A profile with zero reviews is fighting an uphill battle. Customers browsing search results see your rating right on the vendor card. No rating, no stars, no review count. It doesn't mean you're bad. It means the customer has no evidence that you're good. And when they're choosing between you and a vendor with 4 glowing reviews, the choice is obvious.
The good news: you don't need 50 reviews to make a difference. Even 2 or 3 specific, genuine reviews change how your profile feels to a potential customer. Here's how to get them.
Start With Past Clients
You don't need to wait for new EventAtlas bookings to build reviews. Reach out to clients from events you've already done. If they were happy with your work, most people are willing to leave a quick review when asked directly.
The key is to make it easy for them. They'll need an EventAtlas account (free to create as a customer) and a booked inquiry linked to you. If you haven't used the inquiry system with past clients, here's a workaround: ask them to send you a quick inquiry through your profile's contact form. Mark it as booked on your Leads page, and once it's in the system, the "Request Review" option becomes available.
This takes more effort than a simple Google review, so be selective. Ask your 3 to 5 happiest clients, the ones who told you at the event that they loved everything or who followed up with a thank-you message afterward.
How to Ask Without Being Awkward
The request doesn't need to be complicated. A short, direct message works best:
"Hey [name], I just set up my profile on EventAtlas and I'm trying to build up some reviews. Would you be open to leaving a quick one about the [event type] we worked on together? It doesn't have to be long. Even a few sentences about what you liked would help a lot."
Don't ask for a 5-star review. Don't script what they should say. Authentic reviews that mention specific details ("the jollof rice was incredible and she handled our 300-person guest list without running out") are infinitely more valuable than generic 5-star reviews that say "great service, highly recommend."
Timing Matters
The best time to ask for a review is 1 to 2 weeks after the event. The experience is still fresh, the client is still riding the high of a successful celebration, and they haven't yet entered the post-event fog where everything blurs together.
If it's been months, you can still ask, but acknowledge the gap. "I know it's been a while since [event], but I'm building out my EventAtlas profile and would really appreciate a review if you have a few minutes."
Using the Built-In Review Request
For events booked through EventAtlas, the process is simpler. On your Leads page, any inquiry marked as "Booked" shows a "Request Review" button once the event date has passed. Click it and the customer receives an email invitation to leave a review on your profile.
This is the cleanest path because it's built into the platform. The customer gets a direct link, the review is automatically tied to a verified booking, and it shows up on your profile with a verified badge.
What Good Reviews Look Like
The reviews that influence other customers most are specific. "She catered our Nigerian wedding for 250 guests and the jollof rice tasted exactly like party jollof. Ran on time, quantities were perfect, and the small chops were gone in 20 minutes" tells a future customer everything they need to know.
Generic reviews like "Amazing vendor! 10/10" are nice but they don't do much heavy lifting. When you ask past clients, encourage them to mention the event type, the scale, and what specifically they liked. You can't control what they write, but a gentle nudge toward specifics helps.
Responding to Reviews
If you're on Professional or Premium, you can respond publicly to reviews. Do it. A genuine "Thank you, your wedding was beautiful and we loved working with your family" shows future customers that you're engaged and appreciate your clients. Keep responses under 500 characters and make them personal, not templated.
For the rare negative review, respond professionally. Acknowledge the feedback, briefly address any factual issues, and don't get defensive. Future customers reading the exchange judge you on how you handle criticism as much as the criticism itself.
The Snowball Effect
The first 3 reviews are the hardest. After that, every new booking becomes an opportunity for another review, and the more reviews you have, the more confidence new customers have in reaching out. Your inquiry rate will increase measurably once you have a handful of genuine reviews on your profile.
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