Review generation and reputation for a HVAC company
Reviews are the fuel for every other channel. Local Services Ads placement, map pack position, and whether a homeowner calls you or the shop above you all move with review count and recency. The median company in this trade sits at 30 reviews and 27% have fewer than ten, which means the bar to stand out is far lower than most owners assume. The benchmark report has the full distribution.
Average rating is not the differentiator. The category average is 4.7, so a 4.8 is normal. Volume and recency are what separate listings.
The mistake is emailing a review request three days later. Ask at the door, phone in hand, while the house is cooling down and the homeowner is relieved. Two weeks in, working looks like a request going out on every completed job, four to eight new reviews on the board, and a reply posted to every review including the bad ones.