Are You Making These Common Review-Building Mistakes? (Most Landscapers Are)

Reviews drive your landscaping business. Period.

When someone searches for landscapers, they're not just looking at your work photos. They're reading what your customers say about you. Those little stars next to your name? They make or break whether someone picks up the phone to call you.

But here's the thing most landscapers get wrong: they think reviews just happen naturally.

They don't.

You need a system. And most of you are making the same mistakes that keep those 5-star reviews from rolling in.

Let's fix that.

Mistake #1: You're Not Asking for Reviews At All

This is the big one.

You finish a beautiful patio job. Customer loves it. They pay the invoice with a smile. You pack up and head to the next job.

And you never ask for a review.

Why? Because it feels awkward. Because you think good work should speak for itself. Because you assume happy customers will leave reviews on their own.

They won't.

Less than 10% of satisfied customers leave reviews without being asked. That means 90% of your happy customers are walking away without telling the world how great you are.

The fix:Make asking for reviews part of your job completion process. Every single time.

When you finish a project and the customer is clearly happy, say something like: "I'm really glad you're happy with how this turned out. Would you mind taking two minutes to leave us a review on Google? It helps other homeowners find us."

Simple. Direct. Not pushy.

Mistake #2: You're Asking at the Wrong Time

Timing is everything with review requests.

Ask too early, and the customer hasn't had time to appreciate the full impact of your work. Ask too late, and they've forgotten the excitement of the completed project.

The sweet spot? Right after project completion, when they're still excited about the results.

Not three weeks later when they're dealing with their next home project. Not during the job when there's still dust and chaos everywhere.

The fix:Ask for the review during your final walkthrough, when you're showing them the completed work and they're seeing the transformation for the first time.

That's when emotions are high. That's when they remember why they hired you.

Mistake #3: You're Making It Too Complicated

"Hey, can you go to Google, search for our business name, scroll down, click on reviews, then write something nice about us?"

No wonder customers don't follow through.

You're asking busy homeowners to remember multiple steps after you leave. They have kids to pick up, dinner to cook, and Netflix to watch. Your review request gets forgotten within an hour.

The fix:Make it stupid simple.

Hand them a card with a direct link to your Google review page. Or better yet, pull out your phone and help them get there while you're still on-site.

"Here, let me pull up our Google page for you. All you need to do is click these five stars and write a quick sentence about the project."

Remove every possible barrier.

Mistake #4: You Only Care About the Good Reviews

Bad news: you're going to get negative reviews eventually. It happens to everyone.

Most landscapers ignore bad reviews. They pretend they don't exist. They hope potential customers won't notice them.

Wrong approach.

The fix:Respond to every review, especially the negative ones.

When you respond professionally to a bad review, future customers see that you care about making things right. They see that you're not perfect, but you handle problems like a professional.

Here's a template for responding to negative reviews:

"Hi [Customer Name], thank you for the feedback. I'm sorry this project didn't meet your expectations. I'd like to discuss this with you directly to see how we can make this right. Please give me a call at [phone number] at your convenience."

Short. Professional. Shows you care.

Mistake #5: You're Being Too Pushy

"Can you leave us a review? How about now? Did you leave that review yet?"

Stop it.

Nobody likes being nagged. When you push too hard for reviews, customers start to feel like you care more about your online reputation than their satisfaction.

The fix:Ask only a few times, nicely. If they say yes, make it easy. If they don't respond, let it go.

You'll get plenty of reviews from customers who are genuinely happy to help. Don't damage relationships by being pushy with the ones who aren't interested.

Mistake #6: You Don't Have a Follow-Up System

You ask for a review. Customer says "sure, I'll do that." You leave feeling good about it.

Two weeks later, still no review.

This happens because most people have good intentions but short memories. They meant to leave that review, but life got in the way.

The fix:Have a gentle follow-up system.

Send a text message a few days after the job: "Hi [Customer Name], hope you're still loving the new patio! If you have a quick minute, that Google review would really help us out. Here's the link: [direct link]."

One follow-up. That's it. Don't turn into a pest.

Mistake #7: You're Not Monitoring Your Online Reputation

When was the last time you googled your business name?

If you can't answer that question immediately, you're making a mistake.

You need to know what people are saying about you online. You need to see those reviews as soon as they're posted. You need to respond quickly.

The fix:Set up Google alerts for your business name. Check your Google My Business profile weekly. Respond to new reviews within 24-48 hours.

Your online reputation isn't something you can ignore and hope it takes care of itself.

Mistake #8: You Think Reviews Don't Matter for Your Type of Work

"I do high-end landscape design. My customers don't check Google reviews."

Wrong.

Everyone checks reviews now. Your $50,000 landscape design customers are still going to Google to see what other people say about working with you.

In fact, the more expensive the project, the more research customers do beforehand.

The fix:Take reviews seriously no matter what type of landscaping work you do.

Whether you're installing sprinkler systems or designing million-dollar outdoor spaces, reviews matter.

The Real Problem: You Don't Have a System

Here's what I see with most landscapers: they know reviews are important, but they don't have a consistent system for getting them.

Some jobs they remember to ask. Some jobs they forget. Some customers get follow-up messages. Some don't.

That's not a business strategy. That's hoping for the best.

You need a system that works every time, with every customer, without you having to remember anything.

What a Real Review System Looks Like

1. Project completion:Ask for the review during final walkthrough

2. Make it easy:Provide direct link or help them get there on-site

3. Follow up once:Gentle text reminder a few days later

4. Monitor and respond:Check for new reviews weekly, respond quickly

5. Track results:Know how many reviews you're getting each month

Simple. Consistent. Effective.

The landscapers who do this consistently get more reviews. More reviews mean more calls. More calls mean more jobs.

It's that straightforward.

Stop Leaving Money on the Table

Every week without a solid review system is money left on the table.

While you're hoping customers will remember to leave reviews, your competitors are systematically collecting them. Their phones are ringing. Yours isn't.

Time to fix that.