How to ask customers for reviews, with templates

Customers rarely go looking for your review page on their own. Ask at the right moment, in a sentence or two, with a link that opens the review form, and saying yes takes them a minute.

This guide covers how to ask customers for reviews in person, by text and by email: when to ask, what to say, how to get your direct Google review link, and copy-ready templates for plumbers, dentists, salons, auto shops, restaurants, vets, cleaners, real estate agents and more. It also covers the rules Google, Yelp and the FTC set, because a few common tactics (a discount for a review, asking only happy customers, reviews from staff) get reviews removed or break the law.

If you plan to text customers, read the rules for texting customers as well. Consent and opt-outs have their own requirements, and they apply to every text template below.

How to ask customers for reviews in four steps

Ask every customer the same way, on the day the job is done. Say who you are, thank them for the specific job, ask for an honest review and send one direct link to your Google review page. If there is no review after a few days, send one short reminder, then stop. Never offer anything in return.

1. 1

   Finish the job

   Ask once the work is done and the customer has seen the result.
2. 2

   Ask the same day

   In person if you can, then send the link by text or email while the visit is fresh.
3. 3

   Send one link

   Your direct Google review link, so one tap opens the review form.
4. 4

   One reminder, then stop

   A short nudge a few days later. After that, leave it.

Each step removes a reason people don't review. On the day of the visit they still remember what you did. A link that opens the review form saves them searching for your business and hunting for the button. And a request that goes to everyone, in the same words, keeps you inside the review sites' rules.

When to ask for a review

Ask when the customer has seen the result and is still with you, or later that same day. That is the point where the visit is fresh, the problem you solved still feels solved and the favor you're asking feels small. A week later the same request is a chore, and they have to think hard to remember the details.

What "the result" means depends on the business. Here is a rule of thumb for common local businesses.

Two timing mistakes are common. The first is asking before the work is finished, at booking or in the appointment reminder, when the customer has nothing to review yet. The second is saving requests up and sending a batch at the end of the month, when every customer has to remember a visit from weeks ago.

For repeat customers, ask once, not after every visit. A cleaner who asks after every weekly clean soon becomes noise. Pick one point (after the second visit, say) and use it for everyone.

A simple follow-up schedule

Here is what one request looks like from start to finish for a typical service visit. Use the same schedule for every customer.

1. At the end of the visit

   Ask in person and tell them the link is coming by text or email.

2. Within a few hours

   Send the text or email with your direct review link.

3. Two or three days later

   If they haven't left a review, send one short reminder with the same link.

4. After that

   Stop. Don't ask again about this visit.

Which way to ask: in person, text, email or on paper

For most local businesses the best pairing is a spoken ask at the end of the visit, followed the same day by a text or email with the link. The spoken ask comes from the person who did the work, which is hard to ignore. The link removes every step between "sure, I'll do it" and the review form, because nobody remembers to look you up later.

Google's own help page on review links suggests putting the link on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a chat and on a printed QR code in your store (Google Business Profile Help). Anywhere a customer sees it after the visit is fair game.

A printed ask reaches every customer without anyone deciding who gets one. Here are three you can print.

Counter sign with QR code (walk-in businesses)

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How did we do?

Scan the code to leave an honest review on Google. It takes a minute, and it helps your neighbors find us.

Thank you for visiting [Business name].

[QR code]

Receipt or invoice line

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Thank you for choosing [Business name]. We'd be grateful for an honest review on Google: [short review link]

Leave-behind card (trades and home services)

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Thanks for having us in your home today.

If you have a minute, an honest review on Google helps a small local business like ours. Scan the code or visit [review link].

[Your name], [Business name], [phone number]

What to say when you ask for a review

Say who you are, thank them for the specific job, ask for an honest review and give one link. Two or three sentences is plenty. Leave out star counts, "if you loved it" and suggestions about what to write: Google allows asking for reviews only "without offering incentives to do so or attempting to influence the rating or the contents of the review."

That quote comes from Google's Maps user contributed content policy, and it shapes every template in this guide. Here is a good request taken apart. The business and the customer are made up.

1. 1

   Hi Dana,

   Greeting by name

   Use the name they gave you. It shows the message was meant for them.

2. 2

   it's Marco from Brightline Heating.

   Who is asking

   Name yourself and the business first. A link from a number they don't recognize looks like spam.

3. 3

   Thanks for having us out to replace your furnace today.

   Thanks for the specific job

   One detail from the visit is enough. Leave out prices and anything private.

4. 4

   Would you take a minute to leave an honest review on Google?

   The ask

   A question, with no star count and no hint about what to write.

5. 5

   brightlineheating.example/review

   One link

   Your direct review link, so one tap opens the review form.

6. 6

   Reply STOP to opt out.

   How to stop texts

   Tells the customer how to stop your texts. The texting guide covers the opt-out rules.

Most weak requests go wrong in one of a few ways. Each rewrite below fixes one.

How to ask for Google reviews: get your review link

Your Google Business Profile has a review link and a QR code that open the review form directly. On a computer, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link or save the QR code. Put that link in every request so customers never have to search for you.

Google's help page on creating a review link or QR code gives these steps:

1. On a computer, sign in with the Google Account that manages your business and go to your Business Profile.
2. Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. To copy the link, select Copy. To save the QR code, right-click it and choose Save image as.

Google notes that review QR codes can only be generated in a computer browser for now, not on a phone. Menus change, so if your screen looks different, check that page for the current steps.

