results? +
Timeline depends on your setup method:
- Method C (manual texts): First reviews in 3-5 days
- Method A or B (automated): First reviews in 1-2 weeks
- 5-10 reviews per week: After 4-6 weeks of consistent requests
- Significant ranking impact: After 20-30 new reviews
The most important factor is consistency. Send review requests after every appointment. Salons that skip weeks won't see the growth they expect.
Is Podium worth paying for? +
Podium's free trial lets you test it first, so you can decide based on real results. Here's the economics:
- Podium cost: $99-199/month
- If you get 5-10 new reviews/week: That's 20-40 reviews/month
- Each new review brings ~2 new clients: That's 40-80 new appointments/month
- At $60-100 per appointment: That's $2,400-8,000 in new revenue
The verdict: If Podium helps you get 5-10 reviews per week, the paid plan pays for itself 10× over. Plus, you save time not manually texting every client.
Start with the free trial and manual method. If you're consistently getting reviews, upgrade to Podium.