In one minute
Reviews is a service that helps local trades businesses ask for, collect and answer customer reviews. We follow Google's rules and the rules of the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. agency that protects consumers. That means we ask every customer, offer nothing in return, and never write or buy a review. We draft the request messages and the replies. You approve them, and you post the replies.
What is Reviews?
A review is a rating and a few words that a customer leaves about your business, most often on your Google listing. Future customers read them. This service helps with three jobs: asking customers to leave one, making it easy for them to do it, and replying to what they write.
To make it easy, we set up your review link. In your Google Business Profile, there is a place under "Read reviews" and then "Get more reviews" where you can copy a link or download a QR code. A QR code is a square barcode that a phone camera can scan. Google says the QR code can only be made from a computer. We then draft short messages and wording you can use in a text, an email, on an invoice or on a small card, and drafts of replies to the reviews that come in.
The rules shape everything we do. Google does not allow free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review. It does not allow businesses to selectively ask only for positive reviews, to pressure customers on your premises, to ask for specific content, to use fake accounts or paid reviewers, or to hide a conflict of interest. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, in effect since October 21, 2024, bans fake or false reviews, including ones made with AI. It also bans buying or selling reviews you know are fake, and using threats or false claims to suppress reviews. Google's rules are stricter in some places, so we follow whichever is stricter.
We use AI openly. It helps us write first drafts of your request messages and replies. A person at Liftofly checks each one. We never use AI, or anything else, to write a review for your business.
What you get
- A simple, fair plan for asking every customer, at the same point in your process
- Your Google review link and QR code set up and ready to use
- Request messages in plain words, which never ask for a star rating or certain words
- Wording you can use on texts, emails, invoices or a small card
- Drafted replies to your reviews, good or bad, for you to approve and post
- Calm, short replies that never share customer details or offer deals
- Help spotting a review that looks fake or breaks Google's rules, and how to report it
- A plain note in your monthly report on the new reviews and what we drafted
Is this for you?
A good fit if
- Your customers are mostly happy, but few of them have ever been asked for a review
- You get reviews now and then and never have time to answer them
- You want a fair, steady way to ask that you can repeat without thinking about it
- You are comfortable with honest reviews, including ones that are not five stars
Probably not for you if
- You want to ask only the customers you expect to be happy, which Google does not allow
- You want to give a discount, a gift or a prize in return for a review
- You want us to write reviews, or have staff, family or friends write them
- You want us to remove an honest review you do not like, which we cannot do
How it works
Get started with your rep
You talk with our team, or your Liftofly rep gives you a one-time code. Your rep builds a plan with you, and you see the details in writing before you agree to anything.
We set up a fair way to ask
We set up your review link and QR code. We write down one simple routine: every customer gets the same request, at the same point in the job. We draft the wording, and a person at Liftofly checks it.
We draft replies to the reviews you get
When new reviews arrive, we draft a short, polite reply to each one. AI helps with the first draft, and a person at Liftofly checks it. If a reply needs a fact only you know, we ask you.
You approve it before anything goes live
You read each request message and each reply, and say yes or ask for changes. Replies are posted only after you approve them.
What you will have to do
You ask your customers, because they are your customers. That means sending the message or handing over the card the same way each time. You read and approve each reply and post it. You tell us if a review needs a fact only you know, such as what really happened on a job. We only use text messages for requests where you have your customers' written consent to text them.
What it looks like
A request and a reply for Maple Ridge Landscaping, a made-up business
This is made-up wording for a made-up business, to show our style. It is not a real customer message or a real review.
Request message: "Thank you for choosing Maple Ridge Landscaping. If you have a minute, we would appreciate an honest review on Google. Here is the link: [link]." It does not ask for five stars, offer a gift or tell the customer what to write.
A made-up review, three stars: "The crew did a nice job on the new garden beds and the yard looks good. They showed up two hours late and nobody called to tell me."
Reply drafted for the owner to approve: "Thank you for writing this, and for the kind words about the crew's work. You should have had a call when we were running behind, and we are sorry we did not make one. If you would like to talk it over, please call our office. Maple Ridge Landscaping."
Notice what the reply does not do. It does not argue, it does not offer a deal, and it does not share private details about the customer or the job.
Why it matters, in plain words
People read reviews before they choose a local business. In a 2026 survey by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers said they read reviews for local businesses. Another BrightLocal study found that 65% of consumers who rejected a business did so for a reason tied to reviews, such as bad reviews, a low rating, or no reviews or only old ones. These are survey results, and BrightLocal sells local marketing tools, but the direction is clear.
Your replies matter too, because future customers read them. A calm, polite answer to a bad review shows how you treat people. Shortcuts are a poor bet. Google can remove reviews that break its rules, so a shortcut can leave you with fewer reviews than you started with. Our article on asking for reviews explains the rules in more detail.
AI tools may look at reviews as one of the things that tell them about a local business. Real, recent, honest reviews are part of the picture. Nobody can promise that an AI tool will name your business.
Honest expectations
- We cannot promise how many reviews you will get, or what rating. Customers decide whether to write one, and what to say. A fair routine gives every customer the chance. It does not guarantee a result.
- Every business gets a bad review sooner or later. We cannot remove an honest one, and we do not try. If a review is truly fake or breaks Google's rules, you can report it to Google, and we can help you prepare the report.
- This takes time. A steady routine builds up over months, not weeks.
- For anything legal, speak to a lawyer. What we describe here is general information and is not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Who owns the work?
You do. Your Google profile, your review link and the replies we draft for you belong to you. The reviews themselves are written by your customers and live on Google.
Do I have to approve what you write?
Yes. You see every request message and every reply before anything goes out. You post the replies yourself, after you have said yes.
How do I get started?
Talk to our team, or, if your Liftofly rep has given you a code, use the Have a code button. Your rep builds a plan with you and you see the details in writing before you agree.
Can I stop?
Yes. Your plan and agreement explain exactly how, and your rep will go over it with you before you sign. Everything already done stays yours.
Can you get rid of a bad review?
No. We cannot remove an honest review. If a review is truly fake or breaks Google's rules, you can report it, and we can help you prepare the report. A calm, polite reply is usually the best answer to an honest bad review.
Can I ask only my happy customers?
No. Google's policy says businesses must not selectively ask for positive reviews. The FTC says it may also break the law against deceptive practices. We help you ask every customer the same way.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
No. Google prohibits offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review. The FTC says a reward is not banned by its rule if it does not depend on what the review says, but Google is stricter. So we offer nothing.
Do you write reviews for my business?
Never. We do not write them, and we do not use AI to make them. Fake reviews break both Google's rules and the FTC rule. Every review on your profile comes from a real customer.
Works well with
Google Business Profile
Your reviews appear on your Google profile, and your review link comes from it.
Local SEO
Keeps your listings everywhere else accurate, so customers who find you see the right facts.
AI Visibility
Checks what AI tools say about your business, where honest, recent reviews are one of the things they look at.
Keep reading
How to ask customers for reviews without breaking the rules
Reviews help new customers trust you. Here is how to ask for them in a way that follows Google's policies and the FTC's rules, with simple wording you can use.
A simple Google Business Profile checklist for local businesses
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a customer sees. Use this plain checklist to get your name, hours, photos and reviews right, step by step.
How to tell if your website and marketing are working
Skip the confusing charts. Track a few simple numbers, such as calls, form messages and Google profile actions, and ask for a plain monthly report.