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Did you know? A genuine Google review may not appear straight away

You finish a job and the customer sends a lovely message: “I've left you a Google review as well.” You open your profile, look for it and find nothing new. You check again. The review count has not changed. Did they choose the wrong business, or have you done something wrong?

A Google review that does not appear immediately does not automatically mean your business has a problem. Google says review checks can take a few days. Other causes include policy removals and delays after profiles are merged. Google’s explanation

What to check before chasing the review

Start with the ordinary checks. Open the public profile and look at the newest reviews. If you have two locations with similar names, check the location too. Thank the customer first, without making them prove that they kept their promise. If necessary, you can then ask which page they used.

Make a note of when you noticed the problem. If you need help later, “my reviews aren't working” is less useful than a clear account of the affected profile, the timing and what you have already checked. A screenshot may help, but you do not need to collect personal details unrelated to the problem.

I would not ask the customer to keep posting the same text. They have already spent time doing you a favour. Nor would I start with a promise that somebody can definitely recover every missing review. Until the case is checked, the reason is unknown.

If the problem continues, use the contact option on Google's official missing-reviews help page. Meanwhile, keep looking after today's customers. It is natural to appreciate a good recommendation, but a customer's kind gesture should not turn into a week of messages about a button they pressed.