How backup power installers win jobs with Google reviews

A backup power installation is one of the biggest cheques a South African homeowner writes, in an industry that filled up with cowboys during the load-shedding boom. So before anyone signs your quote, they do the same thing: type your business name into Google and read what the last ten customers said. Our directory data shows it plainly - installers are listed here with their review counts visible, and the ones with strong profiles get the calls.

The good news: most installers still have single-digit review counts, so a disciplined asking habit moves you past your local competition in months.

Ask at commissioning, not by email next week

There is one perfect moment to ask: handover. The system is live, the app is on their phone showing the batteries charging, the paperwork is signed. That's the happiest a customer will ever be about the project - the same person two weeks later is back to taking electricity for granted.

The ask is one WhatsApp message:

"Thanks for trusting us with your installation! If you're happy with the work, a quick Google review helps other homeowners find an installer they can trust: [your link]"

The link matters: use the direct review link that opens the five-star box in one tap. You can generate yours free with PeakReviews' review link generator. Put the same link as a QR code on your invoices and COC paperwork - the QR maker is free too.

The reviews that mention paperwork win jobs

Ask happy customers to mention specifics if they're willing: that you issued the Certificate of Compliance, arrived when quoted, and the price matched the quote. "Neat installation, COC issued same day, price was the price" is the exact sentence your next customer is looking for, in an industry where none of those three can be assumed.

Answering the hard ones

Two complaints dominate installer reviews, and both have good answers:

"The system didn't last through stage 6." This is almost always a sizing conversation that didn't happen clearly enough. Reply without blaming: acknowledge the frustration, restate what the system was sized for, and offer a site visit to discuss an upgrade path. Future readers learn two things: you answer, and you understand sizing - see our sizing guide for the conversation itself.

"Too expensive." Never argue value in a comment thread. One calm reply: quality hardware, registered electricians, a real COC and a warranty that will still exist in five years cost what they cost. Then let your other reviews carry the argument.

Reply to every review either way - and never pay for reviews, never review-swap with other installers, and never ask only the customers you know are thrilled. Google removes bought reviews, and in a trust-starved industry, getting caught is fatal.

Put it on autopilot

The hard part isn't knowing this - it's doing it on every job while running crews. PeakReviews (built by the team behind BackupPowerFinder) sends the WhatsApp ask automatically after each job, tracks POPIA consent, and drafts your review replies for you. R299 a month, cancel anytime.

And once your profile is growing, make sure your listing in our installer directory is accurate - it's where homeowners are already comparing you.