How Western Lock Services grew from 80 to 700+ 5 star reviews

Western Lock Services has been the go-to locksmith for thousands of Aucklanders since 1997. With a friendly team, a local shopfront and a fleet of mobile vans covering the city, they've helped thousands of people with everything from key cutting and lock replacements to vehicle key repairs and aluminium joinery maintenance. 

As a family-owned business, they’ve always taken pride in their excellent service, and although customers raved about their experience in person, it was hard to measure customer satisfaction and market that quality to potential customers online.

They knew they had hundreds of happy customers, but unless someone mentioned it in person, that satisfaction stayed invisible. When people searched for “locksmiths near me,” Western Lock Services wasn’t standing out.

Before betterbunch

Before using betterbunch, Western Lock Services didn’t have a consistent way to ask for feedback or collect reviews. They'd send emails at the end of each month asking customers to leave a Google review, but this was time-consuming and didn’t get many responses. Too much time had passed, and customers simply weren’t motivated to leave a review weeks after their visit.

So what's the secret? 

Western Lock Services connected betterbunch to Xero, their invoicing software.  

Now, as soon as a customer pays, betterbunch sends an automatic SMS, inviting them to share feedback, while their experience is still fresh in their mind.

When it comes to repeat customers, they also use the Cool Off Period feature to make sure regulars can receive a maximum of one invite per year. Simple, smart, and considerate.  

“I absolutely love it. It all happens in the background—it just runs itself,” says Sarah from Western Lock Services. 

This automated workflow now powers every interaction across their customer base.

The results

Since introducing betterbunch Automation, Western Locks has been able to measure their customer satisfaction and grow their Google reviews by a whopping 775%.

• Their Google Reviews skyrocketed from 80 to 700+ Google reviews (and counting)
• They've maintained a perfect 5-star rating
• They now rank as the #1 locksmith in New Zealand
• Sarah no longer needs to spend hours emailing customers one by one

“Seeing our reviews go up and up and up—it’s awesome,” says Sarah.
“We get this warm feeling when I jump into Google and see we’ve got new reviews—it’s a reminder that people really love us.”

But it’s not just team morale being boosted. Those reviews are bringing in new business, too.

“We have customers saying, ‘I saw your reviews on Google and that’s why I called you.”

Western Lock Services has always delivered great service. Now, with betterbunch running quietly in the background, they’re finally getting credit for it and the growth that comes from it.