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Ask for the review on site, right after you've solved the problem and before the bill spoils the mood. A QR code on the van or a text message with the direct link converts far better than asking out loud, and heading off price disputes prevents most negative reviews.
You open a door at two in the morning, the customer thanks you from the bottom of their heart, pays and leaves. And doesn't leave a review. Getting reviews as a locksmith comes with that built-in difficulty: you serve people who want to forget the ordeal they've just been through as quickly as possible.
The result is an unfair imbalance. Happy customers don't write anything, but the one who argued about the price does, and in detail.
That's why many locksmiths with years in the trade have four reviews, two of them bad, while competitors who do ask for them have racked up fifty.
This matters beyond pride: reviews are among the signals that carry the most weight for showing up in the map pack, and they're the first thing people look at when they're searching without a rush.
Let's look at how to set up a system that works with the particular realities of this job.
The exact moment when they will leave you one
There's a very short window when an emergency customer is willing to write something good about you: the minute after the door opens. That's when there's relief, gratitude and the feeling that you've just saved their day.
If you let that moment pass and send them an email two days later, they've already moved on and what they remember is what they paid.
In practice this means asking before you get paid, not after. Not because it conditions anything, but because the emotional moment is different: as soon as the amount comes up, the conversation stops being about your good work.
- Fix it and check it: open the door, make sure the lock works and explain what happened.
- Ask right then: "if you were happy with the service, a Google review would really help me out, it only takes a moment".
- Put it in front of them: show the QR code or send the text right there, phone in hand.
- Get paid afterward, as usual.
The most common mistake is asking out loud and trusting they'll do it at home. They won't. The general process, with the messages that work best, is in the guide on how to ask customers for reviews.
A QR code on the van converts better than any email
Friction is the enemy. Every step you ask the customer to take cuts the chances they'll end up writing in half.
These are the options, ranked by how well they work in this trade:
| Channel | Friction | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| QR code printed on the van or invoice | Very low | On site, always |
| Text message with direct link | Low | If the customer prefers to do it later |
| Low | Maintenance customers | |
| High | Companies and homeowners' associations | |
| Asking out loud | Very high | Never on its own |
Use the short review link Google gives you in your profile: it goes straight to the form with the stars, no searching required. If you make the customer find you on Maps, you'll lose them along the way.
A QR code stuck on the van's side door, at eye level, works surprisingly well: while you're packing up your tools, the customer has already scanned it.
How to avoid negative reviews about price
Almost all bad locksmith reviews say the same thing: that the final price wasn't what they expected. And almost all of them could have been avoided on the first call.
Prevention pays off more than damage control afterward:
- Give a price range before you head out, including the night or holiday surcharge. No surprises at the end.
- Explain the reason on site: if it was a high-security lock and took twice as long, say so before giving the amount, not after.
- Always hand over an invoice. Not getting an invoice is what turns an annoyed customer into an angry one.
When a negative one comes in anyway, respond publicly, calmly and without getting into technical details or accusations. The person reading that reply isn't the angry customer: it's the next twenty people deciding whether to call you.
If the review is fake or from someone who was never a customer, which happens more often in this industry than you'd think, don't argue with it: report it. You'll find the procedure in how to report a Google review.
Quick checklist
- ☐ Short review link copied from your profile and saved on your phone
- ☐ QR code printed on the van and on your invoices
- ☐ Request made on site, before getting paid
- ☐ Price range given on the call, surcharges included
- ☐ Invoice always handed over
- ☐ Reply to every review, the bad ones too
- ☐ Fake reviews reported instead of argued with
Just asking at the right moment and removing friction already changes the pace: going from one review every few months to several a month is a matter of having a system, not luck.
And that volume is exactly what moves you up the map against competitors who've been around longer but never asked.
If you want the complete approach for the industry, you'll find it in the guide to local SEO for locksmiths.