Published November 6th, 2025

The difficulty with so many service based businesses is that you have no idea which employees are the most valuable to your business. You may be surprised which ones actually create the most positive interactions, or amount to the most goodwill. You cannot perfectly track how each employee is valued - but there are some signals you can follow. One of the most powerful for us is attributing reviews and feedback to employees.

Attribution turns “we think” into “we know.” When every review, referral, or photo is tied to the tech who earned it, managers can see who consistently asks, who gets mentioned by name, and which behaviors move the needle. That lets you spot A-players fast (high ask-rate, high review velocity, high keyword quality like “same-day” or “clean install”) and, just as important, who’s improving. Now, you can replace vague pep talks. Instead you can coach to a few clear leading indicators: attempts per job, successful reviews per week, and mention quality (did the review name the tech and the service?).

With that visibility, incentives finally become fair and effective. Build SPIFs around the action, not the rating: reward verified asks and published reviews (any star rating), not “only 5-stars.” Keep it simple and time-boxed—e.g., “This month: $10 per published review mentioning your name + $100 bonus at 20.” Add quality guardrails (no gating, no scripting for positive sentiment, no compensation for changing a review) to stay compliant with Google/Apple guidelines and FTC endorsement rules. Tiered SPIFs (5, 10, 20) create momentum; location-level goals keep teams rowing together.

Attribution also upgrades coaching from generic to surgical. Pull side-by-side examples of A-player asks (“Before we wrap, would you mind leaving a review so my manager knows I took good care of you?”) and run five-minute micro-drills at the morning huddle. Use “shadow & swap”: pair a rep with a high performer for two ride-alongs, then have them record their own ask for feedback. Track one habit at a time—timing of the ask, setting up the QR/NFC badge, or confirming the customer’s name for the review—and celebrate small wins weekly. Managers can focus on trend lines, not single days: if attempts/job and review mentions are rising, coaching works.

Finally, attribution is how you scale what works across locations. Turn winning behaviors into a lightweight playbook: best-performing scripts by service type, photo examples that earn clicks, and a mini FAQ for handling objections (“I don’t have time,” “I don’t know how”). Post a simple leaderboard (attempts, published reviews with name mentions, and safety/compliance pass rate) and recognize people publicly—stickers on badges at 25/50/100 reviews, shout-outs in the weekly standup, and a quarterly “Customer’s Choice” award based on review quotes. Over time, this builds a culture where reputation is part of the job, not “extra credit”—and the data keeps everyone honest, motivated, and improving.