Just placing a QR code won't increase them. How to create an environment that gathers Google reviews, learned from case studies
When searching for stores on Google Maps, many users naturally check the "reviews."
It's not just about the rating score or the number of reviews, but what kind of experience people who actually visited had. What points made them feel at ease. In what situations they felt value.
These third-party voices become a major decision-making factor for people considering using the service.
On the other hand, reviews do not "increase naturally just by placing a QR code."
Even if you just tell the on-site staff,
Please ask for reviews!
it rarely continues.
This happens very often on the front lines.
What is important in acquiring reviews is not how well you ask.
What is needed isto create a touchpoint where you can request honest feedback regardless of the rating from customers who meet predetermined objective criteria. And it is to incorporate that into an operational workflow that the front lines can continue without strain.
In this article, while keeping Google's review policy in mind, we will organize the success patterns seen from actual review acquisition support and the mindset for continuing it on the front lines.
Reviews do not increase just by "asking"
When trying to increase reviews, the first things that come to mind are QR codes or in-store POP displays.
Of course, it is possible to share links or QR codes for posting reviews and ask customers for reviews.
Google also introduces methods such as receipts, thank-you emails, guidance at the end of a chat, and displaying QR codes in stores.
However, QR codes and POP displays are merely "conduits that make it easier to move to the posting page."
QR codes are necessary. But that alone is not enough.
On the front lines, the following things often happen.
Even if a QR code is placed, customers don't notice it
Staff don't know when they should provide guidance
They feel a psychological burden in "asking for a review"
They feel anxious when asked about Google's specifications
There are differences in the implementation of guidance depending on the store or staff
Even if it increases temporarily, the measure does not continue
In other words, what is needed is not just a conduit to the posting page.
An operational design that determines who to guide, when, and howis what is needed.
Three success patterns seen from case studies
From here on, we will organize the success patterns seen from actual initiatives into three types.
Pattern 1: Combine verbal requests with posting conduits
In initiatives by restaurants and car dealerships, review acquisition was achieved by combining verbal requests from staff with posting conduits such as QR codes or POP displays.
The point is simple.
Do not rely on just one or the other.
POP displays and QR codes are effective for making it easier for customers to move to the posting page.
On the other hand, that alone might result in them not noticing the existence, or the reason "why you are soliciting reviews" not being conveyed.
Therefore, staff provide brief guidance at a natural touchpoint after the experience.
Thank you for using our service today.
If you don't mind, please share your honest feedback about your experience today. You can post it at your convenience.
Pattern 2: Incorporate the request touchpoint into the business workflow
If you leave review requests solely to the staff's mood or individual judgment, it will not continue easily.
In initiatives that tend to lead to results, review guidance was incorporated into touchpoints where it is easy to look back on the experience, such as after a store visit or after a service is completed.
For example, these are the types of touchpoints.
Restaurants: After payment, after the visit
Car dealers: After vehicle delivery, after inspections/repairs are completed
Retail stores: After purchase, thank-you email
Experience facilities: After the experience, follow-up email
Cram schools: After interviews, after a certain period of enrollment
The standard here should not be 'people who seem satisfied.'
Set objective conditions based on transactions or usage status, such as people who have completed a purchase, completed an inspection or repair, used the service for a certain period, or conducted an interview.
The idea is to guide all actual users who meet those conditions, regardless of their evaluation.
You must avoid operations that selectively request reviews from only favorable customers or exclude customers who might have negative impressions.
Google also prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews or discouraging negative ones.
To operate safely, it is important not to let staff choose targets based on their own judgment, but to provide guidance at fixed points in the business flow.
Pattern 3: Visualize implementation status and results
In the initiatives of bicycle retailers and cram schools, they visualized the implementation status of the guidance flow and the resulting changes in reviews.
At one cram school, the number of monthly reviews increased significantly by establishing a guidance flow.
Such changes are not born simply by saying,
Let's ask more people!
to the staff.
At which touchpoint should we provide guidance?
Which guidance text should we use?
Where should we hand out the QR code or guidance card?
How should we confirm the implementation status?
How should we share good initiatives with stores and teams?
It is necessary to decide these elements and create a state where the field can act without hesitation.
As a result, acquiring reviews changes from something that 'happens by chance' to 'something that can be worked on continuously.'
However, you should avoid making the number of reviews an individual achievement goal or quota for staff.
Google's policy also prohibits requiring staff to solicit a certain number of reviews.
It is not just the number of reviews that you should look at.
How are reviews trending across the entire store?
Is the decided guidance flow being executed?
Where is the flow stopping?
What kind of feedback are we receiving from customers?
What has changed due to operational improvements?
These are the points to look at.
Also, even if an increase in reviews and an increase in reactions such as views, calls, and route searches occur at the same time, reviews are not necessarily the only cause of improved reactions.
It is also necessary to have an attitude of continuous verification while looking at multiple indicators.
5 Principles for Continuously Gathering Reviews on the Front Lines
Looking back at case studies, there are five principles for continuously gathering reviews on the front lines.
1. Do not filter your target audience
When requesting reviews, the premise is not to select only favorable customers. For example,
directing only those who gave high ratings in a survey to Google Reviews
Operating in this way carries the risk of being perceived as a selective request. Reviews are not meant to collect only positive feedback. They are meant to collect customers' honest experiences. Note that this does not mean you must guide every single visitor. Set objective criteria based on transaction or usage status, such as purchase completion or service completion, rather than satisfaction levels.
