A review is the cheapest marketing a heating company gets, and the one most often left to chance. In a growth stack it is not a favour you remember to ask for. It is an event: when the CRM marks a job as finished, a request goes out automatically, and the resulting review lifts the conversion rate of every other layer.
What the proof layer is
It is the set of steps that turns a completed job into public proof. The CRM fires a trigger, a text (and an email backup) asks the customer for a Google review with a direct link, and the review appears on your Google Business Profile. From there it shows up on your website's service pages and, where Google allows, alongside your ads.
The layer has a second job that owners often miss: catching problems early. A customer who replies to the request with a complaint goes straight to the owner instead of straight to Google.
Who it is for
This service is for heating companies that do good work but have few recent reviews, uneven reviews across locations, or a profile that still shows the same handful from several years ago. It suits companies whose technicians are asked to "remember to mention reviews" and mostly don't.
It is also valuable when you launch a new location or service line. A new branch with no reviews converts poorly on both the map and the website, however good the crew. The fix is not a launch-week push for reviews from friends; it is the same trigger running from the first completed job, so the new location builds proof at the pace it builds customers.
What's included
- CRM trigger. The request fires from a job status, usually "invoiced" or "completed", set up through the CRM layer.
- Message templates. Short texts written in your company's voice, with the technician's first name and a direct review link. Example: "Hi [First name], thanks for having [Technician] out to [Street name] today. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other homeowners in [City] find us: [link]. Reply here if anything wasn't right."
- One reminder, then stop. No chains of follow-ups.
- Complaint routing. Replies that signal a problem create a task for the owner.
- Reply guidance. A simple style guide for responding to reviews.
- Display. Recent reviews on the right service pages of your website.
Timeline
Setup takes one to two weeks once the CRM is connected. Results build gradually: the number of reviews you get each month follows the number of jobs you finish, so a busy January brings more than a quiet May. Within a season, most companies can see whether the request rate and response rate are where they should be.
How results are measured
We report the steps, not just the total:
- jobs completed in the period
- requests sent (should match completed jobs)
- reviews received, and the response rate
- average time from job completion to request
- complaints caught and resolved before they became public reviews
If requests sent falls below jobs completed, the trigger is broken or staff are skipping the status change. That is a stack problem, and the report makes it visible.
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking a week later. The response rate drops quickly with time.
- Gating. Sending only happy customers to Google breaks the platform's rules.
- Incentives. Discounts or draws for reviews can make reviews misleading. The Competition Bureau's guidance explains how misleading representations are treated.
- Texting people without a basis. Review requests go only to your own customers, with sender identification and an opt-out, in line with the CRTC's anti-spam guidance.
- Ignoring the replies. An unanswered complaint does more damage than a slow reply.
How proof closes the loop
More recent reviews raise conversion on the website and the map, which lowers the cost of each lead from paid ads, which leaves budget for more demand. That loop is the core idea behind how the stack connects. Published proof from our HVAC portfolio is on the results page. Call, text or email to set up yours.
Frequently asked questions
When should a heating customer be asked for a review?
Within a few hours of the job being finished, while the house is warm and the technician's name is fresh. For installs, a second gentle reminder a few days later is reasonable. After that, stop.
Can we only ask customers we think are happy?
No. Filtering out unhappy customers before they can review you is known as review gating, and Google's policies don't allow it. We send the same request to every completed job and route complaints to the owner for a quick personal response.
Should we reply to every review?
Yes, briefly and in your own voice. Thank good reviews by mentioning the job, and answer critical ones calmly with an offer to talk by phone. Future customers read the replies as closely as the reviews.
Do you write reviews or offer incentives?
Never. Writing, buying or rewarding reviews can mislead consumers, and the Competition Bureau treats misleading representations seriously. Every review in the systems we run comes from a real customer, in their own words.