Prado Digital · Frequently asked questions
GOOGLE REVIEW SERVICE FAQ: FAIR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
These are the questions tradies ask before they let someone else look after their Google reviews, with the answer first every time. The service they're all about is Google review requests after every job, done for you, and if you'd like every step laid out in order, Automated Google review requests: how it works walks through it.
IS IT ABOVE BOARD?
Is this above board with Google?
Yes. Google lets you ask every customer for a review, as long as you don't pay for reviews or only ask the happy ones. Every customer you mark as done gets the same request, and nobody is offered anything in return for a review.
Is it above board with the ACCC?
Yes. What the ACCC warns businesses about is fake reviews, rewards for good reviews and hiding or removing the bad ones. Here, real customers are asked for an honest review whatever they thought of the job, and every review stays where Google puts it.
What about the Spam Act and texting my customers?
Every message names your business, is about work you did for that customer and gives them an easy way out, with "Reply STOP to opt out" on every text and an unsubscribe link on every email. A clear sender, a real reason to get in touch and an easy way to opt out are what Australia's Spam Act asks of messages like these. Once someone opts out, they get no more review messages from you.
Can you only ask the customers who'll leave five stars?
No. Google doesn't allow it, so every customer you mark as done gets the same request. The check-in gives you a chance to fix a problem first, and then they're asked like everyone else.
Do you write reviews or pay people to leave them?
No. Every review comes from a real customer of yours, in their own words. Nobody is paid, given a discount or entered in a prize draw for a review, because Google and the ACCC both rule that out.
WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU GET
What do you need from me to start?
Three things: tell us how you record finished jobs, add us as a manager on your Google Business Profile, and send a list of your customers from the last year if you have one. Name and mobile is enough for that list. Then there's a short call to set when the messages go out and read you the wording.
What if I don't have a Google Business Profile yet?
That's fine. We'll show you how to open one under your own Google account, so it's always yours. Once you've added us as a manager, we help you set it up fully with your business details, photos and more, so customers can find you.
How much work is it for me?
Almost none. After a few minutes of setup, your only job is marking jobs done, using whatever already works for your crew: a quick form on your phone, a text or an export from your job app. We run the rest and you get on with the work.
How fast is it up and running?
It's live within 72 hours of us having what we need. You can approve the final messages before anything is sent if you want to.
How do the review requests go out?
By text (SMS) and email at the same time, each with a direct link to your Google review page. Your customer taps the link, picks their stars and writes a line or two, without having to search for your business first.
Will it annoy my customers?
No. Each customer gets a quick check-in, one review request and, only if they forget, up to three reminders a few days apart. Clicking the link or opting out stops the reminders.
Who do the messages come from?
Your business. Every message carries your business name, and the wording is set up to sound like you.
Do my customers need a Google account?
Yes. Google only takes reviews from people signed in to a Google account. Anyone with an Android phone or a Gmail address already has one, and anyone else can make one from the review link in a couple of minutes.
Do you ask my past customers too?
Yes. Customers from the last year who were never asked get the review request too, a few each day and never all at once. Anyone you'd rather we didn't ask, like a customer you're in a dispute with, is left off the list.
What happens if someone leaves a bad review?
You choose. Answer it yourself, or a calm, professional standard reply goes out for you. Either way, it doesn't sit there unanswered. Bad reviews can actually boost confidence in a business if it has been answered appropriately.
Do the good reviews get a reply too?
Yes. Each new review gets a thank-you reply written for it, so people reading your profile can see you look after your customers.
Will I know how it's going?
Yes. You get an update after your first week and again at 30 days, showing how many customers were asked, how many new reviews came in and how many got a reply. After that the updates keep coming regularly.
My job software already sends review requests. Why pay for this?
You don't need to, but if it already does this, why are you looking at getting more reviews? Most built-in tools send one message and stop. With us you get somebody focused on reviews, not as an extra but as the main focus. You also get follow-ups, past customers asked, a reply to every new review and regular updates. The key is that someone keeps an eye on it, so it doesn't quietly die after a few weeks.
COST, CONTRACT AND RESULTS
1
How much does it cost?
A$297 + GST a month (A$326.70), with no setup fee. The monthly price covers everything, including the text messages and a phone number to send them from for your first 12 months. After that the number is charged to you, usually around A$15 to A$25 a month. Review management pricing: A$297 + GST a month, no lock-in has the full breakdown.
2
Is there a contract or lock-in?
No. It's month to month, so you can stop whenever you like.
3
How do I cancel?
Email [email protected] with "Cancel" as the subject. Your customers keep getting asked until the end of the month you've paid for, unless you ask us to stop sooner, and we send you the steps to remove us as a manager on your Google profile so it's back solely in your hands. Apart from the 30-day guarantee, part months aren't refunded once they're paid. The full terms have the detail.
4
Do I get anything for referring a mate?
Yes. When a mate you refer signs up, you each get 5% off your monthly payment for as long as you're both with us. It stacks up to 50%, so ten mates on board means you pay half, for life.
5
Can I pause over Christmas or a quiet month?
Yes. You can pause for up to 3 months in a financial year, and each paused month costs half the usual fee.
6
What happens to the phone number when I cancel?
While you're with us, your business gets its own number for sending the texts, and it can make and take calls too, which come straight through to your phone. Your customers only see it on the texts. If you cancel, you stop using that number, but your customer list stays yours, so you keep talking to your customers from your own phone without missing a beat.
7
What's the guarantee?
More Google reviews in your first 30 days, or your first month refunded in full, as long as you're finishing jobs and marking them done. "More" means more new reviews than your usual month, worked out from the three full months before you start. The full guarantee terms explain how it's counted and how to claim.
8
How many reviews can I expect?
It depends on how many jobs you finish and how many past customers you have, so we won't guess a number. The 30-day guarantee covers you while you find out.
9
Do the reviews stay if I stop?
Yes. Your business owns its Google profile, and the reviews stay there if you stop the service, subject to Google's rules.
10
Who can work with you?
Anyone anywhere in Australia, because it all runs by text, email and phone. We're starting local, with tradies on the Sunshine Coast.
11
Do you work with businesses that aren't tradies?
Our review service is built for tradies, because that's who we know how to help best. If you run a different kind of business, get in touch and tell us what you're after. If we can't help, we probably know someone who can.
GET REVIEWS FROM EVERY JOB, WITHOUT ASKING
You mark the job done, and the check-in, the request, the reminders and the replies happen while you get on with the next one.
Or call 0468 063 003 with any question that isn't answered here.
Make asking for Google reviews part of finishing the job.
© 2026 Prado Digital. Prado Digital is a trading name of Prado Group Pty Ltd (ACN 632 542 342) as trustee for Prado Trust (ABN 94 853 850 839). | All Rights Reserved