NZ Business Insights
Data analysis and practical guides for NZ service businesses.
July 2026
2,911 NZ Builder Reviews: What Separates a Good Builder Is Conduct, Not Craft
Workmanship earns 57% of the praise, but among complaints, how a builder behaves once challenged and whether they answer the phone after handover outweigh faults with the building itself. The 1-star rate runs seven times higher in the hardest market than the easiest.
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July 2026
2,420 NZ Plumber Reviews: Speed Wins Stars, Billing Loses Them
Top5.nz classified 2,420 reviews of 224 NZ plumbing businesses. 80% of complaints describe a service or admin failure rather than a fault with the work. Speed of response drives 46% of the praise.
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Updated July 2026
What 2,508 NZ One-Star Reviews Actually Complain About
Five complaints recur across nearly every category of NZ service business. Building inspectors, moving companies, family lawyers, solar installers, and roofers each have a signature complaint the others rarely raise.
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Updated July 2026
Which NZ city has the best tradespeople and professionals in 2026?
Wellington edges Tauranga by 0.003 stars at the top of the table, but Tauranga still wins the most categories. Napier/Hastings debuts fifth with two category wins.
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Updated July 2026
What It Takes to Rank in the Top 5: Review Thresholds Vary 24-Fold by Category
The review count needed to reach a Top 5 ranking ranges from 11 in architecture to 263 in veterinary care. A perfect 5.0 rating is not enough in most categories.
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Updated July 2026
The 1-Star Problem: What NZ's Review Data Really Shows
Complaint rates across NZ service industries vary by a factor of nineteen. Family lawyers attract 19 times more 1-star reviews than mortgage brokers, yet both display ratings above 4.6 stars.
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Updated August 2026
How to Get More Google Reviews for Your NZ Business
The words in your reviews now matter as much as the stars, because AI assistants quote them. The ask, the timing, and how to get reviews that say something.
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Updated August 2026
Local SEO for NZ Service Businesses: A Practical Guide
The basics that get an NZ service business found in local search, then the advanced layer for AI assistants: profile depth, review text, prices, and third-party proof.
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Updated August 2026
How to Respond to Negative Google Reviews
A handled two-star review converts better than the five-star praise above it. What to say, the one thing never to put in a public reply, and when a review can actually be removed.
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