What do I do when a customer asks for references?
Short answer
Send three, with permission, who match their situation. Then call those references first and tell them to expect the call.
Match the situation
A commercial buyer wants commercial references. A first-time homeowner wants other first-time homeowners. Sending the wrong reference is worse than sending none.
Warm up the reference
Call them: 'A prospect might call. The job they're considering looks like yours. Anything you'd flag I should know about?' That call protects both relationships and usually closes the new one.
Ask your version of this question
This is one business owner-tested take. Your shop size, trade, and team change the answer. Ask the exact version inside Ask a Shop Owner and get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.