2. Guide them at a natural touchpoint after the experience
It is natural to request a review at a touchpoint where customers can easily reflect on their experience. However, do not target only those with high satisfaction. Guide them at a point when the experience has concluded, such as after a store visit, after a purchase, or after a service is completed. Even when guiding them in-store, leave the posting to the customer's convenience. We are looking for your honest feedback after using our service. You can post from this QR code. Keep the guidance to this level, and avoid asking them to post on the spot or requiring them to complete the post.
3. Make navigation easy with QR codes and similar tools
Review posting is easily put off if there is even a little bit of hassle. Therefore, it is effective to provide QR codes or links that allow immediate access to the posting page. Places and media that can be utilized include the following:
In-store POP displays
Information cards
Receipts
Thank-you emails
Messages such as LINE or SMS
Guidance at the end of a chat
In-app navigation paths
However, the purpose of providing these navigation paths is not to force a post. It is to create a state where customers can access the page without hesitation when they decide they want to post.
4. Standardize staff guidance scripts
If staff members improvise their guidance every time, the phrasing will be inconsistent.
Even without malicious intent, it can end up sounding like you are asking for specific ratings or content, such as:
Please give us a high rating!
Please write about our customer service!
Therefore, it is recommended to standardize the guidance script in advance.
Example of in-store guidanceThank you for visiting us today.
If you don't mind, please share your honest feedback about your visit. You can post it whenever it is convenient for you.
Example of short guidanceWe are looking for honest feedback after your visit. You can post it using this QR code.
Example of guidance via email/LINEThank you for visiting us today.
We would appreciate it if you could share your honest feedback to help us improve our services and assist future customers.
The key is not to specify a rating or the content of the post.
Leave it up to the customer to decide what to write.
5. Review implementation status monthly
Gathering reviews doesn't end once you've created the guidance.
Review the implementation status monthly to ensure that the staff can continue the process without difficulty.
It is not just the number of reviews that you should look at.
Number of guidance cards distributed
Number of guidance instances via email or LINE
Guidance status at each touchpoint
Implementation status at each store
Trends in the number of reviews
Trends in feedback received from customers
Related metrics such as views, calls, and route searches
Praise and improvement suggestions obtained from customers
What you should be especially careful about is not linking the number of Google reviews directly to individual staff performance evaluations.
Setting individual quotas can lead to excessive requests, cherry-picking favorable customers, on-the-spot pressure to post, or unnatural posts by related parties.
I believe these metrics should be used to improve store or team operations, not to rank individual staff members.
Things to avoid according to Google policy
When requesting reviews, you must operate in accordance with Google's policies.
⚠️ Checklist of things to avoid when requesting Google reviews
Do not ask for high ratings
Do not suppress negative reviews
Do not ask for specific content to be written
Do not offer rewards such as discounts, freebies, or special benefits
Do not request or force customers to post while still in the store
Do not set quotas for the number of reviews for staff
Do not have staff or related parties post unnatural reviews
Do not select who to ask for a Google review based on survey results
These are clearly stated in Google's "Prohibited and restricted content" policy.
It is also best to avoid practices that could be perceived as pressure, such as looking over a customer's shoulder or asking them to complete the post on the spot.
If a violation is confirmed, in addition to the removal of problematic reviews, restrictions may be imposed, such as stopping the acceptance of new reviews, temporarily hiding existing reviews, or displaying a warning on your Business Profile.
Gathering reviews is not a tactic to manipulate ratings.
It is an initiative to collect honest customer experiences to serve as a reference for future users.
That is why it is important to clarify rules that align with the policy before you begin implementation.
Reference: Official Google Information
Request reviews by creating a link or QR code
Prohibited and restricted content
Business Profile restrictions due to policy violations
Gathering reviews is about "designing on-site behavior"
What is important in gathering reviews is not how well you ask.
It is about incorporating into your business workflow a point of contact where you can ask customers who meet predetermined objective criteria for their honest feedback, regardless of their rating, and creating a situation where staff can continue this without strain.
Rather than increasing the "number of requests," it is aboutincreasing points of contact where you can naturally guide customers without burdening them and while adhering to the policy.
This mindset is essential.
To achieve this, you should:
Prepare the posting flow with QR codes or links
Provide guidance at a natural point of contact after the experience
Prepare guidance text that does not specify a rating or content
Do not select target customers based on their satisfaction level
Do not create pressure to post at the store
Review implementation status on a monthly basis
A mechanism like this is necessary.
It might seem like a bit of a detour.
However, rather than prioritizing increasing reviews, first create a touchpoint where customers can reflect on their experience.
That is more sustainable for both customers and on-site staff.
The gratitude and feedback gained there should be properly received by the staff and the store.
As a result, those voices accumulate as information that conveys the appeal of the store.
We believe that this order is important.
Reviews are not just evaluations.
They are assets for preserving the value of a store in the customers' own words and delivering it to future customers.
Conclusion: About Staff Value
We provide "Staff Value," a mechanism that allows customers who visit to reflect on their experience and naturally express it as a message to the staff or the store.
The collected feedback is delivered as praise for the staff or as hints for improvement.
Also, with the necessary consent, it can be utilized as content to convey the store's appeal on websites, social media, and in-store displays.
Regarding Google reviews, we can design a flow that allows customers to proceed to the posting page based on their own judgment, provided that the target audience is not filtered based on the content of their response.
Beyond just "increasing reviews,"we want to preserve why we are chosen and what is valued, in the customers' own words.
If you are feeling such challenges, please take a look atStaff Value as well!