One in five client reviews on Treatwell mentions a stylist by name. That’s not just nice feedback. It’s the kind of detail that convinces someone who’s never visited to book with you for the first time.
Why reviews do more than make you feel good
Reviews are how new clients decide whether to trust you with their hair, their skin, or their Saturday morning. A strong review profile doesn’t just look good. It directly affects how many people find you, click through, and book.
On the Treatwell marketplace, salons with a higher volume of recent reviews consistently appear higher in search results. Google works the same way: fresh, detailed reviews signal to the algorithm that your salon is active, trusted, and worth showing to someone searching for “balayage near me”. The rate at which new reviews come in matters as much as your overall star rating.
There’s a tangible reward for getting this right, too. Treatwell’s Top Rated award is given annually to salons that maintain a high volume of five-star reviews. Winners get a badge on their Treatwell profile, a spot in the Top Rated venues filter (which clients actively use to find the best-rated salons), and a physical certificate and window sticker for the salon itself. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s based on real review data from real clients.
Build a review system, not a reminder
The difference between salons that get a trickle of reviews and salons that get a steady stream is rarely the quality of service. It’s whether asking for reviews is built into how the salon operates. If it depends on someone remembering to ask at the end of a busy Saturday, it won’t happen consistently.
Treatwell Connect sends automatic review requests to every client after their booking, via email and push notification if they have the Treatwell app. That covers marketplace bookings, bookings through your widget (so anyone who found you via Instagram, Google, or your own website), and even appointments you’ve manually added to your calendar, as long as there’s an email address attached. It’s no extra work for you or your team, and the requests go out every time.
These requests only go to clients who’ve opted in to receive communications when booking, so you’re never contacting anyone who hasn’t agreed to hear from you.
That automated layer is your foundation. On top of it, train your team to recognise the moments when a personal ask lands well: a client admiring their new look in the mirror, someone rebooking on the spot, or a first-timer saying they’ll definitely be back. A simple “We’d love it if you could leave us a quick review. It really helps” is enough. No script needed, just a genuine ask at the right moment.
Timing it right
For cuts and blow-dries, the best moment is at checkout or shortly after they leave. They know straight away whether they’re happy. For colour services, it’s worth waiting a day. Clients need to wash it, see it in natural light, and get a few compliments before they’re ready to write something meaningful. For treatments like keratin or extensions, give it a day or two so they can feel the difference.
Connect’s automated requests handle the timing for standard bookings. For high-value clients or standout services where you want a particularly detailed review, a personal follow-up text from the stylist can make all the difference.
Make leaving a review as easy as paying the bill
Every extra step between “I should leave a review” and actually submitting one costs you responses. The simpler the path, the more reviews you get.
With Connect, clients receive a direct link in their post-appointment email. One tap and they’re writing. That’s your primary review channel, and it’s already set up. Treatwell reviews are verified, which builds trust with new clients browsing the marketplace. If you also want to strengthen your Google presence, you can create a shortened review link from your Google Business Profile (look for “Share review form” in your settings) and add it to receipts or your email signature as a secondary touchpoint.
QR codes work well for catching people in the moment. Print a branded code and place it at the mirror station (where clients are already looking at themselves and feeling good), at checkout, and near the exit. Keep it to three or four well-placed spots. Plastering every surface with review requests creates visual clutter, not conversions.
Test your review links regularly. A broken link when someone’s trying to help you is a wasted opportunity.
Get reviews that actually say something
A five-star rating with “Great service!” is nice, but it doesn’t help future clients picture what it’s like to visit your salon. Detailed reviews, ones that mention a specific stylist, a treatment, or the atmosphere. Those are worth far more. They build trust with new clients and they boost your visibility on Google, because the algorithm picks up on keywords like “hair colour correction” or “best balayage in Manchester”.
You don’t need to give people a script. A gentle prompt is enough: “If you have a moment to leave a review, it really helps, especially if you mention what we did today.” That gives clients permission to go beyond the generic without putting words in their mouth.
For colour services, event prep, or anything with a visible transformation, you might suggest they mention the result or any compliments they’ve had. Those are the reviews that do the heavy lifting when a stranger is deciding whether to book with you.
Respond to every review, yes, the bad ones too
Responding to reviews isn’t just good manners. It’s visible to everyone who reads them afterwards. A thoughtful reply to a positive review makes that client feel valued and shows potential clients you’re engaged. A professional response to a negative one shows you take feedback seriously, which often matters more than the complaint itself.
For positive reviews, keep it warm and brief. Thank them, mention something specific from their review (“so glad you loved the new colour”), and leave it there. No need to write a paragraph.
For negative reviews, respond within a day if you can. Acknowledge their experience, don’t get defensive, and offer to resolve it offline. Something like: “We’re sorry this wasn’t the experience you expected. We’d love the chance to put it right. Please get in touch directly so we can talk it through.” Future clients will judge how you handle criticism far more than whether you occasionally receive it.
In Connect, you can reply to Treatwell reviews directly from your dashboard. No switching between platforms or logging into separate accounts.
Put your best reviews to work
A great review sitting on your Treatwell profile is already doing its job, but it can do more. Share standout reviews on your social channels. A simple screenshot or a branded graphic works well. Tag the client (with their permission) and thank them publicly. It reinforces the relationship and shows your wider audience that real people rate your salon highly.
