Your smog tests may be faster, but who knows that?
Smog shops are a perfect fit for The Review System. The best way to let people know is through reviews. Give your customers the chance to let your future customers know how fast you are.
Real results from a smog shop
The first 60 days of The Review System running for a smog shop
A smog shop can see 10 cars a day, not to mention walk-ins. At 200 smogs a month, the cost of not capturing reviews is high. Smog shops have an opportunity to capture more reviews each month than other businesses.
Ricardo had 131 reviews when we started. In the first 30 days, 76% of his customers gave us permission to text them, asking for a review. Of those customers, 42% of them that we texted left a review. And 89% of those new reviews included written praise, not just a five-star rating. At day 30, 179 reviews. A 47 review increase. At day 60, 226 reviews. A 95 review increase. And his reviews keep on going up. You can take a look at his profile yourself.
The Review System is a good fit if:
It’s not a fit if:
How does this all work?
One-time onboarding
At the counter
Reviews come in
Why every customer gets asked
So it’s really important here that every customer is asked. The ones that say yes, those are the ones that get a text message. If only half of your customers get asked, say there’s a rush period, the thing is that you account for that.
The Review System becomes part of your intake process, whether they have an appointment or are a walk-in. We ensure we’re capturing all of the value that you provided to your customers in the form of a review. A review that the next customer looking for a smog sees.
Over time, your profile could generate a wall of 5-star reviews that makes it a no brainer for someone to book an appointment with you. This is the online version of word of mouth you now have captured. Google sees it, and so does AI.
What smog shop owners say first
“They’re in and out in 20 minutes. They don’t want a text.”
I wouldn’t want a text either. That’s not when they should get a text. They came to get their car smogged, and hopefully pass. Then they’re off and on their way. No disruption during the time they’re waiting for their car.
“Nobody reads reviews for a smog check. It’s all price and coupons.”
I believe people want to make sure that, wherever they’re spending their hard-earned money and their time, it’s going to a business that does good work and that other people like. Price does come down to it, but so does the experience the customer has with your business. If your customers are having good experiences with you and a future customer can visibly see that proof online, there’s no doubt in what your business is about.
“I’ve got a sign by the register asking for reviews.”
How do you know if that sign is getting you reviews? Are you tracking how many reviews that sign is getting you? With The Review System, everything is tracked and out in the open. The data is there, if you got a review using The Review System, we can prove it.
“I’ve already got a kiosk that only sends happy customers to Google.”
A kiosk that review gates, aka, only routes happy customers to Google can create FTC and Google policy issues because it selectively solicits positive feedback. Profiles are being suspended left and right. Reviews are being removed. Go see for yourself on Reddit. Was it through a kiosk that only asks happy customers and gates all the bad ones? That’s probably why it got removed. If you don’t want to have your profile suspended, your reviews taken away, you’ve got to play by the book. The safer approach is to ask every customer consistently and invite honest feedback.
“I’m STAR certified. That’s what people look for.”
Agreed. They also want to know what your past customers think of you. They want to know what their experience was in choosing your business. STAR certification is one part of a positive signal to a potential customer. Reading reviews from your previous customers, that’s the other part they’ll be looking for.
“Half my customers are here because of a $29.95 Groupon. They’re not leaving reviews.”
I’m not surprised. I don’t believe those customers are the type of customers who generally leave reviews. They’re looking for a deal. When you get consistent reviews on your Google Business Profile, you’re building proof. And that proof can buy you the peace of mind to not rely on discounts.
“A customer failed, cussed out my tech, and now he’s getting a text asking for a review.”
If the car just didn’t pass, it’s not your fault. If the tech wasn’t good and didn’t keep his cool, then that’s a different story. The Review System can’t account for that. It’s all about how you handle it, and being public with it.
“You work with my competitor.”
If you’re doing good work and it’s not being captured, The Review System is for you. No one business owns the exclusive right to do good work and have it be shown. If you do good work, it should be shown. This is how you capture that. This is how you show it.
“Half my customers speak Spanish.”
The Review System can be modified to output in Spanish. You approve the messaging that goes out to your customers. Nothing goes out without your approval.
“This guy was here two years ago and already reviewed me.”
There is an option where we can look at all of your past reviews and make note of them and who left a review. We do our best to make sure that if someone already left a review, they don’t get asked again. From the moment The Review System is installed, we keep track of who’s opted in and who hasn’t, so no one gets texted again.
Hear it from a Smog Shop Owner
“We went from 1-2 Google reviews a week to 10–11, and from about 130 to around 170 reviews. I’m very happy we started using this and we’re going to keep using it.”
— Ricardo
Owner of Smog Dogs
You don’t have to take it from me. Watch this video of Ricardo and his experience with The Review System.
See the before-and-after screenshots aboveReplies to existing reviews
Smog Dogs on Google, right now
Ready for a steady stream of Google reviews without chasing anyone for them?
We’ll look at your current Google presence, show you the gaps, and tell you plainly if The Review System makes sense for your smog shop.
Want more Google reviews
for your smog shop?
Common questions
If you don’t have an appointment system right now, you don’t need to get one. The Review System works even if you don’t have one. We provide a simple way for you to tap the customer name and add their phone number. That’s it. No software required. All we need is their information. Name, number, and did they say yes to receive a text? Just three things.
It is, if we have consent. The Review System is designed to request permission before sending out review texts. If your customers don’t want to receive text messages from you anymore, they can opt-out at any time by replying STOP. That’s it. The Review System uses approved integrations and your setup gets a review before a single text goes out to your customers.
Everyone should be asked, that guy too. What matters is the experience and the delivery of that news. Sure, they’re going to say in the review the car didn’t pass smog. But if you handle it well, they may say, “They took what would be a negative situation and they were there for me, and because of that I’m still giving them a five-star review.” Customers want to see how you handle all situations, not just the positive ones. I think that’s an opportunity for your business.
The Review System helps smog shops in Southern California get more Google reviews. I am based in Southern California and love working with other SoCal businesses. The Coachella Valley, the high desert, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, the Inland Empire, Riverside, Banning, Beaumont, or Orange County, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach, Newport and the coast.
That’s not necessary. The onboarding process is short. It’s a phone call to get you set up.
The Review System can be used across the states for your business. So if you’re out of state, no problem.
Who’s behind You Plus Us
That’s me, Casen Ruiz. Owner, father, born and raised in the Coachella Valley.
For over a decade I worked in fashion and music, shooting photo and video of models and artists, then tour managing a DJ around the world.
I built my first website in 2012 and started learning digital marketing at the same time. I haven’t stopped experimenting with how we interact online since.
All of it shapes how I help businesses today, creatively and end to end.