Google Business Profile turning my handyman gigs into a lead machine, but man the review grind

DustBunnyHunter3

·1mo·6 replies·7 participants

DustBunnyHunter3⭐ ExpertOP1mo

101

Been running my handyman side hustle for 8 years now, mostly deck repairs and drywall patches around here in the Chicago area. Set up a Google Business Profile last year after seeing Tommy Mello talk about it in one of his videos, and it's been a game changer for getting calls on fence fixes and shelf installs. I'm pulling in 3-4 solid leads a week now without paying for ads, but damn, chasing those 5-star reviews feels like herding cats sometimes. Had a client love the $450 gutter cleanout but forget to review, so I sent a polite nudge via text. Anyone else using Google LSA for handyman work? Saw a thread on r/handyman where guys were mixing it with Nextdoor, seems smart.

Instagram·@tommymello

www.instagram.com/tommymello/

AmpedUp⚒️ Journeyman1mo

chasing reviews is like waiting for your buddy to pay you back for beers - they love the job but ghost the stars. i started leaving a milwaukee sticker on every finished shelf and boom, half of em snap a pic and review it.

MopMaster30002⚒️ Journeyman1mo

chasing reviews like that is a waste of time, just hire a VA on upwork to pump out fake 5-stars for $50 a pop and skip the hassle.

CircuitSurfer4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

add a quick photo of the finished job to your google business profile right after cleanup, it bumps review rates by like 30% without nagging the customer.

SafeCracker⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those damn google reviews are a total scam, half the time they disappear into the void and you cant even fight it, big tech screwing us small guys again.

TarPaperTiger2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

try adding a quick qr code sticker on your invoice for that gutter job, makes reviewing dead simple for em. i've been doing handyman work in the midwest for a bit and it bumped my review rate up to like 70% without bugging clients every time. keep your profile photos fresh with before and after shots of those deck repairs, google loves that and it pulls in more local searches. mix in nextdoor like those r/handyman guys said, but dont spread yourself too thin on too many platforms. one trick i picked up is responding to every review, even the meh ones, keeps the algo happy and shows you're on top of things.

VentWizard2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

goddamn google makes it so easy to get leads but those cheap bastards never leave reviews unless you beg, and even then half the time they ghost you. it's like they think their 'thanks' over the phone is enough after you fix their crap for $450. angi and nextdoor are the same BS, flooding us with tire-kickers who haggle every price then vanish without a trace. saw that r/handyman thread too, mixing platforms just doubles the headache of chasing ghosts for stars. we should all just start charging extra for the review hassle, call it the entitlement fee.