Ep. 81 - Planning for November - ask for reviews from clients

How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Spa (And Make Sure They Actually Work)

If you want a new client to book with your newest esthetician, there is one thing that will do more than any ad, any social media post, or any referral program. It’s a Google review that mentions her name.

Because here’s what happens when someone gets referred to your spa: the first thing they do is look you up. They go to Google. They read the reviews. And if they see one person’s name come up over and over again in glowing terms, that’s who they’re going to try to book. If that person is full, they’re going to look for the next name they recognize. And if your newest esthetician’s name isn’t there yet, they might just move on.

This is exactly why we do Google review pushes and exactly why we’re strategic about how we do it.

Stop Asking Too Soon

This was the biggest mistake we were making and it was quietly costing us reviews.

We used to ask clients for a Google review the same day they came in, sometimes before they even left the building. And it wasn’t working. The reviews were lukewarm at best. Most people just didn’t leave one at all.

Here’s why: a client cannot rave about an experience she hasn’t fully had yet. She needs to go home, live in her skin, see how it settles, come back a second time and realize the results were repeatable, and then come back a third time and feel that she genuinely trusts this person.

That’s when the review flows naturally. That’s when she says things like “she made me feel completely comfortable” and “I can’t imagine going anywhere else.” And that’s when the next potential client reading that review thinks: I have to book with her.

We now have a standing rule: no Google review request until the client has come in at least three times.

Exactly What to Say

Once a client hits that three-visit mark, here’s how we approach it.

First, the esthetician mentions it in person during the appointment. Something like: “You’ve been so loyal and I just love seeing you on my books. Would you mind leaving me a Google review? I’d love to bring in more clients just like you.” Most people say yes immediately. That verbal yes is the green light.

Then, within 24 to 48 hours, a text goes out. Here’s the format:

Hey [client name], this is [esthetician name] from [spa name]. I was going through my books and I just felt really thankful for how long you’ve been supporting me. If you have a spare moment, would you mind leaving me a Google review? I’d love to bring in more clients just like YOU.

Capitalize the word YOU. It matters. Then add one personal line: mention the holiday, something they told you about their week, their kid’s recital, their dog. Make it sound like a human wrote it because a human should be writing it.

And include the direct Google review link in the same text. Don’t make her go looking for it. One click and she’s there.

The System That Makes It Repeatable

The message gets saved as a text replacement on the spa phone. Go to Settings, General, Keyboard, Text Replacement, and paste the whole message in. Give it a shortcut based on the esthetician’s initials plus “gr” for Google review. Our newest esthetician’s shortcut is sgr. A few keystrokes and the whole message auto-populates. It takes less than 60 seconds to send.

Every esthetician has her own version of the message written in her own voice. When we set it up, we sit down together and read through it to make sure it sounds like her, not like a template.

Then we set an expectation: at least one Google review request per week per esthetician. Not one review per week. One request. That’s it.

And when a review comes in, it goes straight into our Slack good vibes channel with a shout-out to the esthetician who earned it. Because they deserve to know people are out there singing their praises.

November is the perfect time to do a push like this. People are feeling generous and grateful. They want to give back. Let them give back to the person who’s been taking care of them all year.

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Listen to the full episode of the S.P.A. Business Podcast for the complete breakdown, including how to track which clients are ready for a review request and how to use this to get your newest esthetician booked faster.