How window and door companies can get more Google reviews, within the rules

The short answer

Window and door companies get more Google reviews the unglamorous way: by asking every customer, at the moment the install is finished and the house is warmer, with a link that takes seconds to use, and then following up once. What they must not do is pay for reviews, reward them, or only ask the customers they expect to be happy.

The routine is simple. The detail is in the timing, the wording, and the Canadian rules on follow-up emails and texts and on using reviews in your own marketing. This guide covers all three, so the reviews you collect are ones you can keep. It is written for installers, and the same routine works for dealers and glass repair shops; see how reviews fit on a site for replacement window installers.

The rules first, because breaking them costs the reviews

Google’s review policy

Google’s user content policy prohibits reviews that were paid for, directly or in kind, and bars businesses from discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking happy customers for positive ones ³ . Three common habits fall foul of it:

• Offering a discount on the final invoice, a gift card or a draw entry for leaving a review.
• “Review gating”: asking customers to rate you privately first, and only sending the Google link to the ones who gave five stars.
• Asking family, friends or staff to post reviews.

The Competition Act

Reviews also count as marketing when you use them. Section 74.02 of the Competition Act prohibits publishing a testimonial unless the person actually made it and approved its publication in writing ⁵ . The penalties for deceptive marketing are not small: for a corporation, a first violation can bring an administrative penalty of up to $10 million for a first violation ⁵ , or more if based on the benefit gained.

Ask at the walk-through, not three weeks later

The best moment is the walk-through at the end of the install. The homeowner has just seen the new windows or door, the house is clean, and the crew is still there to answer questions. Their satisfaction, or any problem, is fresh.

Don’t ask after the measure or the signed quote. A review at that stage describes your salesperson, not your work, and a delayed install can turn it into a complaint later. If something is still outstanding, such as a backordered screen or a trim piece, wait until it is done.

Diagram as a table

Step or rule	Timing
Ask in person	At the walk-through after the install
One follow-up with the link	A few days later
Implied consent after an inquiry	6 months
Implied consent after a purchase	Up to 2 years
Action an unsubscribe request	Within 10 business days

How to ask so the customer actually does it

Google suggests sharing a link or QR code that takes customers straight to the review form ¹ . Create one from your Business Profile, and use it in two places.

In person

Print the QR code on a small card the crew lead hands over at the walk-through, along with your warranty paperwork. Keep the ask short and neutral: “If you have a minute, we’d appreciate a Google review of how the install went. Good or bad, it helps us.” That wording asks for honesty, which is what the policy expects.

One follow-up

A few days later, send one short message with the link. Mention the job so it is clearly from you: “Thanks again for choosing us for your new patio door.” Then stop. Repeated reminders annoy people and rarely change the outcome.

Dealers and repair shops

If you sell windows that another crew installs, ask at delivery or pickup and make clear the review is about your part of the job, such as ordering, advice and delivery. Glass repair shops can ask when the new sealed unit is in and the homeowner has checked the glass is clear, which is the moment the problem they called about is visibly solved.

Make it a routine

The companies with steady reviews treat the request as part of closing a job, like collecting the final payment. Put it on the install checklist so it doesn’t depend on who is working that day.

Wording that works

A short message does better than a long one. Three versions you can adapt:

Review request wording

Where	Wording
Walk-through	“Before we go, is there anything about the install you’re not happy with? If not, we’d be grateful for an honest Google review. The code on this card goes straight there.”
Text	Your business name first, then: “Thanks for having us install your windows this week. If you have a minute, an honest review helps other homeowners.” Then the review link, and “Reply STOP to opt out.”
Email	Subject: “Your new entry door.” Two sentences of thanks, the link, your business details and an unsubscribe line.

Notice what the wording leaves out: no mention of five stars, no promise of anything in return, and no suggestion to contact you privately instead of posting. Asking whether anything needs fixing first is fine, as long as the review request goes to everyone whatever they answer.

Emails, texts and Canada’s anti-spam law

Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) requires consent before you send commercial electronic messages such as emails or texts ⁴ . A plain thank-you with a review link is a borderline case, and once a message also promotes something, such as a maintenance plan, a referral reward or a seasonal offer, it is plainly commercial. The safer habit is to write every follow-up as though CASL applies.

That means:

• Watch the consent window. Implied consent from an existing relationship may last up to 2 years, or 6 months after an inquiry ⁴ . A customer who bought from you last month is well inside it.
• Identify yourself and offer a way out. Each message should give your business name, a mailing address and another contact method, plus an unsubscribe option actioned within 10 business days ⁴ .
• Keep a record of when the job was completed and when you sent the message.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you run larger email campaigns, get advice on your own setup.

Replying to reviews

You need a verified profile to reply. Replies are public, and the customer is notified and can still edit their review afterwards ² . That last point matters: a calm, helpful reply to a complaint sometimes leads the customer to update their review once the problem is fixed.

• Thank positive reviewers briefly, and mention the product or job if they did.
• For a negative review, acknowledge it, don’t argue, and offer to sort it out by phone.
• Never post a customer’s address, order details or anything private in a reply.

When the review is unfair

Sometimes a review describes a job you didn’t do, or comes from someone who was never a customer. Check your records first. If it breaks Google’s content policy, report it through your Business Profile and let Google decide; don’t ask friends to post reviews to push it down. In the meantime, a short public reply stating that you can’t find a record of the job and inviting the person to call is enough. Homeowners reading it will judge the reply as much as the review.

Using reviews on your website, with permission

The simplest, safest way to show reviews on your website is a link or button to your Google profile, so homeowners read them where you can’t edit them. If you want to quote a customer on a page, ask for written permission first and quote them accurately, as the Competition Act requires.

Don’t invent testimonials, even labelled as examples, and don’t edit a review to sound better. Our managed plan links your profile reviews and places permitted quotes only; see what’s included and pricing.

Set up the routine once

1. Create your review link and QR code from your Business Profile.
2. Print QR cards and add “ask for a review” to the install walk-through checklist.
3. Write one follow-up message with your business details and an unsubscribe line.
4. Stop any incentive, draw or private rating step before the Google link.
5. Reply to every new review within a few days.
6. Collect written permission before quoting any customer on your website.

The bottom line: reviews come from a habit, not a campaign. Build the ask into the last ten minutes of every install, follow up once within the rules, and reply to what comes back. A steady run of real reviews does more for a homeowner comparing installers than any claim you could write yourself. See how our plan presents them in what’s included.