How to get more Google reviews for your salon

Rules checked on Google’s and the FTC’s own pages on 2 October 2026. They change, so follow the links before you rely on them.

What you get here: the rules in plain words, how to get your review link, the exact words to ask at the chair, by text and by email, where a QR code earns its place, reply templates for good, mixed and bad reviews, and a simple daily and weekly routine.

Why do Google reviews matter so much for a salon?

Two reasons, one for Google and one for the client.

• Google ranks you partly on them. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, and that “more reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking” (Google).
• Clients choose on them. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of 1,002 US consumers, 92% care about star ratings, 68% will only use a business with four or more stars, and 74% look for reviews written in the last three months.

The same survey has the most useful number for you: 83% of people who were asked to leave a review went on to leave one. Most salons don’t have a reviews problem. They have an asking problem.

What does Google forbid when you ask for reviews?

Read this before you print anything. Google’s review policy says businesses must not:

1. Offer anything for a review. No discounts, free add-ons, raffle entries or “10% off when you review us”. Google calls incentives such as “payment, discounts, free goods and/or services” in exchange for posting any review prohibited, good or bad.
2. Ask only happy clients. Google prohibits businesses that “selectively solicit positive reviews”. That includes software that asks “how was your visit?” and sends only the 5-star answers to Google. This is often called review gating.
3. Discourage or block bad reviews. No asking an unhappy client to “please don’t post that”, and no conditions in your policies.
4. Review yourself. Reviews from current or former staff, owners or anyone with a conflict of interest are not allowed. Your stylists can hand over the QR code; they can’t leave the review.

In the US there is also a federal rule. The FTC’s rule on consumer reviews, in force since 21 October 2024, bans buying fake reviews and bans incentives that depend on the review being positive or negative (FTC). Google’s policy is stricter: no incentives at all. Follow Google’s.

The one-line rule: ask every client, the same way, for an honest review, and give nothing in return.

How do you get your salon’s Google review link?

Your review link opens the “write a review” box on your Google profile in one tap. Get it once and use it everywhere.

1. On a computer, sign in to the Google account that manages your salon and open your Business Profile.
2. Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Select Copy to copy the link. To save Google’s plain QR code, right-click it and choose Save image as.

Google’s help page says review QR codes “can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices” (Google). Test the link on your own phone before you share it: it should open your profile with the review box ready.

Tip: Clients must be signed in to a Google account to leave a review (Google). Ask them to scan with their own phone, not a salon tablet, so the review goes from their account.

When is the best time to ask a salon client for a review?

At the reveal. The moment they see the finished color in the mirror, touch the curls, or take the first photo is when they’re happiest and still in your chair. That is when you ask, and when you point at the code.

Then the same day, by text, while the look is still fresh and before the first wash. If they forget, one gentle reminder a few days later is enough. Stop there.

Ask every client the same way. You’ll get some 4-star reviews. That’s fine: a profile of only perfect scores can look less real, and a calm reply to a 4 tells the next reader a lot about you.

What to say: review request scripts

Copy these, then make them sound like you. Fill in the brackets.

At the chair (the reveal)

I love how this turned out. Would you leave us an honest Google review? Just scan the code on the mirror. It really helps people find us.

If they say yes but are rushing out:

No rush, I'll text you the link so you can do it later.

At checkout

Thanks so much, [Name]. Would you mind leaving us a Google review? The code's right here on the desk, it takes about a minute.

By text, the same day

Hi [Name], thanks for coming in today! If you have a minute, a Google review really helps other people find us: [your review link]. See you in [6] weeks. [Your name], [Salon]

One reminder, 3 or 4 days later

Hi [Name], hope you're loving your [color/cut]! If you get a moment, here's the review link again: [your review link]. No worries if not. [Your name]

By email (for clients who prefer it)

Subject: How's your [service]?

Hi [Name],

Thank you for visiting [Salon] on [day]. If you have a minute, we'd be grateful for an honest Google review. It helps people nearby find us, and we read every one.

Leave a review: [your review link]

If anything wasn't right, just reply to this email and I'll sort it out.

[Your name]
[Salon] | [phone]

That last line is fine. You are inviting the client to talk to you, not steering them away from Google: the review link is in the same email, for everyone.

