This checklist walks through setting up an automated review-generation system that steadily lifts your Google rating and review count, without a producer having to remember to ask or a customer feeling nagged. Work through it once to launch, then let it run.
More reviews, and a higher star rating, directly change how many shoppers pick up the phone before they've even seen your quote - most people filter out anything under 4.5 stars before comparing price. The agencies with the best ratings usually don't have better service than everyone else; they just ask, consistently, at the right moment.
Foundation
Google almost always comes first for local insurance search, so start there.
- Your Google Business Profile is claimed, verified, and fully filled out (hours, categories, service area, photos)
- You have one clean, short review link ready to send (not a long URL customers have to hunt through)
Trigger points - when to ask
Timing matters more than the wording. Ask right after a positive moment, not on a random schedule.
- Right after a new policy is bound, once the paperwork is done and the customer is relieved and happy
- Right after a claim is resolved well - this is often the single highest-converting moment for a review
- At a positive renewal, especially if you saved the customer money or added coverage they needed
The automated ask
- The review request goes out automatically at the trigger point, sent by text first - text has far higher completion rates than email for this
- The message is short, personal, and links straight to the review form - no extra steps
- There's a single, gentle follow-up if the first request goes unanswered after a few days, then it stops (no repeated nagging)
Compliance and good judgment
- You never offer an incentive, discount, or anything of value in exchange for a review - Google's terms and most state insurance regulations prohibit it
- You ask everyone who had a positive interaction, not just customers you suspect will leave 5 stars - selective asking is against Google's policies and looks obvious to shoppers anyway
- Customers can opt out of review requests the same way they can opt out of any other text
Response protocol
- Every review, positive or negative, gets a reply within 24-48 hoursSomeone owns this weekly, so responses don't quietly stop happening after the first month.
- Negative reviews are responded to calmly, taken offline for resolution, and never argued with publicly
Reporting
- You track review count and average rating monthly, not just when you happen to notice a change
- You can see which trigger point (bind, claim, renewal) generates the most reviews, so you can lean into it
The Review Engine automates the trigger-based ask and the response nudges described above, and Rivyn Intelligence gives you the monthly view of rating and volume so this checklist becomes a dashboard instead of a spreadsheet.