By Isabella Laurent, Founder & Creative Director at Maison Laurent Hair Studio
People often assume I became a hairdresser because I enjoy cutting hair, but the truth is much more personal than that. Long before I ever stepped into beauty school, I was fascinated by style, fashion, and the way a great hairstyle could completely transform someone's confidence. Friends would ask me to style their hair before special occasions, and I loved watching the moment they smiled at themselves in the mirror. Helping people feel beautiful never felt like work to me—it felt natural. Looking back now, becoming a professional hairdresser wasn't really a career choice. It was simply the next step in something that had already been part of my personality for years.
Today I own Maison Laurent Hair Studio, where my team and I specialize in premium cuts, color transformations, balayage, and hair treatments. Every client who walks through our doors is trusting us with something deeply personal. Hair isn't just another service; it's part of someone's identity. A new haircut can make someone feel more confident before a job interview, a wedding, or an important event. That's why I always believed that clients who left our salon happy would naturally leave Google reviews as well.
Unfortunately, reality taught me something different.
Great Hair Doesn't Automatically Create Great Google Reviews
Every day we received incredible compliments from our clients. People hugged their stylist after a dramatic makeover, took dozens of selfies before leaving the salon, and enthusiastically recommended us to friends standing right beside them. Before walking out the door, many clients would smile and say, "I'll definitely leave you a Google review tonight." They meant every word they said, and I never doubted their sincerity.
The problem was that very few of those promised reviews actually appeared.
At first, I blamed busy schedules. I assumed people simply forgot after returning home. Later I wondered whether clients just didn't enjoy writing online reviews anymore. Eventually I realized I was asking the wrong question. The issue wasn't whether clients appreciated our work. They clearly did. The issue was that I had never built a professional process for collecting reviews.
That realization changed everything.
I Started Treating Review Management Like Every Other Part of My Business
Inside our salon, nothing happens by accident. Every consultation follows a process. Hair coloring follows a process. Treatments follow a process. Even our client aftercare is carefully planned because consistency creates outstanding results. When I thought about it, it seemed strange that I expected our online reputation to grow through luck alone.
The salons with thousands of Google reviews weren't necessarily producing better haircuts than everyone else. Many of them simply had a better system for asking satisfied clients at exactly the right moment. I realized that if I wanted to grow my reputation online, I needed to approach review management with the same discipline that I already applied to every haircut and color appointment.
The First Thing I Did Was Print Professional QR Codes
The first practical step was surprisingly simple. I ordered professionally designed Google Review QR codes and placed them throughout the salon. Instead of covering every wall with review requests, I chose locations where clients naturally paused after their appointments. We placed elegant acrylic QR displays beside reception, near the checkout desk, and close to our styling stations where clients usually admired their finished look before leaving.
Almost immediately, we noticed an increase in QR code scans. Clients appreciated not having to search for our business on Google themselves. They could simply scan the code and open our review page in seconds. Although this alone improved our results, I quickly realized there was an even more effective approach.
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Reviewance's Mobile QR Code Changed Everything
A few weeks later we started using Reviewance, and one feature immediately stood out to me: the Mobile QR Code. Every stylist on our team downloaded their own personalized QR code directly onto their phone. It sounds like a small feature, but it completely changed the way we interacted with clients.
Hairdressers rarely stay behind the reception desk. We're constantly moving around the salon, finishing blow-dries, discussing styling products, taking before-and-after photos, or helping clients schedule their next appointment. With the Mobile QR Code, we no longer had to direct clients toward a printed stand. Instead, we simply opened the QR code on our phone whenever the conversation naturally led to it.
The best part was that our clients already had their phones in their hands. They were taking selfies, recording videos for Instagram, or sending photos to friends and family. Asking them to scan one more QR code required almost no additional effort. That tiny improvement removed enough friction to noticeably increase the number of Google reviews we received.
Timing Turned Out to Be More Important Than Location
One of the biggest lessons I learned throughout this process had very little to do with QR codes themselves. It had everything to do with understanding emotion. The most effective time to ask for a Google review isn't while someone is paying their bill, booking another appointment, or reading a follow-up email two days later. The perfect moment happens immediately after they look in the mirror, smile, and genuinely love what they see.
That emotional high only lasts for a short time. During those few minutes, clients feel excited, confident, and grateful. If you wait until tomorrow, everyday life quickly takes over and even the happiest clients forget. By asking while that positive emotion is still fresh, leaving a Google review becomes part of the salon experience rather than another task waiting on someone's to-do list.
Great Salons Don't Just Collect Reviews—They Listen
One reason I continued using Reviewance was that it isn't designed only to increase public Google reviews. Sometimes a client has a suggestion, wants a small adjustment, or simply prefers sharing feedback privately before posting anything online. Reviewance gives those clients an opportunity to communicate directly with us through a private feedback channel instead of immediately sending everyone to Google.
For me, this was just as valuable as collecting five-star reviews. Every private comment helped us improve our service, refine our client experience, and strengthen relationships with customers. A great reputation isn't built only by celebrating compliments—it's built by listening carefully whenever clients have something important to say.
The Results Spoke for Themselves
Within a few months, our Google Business Profile looked completely different. We weren't receiving reviews in occasional bursts anymore. Instead, new reviews appeared consistently every week, creating a much more accurate reflection of the experience our clients had been enjoying for years. New customers regularly mentioned that they had chosen our salon after reading stories from previous clients, and many even requested specific stylists because of those reviews.
Interestingly, nothing about our technical skills had changed. We weren't suddenly better at cutting hair or applying color. The quality had always been there. The difference was that we finally developed a professional system for capturing those positive experiences while they were still fresh in our clients' minds.
My Advice to Other Hairdressers
If you're wondering how to get more Google reviews for your hair salon, my advice is simple. Don't rely on hope, and don't assume happy clients will remember to leave a review once they get home. Make review collection part of the customer journey instead. Use professionally designed Google Review QR codes throughout your salon, equip every stylist with a Reviewance Mobile QR Code, and most importantly, ask for reviews at the exact moment your client falls in love with their new hairstyle. That moment lasts only a few minutes, but the Google review it creates can bring new clients to your salon for years.