Reviews are the most underrated marketing budget
For local shops, the gap between 4.3 and 4.7 stars is worth more than most ad campaigns.
Ask, on a system
Every closed job triggers a review request, text, with a one-tap link, within an hour of completion. The shops that 'don't have many reviews' almost always don't have a request system, not unhappy customers.
Reply to every review, especially the bad ones
A professional, specific reply to a one-star review converts more skeptical prospects than the five-star reviews above it. Future customers read the reply, not just the rating.
Don't pay for reviews. Ever.
Incentivized reviews violate every major platform's terms and get accounts suspended. Discovery is when, not if. Build the request system instead.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.