The guide
Why reviews decide.
Before price, people check stars. Reviews feed the map results where local customers actually look, and a steady trickle of recent ones beats a pile of old ones.
Get your direct link.
Your Google Business Profile gives you a share-for-review link. Save it in your phone; print it as a QR by the register. The difference between "search for us on Google and find the review button" and one tap is most of the battle.
The moment.
Right after the compliment, the pickup, the checkout: "That means a lot. Would you leave us that in a Google review? Here's the direct link." One sentence, said by a human, at the right moment.
What not to do.
Never buy or incentivize reviews. Don't filter unhappy customers away from the button; answer every review, including the bad ones, calmly and factually. A composed reply to a bad review reads as trustworthy to everyone else.
The rhythm.
A few asks a week, every week, beats any blast. Make it part of closing the job.