Feature recent reviews on your website, in your email newsletters, and even on a small display in the salon itself. The key word is recent. Sharing a review from two years ago suggests nothing noteworthy has happened since. Rotate your featured reviews every few weeks to keep things current.
Video testimonials are particularly effective if you can get them. A short clip of a client reacting to their finished look is harder to fake and carries more weight than text. Even a quick Instagram story filmed with the client’s consent can have real impact.
Get your team invested in reviews
Your stylists and therapists are the reason clients leave good reviews in the first place, so make sure they know when they’re mentioned. Share positive feedback with your team, especially when a client names someone specifically. One in five reviews on Treatwell mentions a stylist by name, and recognising that publicly within the team builds motivation and pride.
Set simple, realistic goals. Something like “let’s aim for ten new reviews this month” gives the team a shared target without making it feel like corporate jargon. Celebrate progress. A quick mention in a team meeting or a message in your group chat goes a long way.
If you want to take it further, use Connect’s reports to track which team members are generating the most bookings and cross-reference with who’s getting mentioned in reviews. That data helps you recognise your top performers and identify where others might need support.
Incentivise reviews without breaking the rules
Google’s policies are clear: you can’t offer incentives specifically for positive reviews. But you can encourage all feedback, and that’s a meaningful distinction.
A monthly draw where every reviewer (regardless of their rating) gets entered works well. So do small gestures like a handwritten thank-you note or a sample-sized product for anyone who takes the time. The goal is to make leaving a review feel appreciated, not transactional.
What you must avoid: offering discounts exclusively for five-star reviews, buying reviews, or encouraging the same client to review across multiple platforms. Platforms can detect this, and the penalties (suppressed listings, removed reviews) undo months of work.
Keep your profiles working for you
Your Treatwell profile is where most of your reviews will live, so make sure it’s doing you justice. Keep your venue description up to date (Settings > Description in Connect), refresh your portfolio photos regularly using the Connect mobile app, and make sure your featured services reflect what you actually want to promote right now. A strong profile with a healthy review count is what converts a marketplace browser into a booking.
Your Google Business Profile supports your local search visibility, so it’s worth keeping that in good shape too. Make sure your services, opening hours (especially around bank holidays), and business categories are accurate. Upload fresh photos regularly. A mix of interior shots, your team at work, and finished results keeps the profile looking active and current.
The two profiles serve different purposes: Treatwell is where clients book, and Google is often where they find you first. Keeping both complete and current means you’re covered at every stage of the client journey.
Right now, your Treatwell reviews and Google reviews live in separate places, but the stronger both profiles are, the more trust you build wherever a client finds you.
Your review quick-start checklist
- Confirm Connect’s automatic review requests are active for marketplace, widget, and manual bookings
- Log into Connect, click on the Marketing tab, select Automated messaging > Transactional and ensure the “Request verified reviews” toggle is on
- Check that your Treatwell profile is complete and your review count is visible. This is your primary review channel
- Print branded QR codes and place them at the mirror station, checkout, and exit
- Brief your team: recognise the right moments to ask, keep it genuine, no scripts
- Respond to every review within a day, positive and negative
- Share your best recent reviews on social media and your website
- Update your Treatwell profile (venue description, portfolio, featured services) and Google Business Profile so both are complete and current
- Set a team review goal for the month and track progress together
- Test every review link and QR code on multiple devices
Your reviews, working harder
Reviews aren’t a vanity metric. They’re how new clients decide to trust you, how the marketplace decides to show you, and how you earn recognition like Top Rated status. The salons that get this right aren’t doing anything complicated. They’ve just built a system: automated requests through Connect, a genuine ask at the right moment, and a habit of replying to every piece of feedback.
Log into Connect and check your latest reviews, then make sure every one of them has a reply. New clients, fuller diaries, and a stronger reputation start there.
There’s no magic number, but consistency matters more than volume. Aim for a steady flow of new reviews each month rather than a one-off push. Google values recency, so a salon with fewer total reviews but regular recent ones will often outrank a competitor with hundreds of older reviews that have dried up.
For cuts and styling, at checkout or shortly after they leave. For colour, wait a day so they can see it in different light and get a few compliments first. Connect’s automated requests handle the standard timing; a personal follow-up works well for standout services or first-time clients.
You can encourage all feedback, but not specifically positive reviews. A monthly draw open to every reviewer regardless of rating is fine. Discounts or perks exclusively for five-star reviews violate platform policies and risk getting your reviews removed.
Quickly, calmly, and publicly. Acknowledge the experience, don’t get defensive, and offer to resolve it offline. Future clients pay close attention to how you handle complaints. A professional response often builds more trust than the negative review takes away.
Yes. Connect sends a review request after every booking made through the marketplace, your booking widget, and manually added calendar entries (as long as an email address is attached). You can reply to reviews directly from your Connect dashboard.
No. Review requests and other communications only go to clients who’ve opted in when booking. Treatwell never contacts anyone on your behalf without their permission.
Treatwell and Google reviews are currently separate. Your Treatwell reviews appear on your marketplace profile, and Google reviews appear on your Business Profile. Building both up means you’re covered wherever a new client finds you. Keep an eye on Connect for updates on how we’re making this easier.
A gentle prompt at the point of asking helps: “If you mention what we did today, it really helps other clients know what to expect.” You’re not giving them a script, just permission to go beyond “Great service.”