Automated requests from your booking app

If your booking app can send a message after checkout, set it to send your Google review link to every client with the same wording. Check two things first: that the link opens your Google review box, and that the app doesn’t run a “rate us first” step that only sends happy clients on to Google. If it does, turn that step off.

Where should you put a Google review QR code in your salon?

A QR code turns “I’ll do it later” into a scan in the chair. Put it where the client is looking at the moment they’re happiest:

Spot	Why it works	Size
Station mirror	They’re looking at it during the reveal	About 2 in
Front desk, next to the card reader	They’re standing there while they pay	About 3 in
Door or window, inside	Seen on the way out	About 5 in
Aftercare or appointment cards	They scan at home, after the first wash	About 2 in

Before you print a batch, scan one copy with an iPhone and an Android phone and check it opens your review box.

Make your sticker free in about 2 minutes. Our free Google review QR code tool turns your review link into print-ready pieces in your salon’s logo and colors: four free style families, four starter formats (counter card, mirror sticker, appointment card, window sticker) and more formats when you want them (take-home cards, email, SMS and Instagram Story), with every QR file checked to scan before you download. Choose your logo, name or both on the artwork. Your logo never leaves your device.

How should a salon reply to Google reviews?

Reply to every review, good or bad. Google says replying “shows that you value their feedback” (Google), and in BrightLocal’s 2026 survey 80% of consumers said they’re likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews, while generic replies put off 50%.

Your reply is public under the review, the client is notified and can still change their review afterwards (Google). Three rules: keep it short, be specific only about what the reviewer already wrote, and never add details about their visit, health, hair history or what they paid. To get 3 ready-to-post replies for a review in seconds, paste it into our free Google review reply generator.

5-star review

Thank you, [Name]! So glad you love [what they mentioned in their review]. See you next time!

4-star or mixed review

Thank you for the review, [Name], and for the honest note about [the wait / parking]. We've [changed what you mentioned] since. Hope to see you again soon.

1 or 2-star review

[Name], I'm sorry your visit didn't go the way you hoped. I'd like to make it right. Please call or text me at [number] so we can talk it through. [Your name], owner

Then take it offline. Don’t argue in public, don’t mention their appointment details, and don’t offer a refund or freebie in exchange for changing or removing the review. That counts as an incentive under Google’s policy.

A review from someone who was never a client

We can't find a visit under this name, and we'd like to understand what happened. Please contact us at [number] so we can look into it.

If it breaks Google’s rules (spam, a conflict of interest, offensive content), report it from your Business Profile. You can’t delete a client’s honest review, even a harsh one.

A simple daily and weekly review routine

When	What	Time
Every appointment	Ask at the reveal, point at the code	10 seconds
End of each day	Text the review link to everyone you saw	5 min
Monday	Reply to every new review	5 to 10 min
First Monday of the month	Count new reviews and check the newest is recent	2 min

Track one number: new reviews per month. If it drops, the asking has slipped, not the clients.

Common mistakes that cost salons reviews

1. Asking “if you get a chance”. Vague asks get vague results. Ask directly and point at the code.
2. Sending people to your profile instead of the review box. Every extra tap loses people. Use the direct review link.
3. Offering a discount or a raffle entry. It breaks Google’s policy and can put your reviews at risk. Ask with nothing attached, and keep your offers for promotions that have nothing to do with reviews.
4. Asking only the regulars who adore you. It’s against the policy, and it also leaves out your newest clients, whose reviews show you’re busy now.
5. A burst, then nothing. Fifty reviews in one month and none for a year looks odd to clients scanning for recent ones. Steady beats big.
6. No replies. Every unanswered review is a missed chance to show the next reader how you treat people.
7. A QR code nobody tested. Scan it before you print 200.

Check your Google profile in 10 minutes

Reviews are one of 18 things we look at first on a salon’s Google profile, Instagram and booking path. Run the free Salon Profile Check on your phone, the way a new client would, and see the Google Business Profile guide for the rest of your profile. For the bigger picture, read how to get more clients for your hair salon. If you’d rather not run this yourself, Winflow’s Google review management for salons does it for you: the ask, the follow-up, every reply and a monthly rating check. Or start with our free diagnostic, which covers your Google profile, Instagram and booking path, written up by people, not software, in your inbox within 48 hours.