Why this matters for a CNC shop
Most people who find a sign shop, a laser engraver, a 3D print shop or a machine shop have never bought from one before. They can't tell a good shop from a bad one by looking at a price. So they read what other customers said. Reviews on your Google Business Profile show up right next to your name on the map, and they answer the questions a new buyer is nervous about: did it come out right, was it on time, did the owner stand behind it.
Your replies matter just as much. A buyer reading a mixed review is watching to see how you handled it. A calm, specific answer shows them how you'll treat them.
What you need
- A claimed Google Business Profile (see C1 if you don't have one yet)
- Your short Google review link
- A QR code that points to that link
- A small printed card to drop in every order (business card size works)
- Saved text and email templates on your phone or computer
- Ten minutes a week to read and answer new reviews
Step-by-step setup
- Get your review link. Sign in to Google Business Profile on your phone or computer. Look for "Ask for reviews" or "Get more reviews." Copy the short link it gives you. Paste it into a note so you always have it.
- Make a QR code. Use any free QR code maker and paste in your review link. Download it as an image. Scan it yourself with two different phones to make sure it opens your review page.
- Print a review card. Front: your logo and "Thanks for your order." Back: the QR code and one line, "Tell others how it turned out," with your review link written under it. Order a box of them.
- Save your templates. Put the text and email requests below into your phone's text replacement shortcuts, your email drafts, or your invoicing app's follow-up message. Fill in your link once so you never have to hunt for it.
- Pick your moment. Decide when you ask (see the next section) and make it part of how you close every job, not something you remember sometimes.
- Turn on review notifications. In your Business Profile settings, turn on alerts for new reviews so you see them the same day.
When and how to ask
At pickup or delivery
This is the easiest time. The customer is holding the finished piece. Ask in person, then hand them the card. If they're pleased and want to show it off, ask if you can take a photo for your page too.
By text or email
Send it the same day or the next day, while the piece is new. If they haven't left one, one friendly reminder about a week later is plenty. Don't keep asking after that.
In the package
For shipped orders, put the QR card on top of the item so it's the first thing they see when they open the box.
On your invoice and receipt
Add a line at the bottom: "Reviews help a small shop. [short link]"
Request templates
Say it at pickup
"I'm glad you like it. I'm a small shop and most of my new customers find me on Google. If you have a minute this week, would you leave a review saying how it turned out? This card has the link. Good or bad, I read every one."
Text
Hi [Name], it's [Your Name] at [Shop Name]. Thanks again for the [item]. If you have a minute, would you leave an honest review on Google? It helps people around [Town] find us. [short link]
Subject: How did your [item] turn out?
Hi [Name],
Thanks for trusting [Shop Name] with your [item]. I hope it's doing its job.
Would you take a minute to leave an honest review on Google? Tell people what you ordered and how it went. It's the main way other folks around [Town] decide whether to call a small shop like mine.
[short link]
If anything isn't right, reply to this email and I'll make it right first.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Shop Name] · [Phone]
Reminder (send once, about a week later)
Hi [Name], just a quick reminder in case the last text got buried. If you have a minute for a Google review of your [item], here's the link: [short link]. No worries if not. Thanks again!
Package card
Thanks for your order!
Made by hand in [Town] by [Shop Name].
Tell others how it turned out: scan the code or visit [short link]
The rules. Break these and you risk reviews being removed, your profile being restricted, or trouble with the FTC.
- Never offer anything in exchange for a review. No discounts, freebies, entries in a drawing, or "10% off your next order if you review us." Google does not allow incentives for reviews, and the FTC has rules against buying reviews.
- Never write fake reviews for yourself or bad ones for a competitor, and don't ask friends or family to pose as customers.
- Ask everyone, not only the happy ones. Screening customers first ("Were you happy? Great, here's the link") and only sending the link to the pleased ones is called review gating. Google doesn't allow it. Send the same request to every customer.
- Don't review yourself from your own account or have employees review the shop.
How to answer reviews
Answer every review, good or bad, within a few days. Keep it short, use their first name, and mention what you made so the reply reads like a real person wrote it. Never share private details about the order in public.
Good review
Thanks, [Name]! That [walnut sign / set of tumblers / bracket] was a fun one to make. Glad it came out the way you pictured it. Come back anytime. [Your Name]
Mixed review
Thanks for the honest review, [Name]. Glad you liked the [item]. You're right that [the pickup took longer than I said / the color was lighter than the proof]. I've changed how I [quote turnaround / show color samples] so that doesn't happen again. If there's anything I can do on this order, call me at [phone]. [Your Name]
Bad review
[Name], I'm sorry this didn't meet your expectations. That's not the standard I hold my shop to. I'd like to hear what happened and fix it. Please call me directly at [phone] or email [email]. [Your Name], owner
Review you don't recognize
Hi [Name], I take every review seriously, but I can't find an order under this name. If you worked with us, please call me at [phone] so I can look into it. [Your Name]
Wait an hour before answering a bad review. Never argue, blame the customer, or go back and forth in public. Say sorry, give a way to reach you, and take it offline. If a review breaks Google's rules (spam, someone who was never a customer, hateful language), you can report it from your profile. Don't report reviews just because they're negative.
Keep it going: the weekly routine
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Every job | Ask at pickup or send the text or email. Card in every package. |
| Once a week | Send the one reminder to anyone from last week who hasn't reviewed. Answer every new review. |
| Once a month | Read the last month's reviews together. If the same complaint shows up twice, fix it in the shop. |
Checklist
- Short review link saved and tested
- QR code tested on two phones
- Review cards printed and next to the packing table
- Text, email and reminder templates saved
- Review link on invoices and receipts
- New-review notifications turned on
- Asking every customer, the same way
- No incentives offered anywhere, in any wording
- Every review answered within a few days
Common mistakes
- Asking only when you remember, instead of on every job.
- Sending a long link that breaks on a phone. Use the short one.
- Asking weeks later, after the customer has moved on.
- Offering a discount "for a review." Even a small one breaks the rules.
- Copy-paste replies that say "Thanks for the review!" on every one. Mention the job.
- Arguing with an unhappy customer in public.
- Asking five times. One request and one reminder is enough.
Notes by shop type
| Shop | What's different |
|---|---|
| Wood carving and signs | Ask at install or pickup, when they're looking at it on the wall. Ask them to mention the kind of sign and wood so future buyers searching for "custom cedar sign" see it. |
| Laser engraving | Lots of shipped and bulk orders. The QR card in the box does most of the work. For a team or office order, ask the person who placed the order, not every recipient. |
| 3D printing | Many jobs are one-off prototypes or replacement parts. Ask them to say what problem the part solved. That's what the next person is searching for. |
| Machining | Business buyers may not be allowed to post reviews for their employer. Ask anyway. If they can't, ask whether you can quote them on your website with their name and company, and get that in writing first. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can set up your review link, QR cards and saved request messages, and draft replies to new reviews for you to approve.