The Problem with Asking for Reviews Face-to-Face
You've just finished a three-week extension project. The customers are pleased. You're packing up your tools, and naturally, you ask if they'd be willing to leave a review. What happens next? Most of the time, they smile politely and say yes. Then nothing. They never actually do it. Life gets in the way. They forget your company name. They can't remember which review site to use. Or they're genuinely busy and tell themselves they'll do it later, but that moment never arrives.
Even worse, some customers feel awkward being asked directly. They don't want to commit to anything on the spot, especially when you're standing there waiting for an answer. This dynamic often kills what could have been a genuine, five-star review.
A QR code solves this in a way that face-to-face requests never can. It removes the pressure. It gives customers control over when and how they provide feedback. And crucially, it works.
What Actually Happens When You Use a QR Code
Here's the scenario. Your team has just fitted a new conservatory roof. The customers are genuinely happy with the work. You hand them a simple card or a printed sheet with a QR code on it. The message is simple: "Completed to our standard? Tell us about it by scanning this code." They can do it right then. They can do it tomorrow. They can do it in a week when they've fully lived with the new space.
When they scan that code with their phone, they're taken directly to a review form. It might be your Google Business Profile, Trustpilot, Checkatrade, or your own website. It takes 90 seconds. They describe what you did, how professional you were, how they feel about the finished job. Done. Your company has a new review, and the customer barely felt like they were being asked.
The conversion rate is genuinely better than asking by hand. We've seen installers report that QR code prompts can achieve a 15-25% review completion rate, compared to 2-5% from verbal requests.
The Practical Setup
Getting this running is straightforward and costs very little. Start by choosing where your reviews will go. Google Business Profile is the obvious choice if you're not already there. It's free, and it directly affects your local search rankings. Trustpilot is another solid option, especially if you want a second opinion site that trades don't necessarily dominate. Some installers use their own website with a simple form tool like Typeform or Jotform.
Once you've chosen your destination, generate a QR code that points to that review page. Free tools like QR Code Generator or even Google's own tools do this in seconds. You don't need to pay anyone anything.
Then print the code onto small cards, A6 flyers, or directly onto your completion certificates. Some extension companies print it on their invoices. Others have it on a laminated card that goes into the customer's hand-over pack alongside the warranties and guarantees.
The key is making it visible at the moment when the customer's satisfaction is highest. That's the last day of the project, when the work is fresh in their mind, and they're genuinely pleased.
What Message Actually Works
Don't make the call to action sound like a marketing exercise. Say something like:
- "Scan to tell us how we've done"
- "Your feedback helps other homeowners like you"
- "Two minutes to rate your experience"
- "Happy with your new space? Let others know"
Avoid anything that sounds salesy or desperate. Customers respond better to straightforward language than to corporate-speak. They know you want reviews. They just don't want to feel guilty about it.
The Secondary Benefit: Catching Problems Early
Here's something that doesn't get mentioned enough. When you make it easy for customers to leave feedback immediately, you also make it easier for them to flag problems immediately. A customer notices a small gap in the weathering. They scan the code. They mention it in the review or, better, you've set up the form so they can pick a satisfaction rating first. A low rating prompts an automatic request for more detail. You catch issues before they become complaints on public forums.
Some extension installers use this as a kind of quality control checkpoint. The QR code form includes a question like "Did we leave the site clean and tidy?" or "Was the project completed by the agreed date?" You get instant data on your own performance, plus customers feel heard if they need to mention something.
Making It Part of Your Process
The most successful installers treat the QR code handover the same way they treat handing over the keys. It's routine. It's professional. The team member doing the final walkthrough or site closedown mentions it casually. "We're always keen to know how we've done. Scan this code if you fancy leaving a note for us. Takes about two minutes." Then they move on. No pressure. No waiting around for an answer.
Consistency matters. Every single job should have the code available. If you do it on half your projects, you'll get half the results.
Tracking and Follow-Up
Most review platforms show you where feedback comes from. Google Business lets you see when reviews were posted. Trustpilot sends you notifications. Use this data. If you notice a customer scanned the code but didn't leave a review, a gentle email reminder a few days later sometimes does the trick. "We noticed you checked out our review page. If you'd like to tell us how the work went, we'd really appreciate it."
And obviously, respond to every review that comes through. It's only courteous. A two-sentence response to a positive review shows other potential customers that you take feedback seriously.
The Reality Check
QR codes won't triple your review count overnight. But they will increase it without making your team feel awkward or your customers feel pressured. They're a genuine improvement on the traditional approach, which is asking customers to remember to do something, somewhere, sometime in the future.
For conservatory and extension companies where reputation is everything, a few extra reviews every month adds up. Over a year, the difference is noticeable. More importantly, the reviews you get this way tend to be more thoughtful, because customers chose the timing rather than feeling cornered at the gate.
It's a small change that works because it respects how people actually behave.
