Why reviews matter more for plumbers than almost any other trade
When a hot water cylinder dies at 7pm or a pipe bursts under the house, nobody scrolls through memory for a name. They open Google, type "plumber Hastings" or "emergency plumber Hawke's Bay," and pick from whatever comes up first, usually within a minute or two. That's the entire sales pitch, decided by whoever's Google Business Profile looks the most current and trusted in that moment.
The timing matters as much as the asking. Right after a stressful callout, relief is high and the review takes thirty seconds. Three days later, with the invoice already paid and the crisis forgotten, that same customer probably won't think of it again. That's usually where it breaks down for a busy plumber: after a long day of call-outs, sending a review request is the last thing on your mind, even though most customers would gladly leave one if someone just asked at the right moment. Then the odd 3-star sits there unanswered for months, and the profile starts to look neglected. Meanwhile the plumber down the road who's systemised the asking keeps pulling further ahead in the local pack, one job at a time.
This applies whether the callout's in central Hastings, Flaxmere, Havelock North, Camberley, or out toward Bridge Pa, wherever the job is, the same profile is doing the selling before the phone even rings.