Get more clients · Every business
The Review Request Text to Send After Every Visit
A short, neutral text sent the same day to every customer, with one link and no hint about the rating you hope for, is the simplest review system a small business can run.
Send this within a few hours of the visit or finished job: "Hi [First name], thanks for coming in to [Business] today. If you have a minute, we'd be grateful if you shared how it went: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out." Send it to every customer who agreed to receive texts, not only the ones who seemed happiest, because Google prohibits selectively asking for positive reviews and offering anything in return for one.
The template, with versions for five kinds of business
| Business | Text to copy |
|---|---|
| Salon or barbershop | Hi [First name], thanks for coming in to [Business] today. If you have a minute, we'd love to hear how your [cut/color] turned out: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Dental or medical practice | Hi [First name], thank you for visiting [Practice] today. If you'd like to share how your visit went, you can do that here: [review link]. Please don't include health details. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Plumbing, HVAC or electrical | Hi [First name], thanks for having [Business] out today. If you have a minute, a quick review of the job helps neighbors find us: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Auto repair | Hi [First name], thanks for trusting [Shop] with your [vehicle]. If you have a minute, we'd be grateful for a quick review: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Law, tax or bookkeeping office | Hi [First name], thank you for working with [Firm]. If you're comfortable sharing your experience, you can leave a review here: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
Setup checklist
- Get consent at booking. Industry guidelines from CTIA, the wireless trade association, say a business should have the customer's express permission before sending informational texts and express written permission before sending promotional ones, so add a line to the booking or intake form: "Can we text you about your appointment and follow-up?"
- Create one review link. Google's help center explains how to make a review link or QR code from your Business Profile; use the same link in every message.
- Send it to everyone, the same day. Tie the text to the moment the visit is marked complete or the invoice is paid, so no one at the front desk decides who gets asked.
- Offer nothing in return. Google's policy bars "payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" for reviews.
- Honor opt-outs. CTIA's guidelines call for standard "STOP" wording and say replies such as "end," "cancel," "unsubscribe" or "quit" should also be honored.
- Reply to every review within a week. Name the person who does it and the day.
General information, not legal advice; talk to a licensed professional about your situation.
Why it works
Most customers say they follow through when asked; in BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 U.S. adults, 83% of people asked to leave a review for a local business said they left one. A field experiment published in Management Science, in which 2,000 online shoppers were texted different messages, found that a basic request produced 27 reviews against 16 from customers who got no message at all, and a separate study in the same journal found that asking raised participation most among customers whose experience was good but not extraordinary, the group that otherwise stays quiet.
Sources
- BrightLocal. Local Consumer Review Survey 2026. 2026. Panel of 1,002 U.S. adults.
- Burtch, G., Hong, Y., Bapna, R. and Griskevicius, V. Stimulating Online Reviews by Combining Financial Incentives and Social Norms. Management Science 64(5), 2018. Field experiment with 2,000 customers.
- Karaman, H. Online Review Solicitations Reduce Extremity Bias in Online Review Distributions and Increase Their Representativeness. Management Science 67(7), 2021.
- CTIA. Messaging Principles and Best Practices. May 2023.
- Google. Prohibited and restricted content: Maps user-generated content policy. Google Maps Help.
- Google. Read and reply to reviews. Google Business Profile Help.
Related reading: How to Get More Reviews Without Begging, Based on What Makes Customers Write Them · How Much Reviews Affect Whether Customers Call You · Text Message Marketing for Small Businesses: What's Allowed and What Works
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