Once you have the link, do three things before you send it to anyone:

• Open it on your own phone to check it lands on the review form for the right business.
• Save it as a keyboard shortcut or a note on every phone that sends requests, so nobody has to dig for it.
• Print the QR code for your counter sign, receipts or leave-behind cards.

Customers need a Google Account to post. Google's tips for getting more reviews say customers "must be signed into a Google Account to leave a review" and can set one up with an email address that is not Gmail. If someone says the link didn't work, that is the first thing to check.

What about Yelp?

Yelp works differently, and it is worth knowing before you add a Yelp link to anything. Yelp's content guidelines say: "Businesses should never ask customers to write reviews." Its business support article adds that its software may not recommend reviews a business asked for, and that offering incentives for reviews violates its policies.

What Yelp does suggest, in its article on getting Yelp reviews without asking, is letting customers know they can find you there: a "Find us on Yelp" sticker on your door or van, signage in your business, and Yelp's downloadable assets on your website and business cards. So ask for Google reviews, and let people know you're on Yelp without asking them to review you there.

Other review sites, including the ones for your trade or profession, have their own rules. Read them before you put a site's link in a request.

Review request text templates

Text is the quickest way to get your link in front of a customer, because it arrives on the phone they'll review from. Before you send one, make sure the customer agreed to receive texts from your business. The rules for texting customers explains what that permission looks like and how to handle STOP replies.

Every template below names the business, asks one question, carries one link and ends with "Reply STOP to opt out." Replace everything in square brackets before you send. The counter under each one shows its length.

For plumbers, electricians, HVAC and other home services

Text: plumber, electrician or HVAC after a repair

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Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Business name]. Thanks for having us out to fix [the leak under your sink] today. Would you take a minute to leave an honest review on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: roofer, remodeler or painter after a long project

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Hi [First name], this is [Your name] at [Business name]. Thank you for trusting us with your [roof replacement]. If you have a few minutes this week, we'd be grateful for a Google review: [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: house cleaning, lawn care or pest control

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Hi [First name], [Business name] here. Thanks for having our team out today. Would you share a quick review of your experience on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

For dentists, chiropractors, vets and other clinics

Text: dental or medical office

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Hi [First name], thank you for visiting [Practice name] today. If you have a moment, we'd appreciate an honest review on Google: [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: chiropractor or physical therapist

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Hi [First name], it's the front desk at [Practice name]. Thanks for choosing us. Would you be willing to leave us a review on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: vet, groomer or boarding

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Hi [First name], thanks for bringing [Pet name] to [Business name] today. When you have a minute, would you leave us a review on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

For salons, auto shops, restaurants and gyms

Text: salon, barber or spa

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Hi [First name], thanks for coming in to [Business name] today. Would you leave us a quick review on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: auto repair or detailing

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Hi [First name], it's [Business name]. Thanks for trusting us with your [car] today. Would you leave an honest review of your visit on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: restaurant, for reservation guests who agreed to texts

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Hi [First name], thanks for dining with us at [Restaurant name] tonight. If you have a minute, we'd love an honest Google review: [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: gym or fitness studio after the first few weeks

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Hi [First name], it's [Your name] at [Studio name]. Thanks for training with us this past month. Would you share a review of the studio on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

For real estate agents and other one-time big decisions

Text: real estate agent after closing

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Hi [First name], it's [Your name] with [Brokerage name]. Congratulations again on the new place. If you have a few minutes, would you write an honest review about working with me on Google? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

A reminder text

Send this once, two or three days after the first request, only if they haven't reviewed. Then stop.

Text: one reminder, any business

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Hi [First name], [Business name] again. If you still have a minute to review your [visit] on Google, here's the link: [review link] Either way, thanks for choosing us. Reply STOP to opt out.

Review request email templates

Email suits long projects, health practices that already email patients, and customers who prefer it or haven't agreed to texts. You have room for a sentence about the job, but the shape stays the same: who you are, thanks, the ask, one link.

Two habits keep review emails clean. Write a subject line that says what the email is: the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says a commercial email's subject line "must accurately reflect the content of the message." And include your postal address and a way to unsubscribe. Whether a review request counts as commercial email depends on its primary purpose, which that guide explains, so adding both to every email is the safe habit. This is general information, not legal advice.

Email: contractor after a remodel or a big job

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To

[Customer email]

Subject

A quick favor after your [kitchen remodel]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for choosing [Business name] for your [kitchen remodel]. It was a pleasure working in your home.

If you have a few minutes, would you leave an honest review on Google? Reviews help other homeowners in [town] decide who to call, and we read every one.

Leave a review: [review link]

If anything about the work needs attention, reply to this email or call me at [phone number] and we'll come back out.

Thanks again, [Your name]

[Business name], [street address, city, state, ZIP]. Don't want emails like this? [unsubscribe link]

Email: dental, medical or therapy practice

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To

[Patient email]

Subject

Would you review [Practice name] on Google?

Hi [First name],

Thank you for choosing [Practice name]. If you have a minute, we'd be grateful for an honest review on Google. It helps other people in [town] find a practice they're comfortable with.

Leave a review: [review link]

Thank you, the team at [Practice name]

[Practice name], [street address, city, state, ZIP]. Don't want emails like this? [unsubscribe link]

Email: real estate agent after closing

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To

[Client email]

Subject

Thank you, and one small favor

Hi [First name],

Congratulations again on your new home. Thank you for trusting me with such a big decision.

I have one favor to ask. If you're willing, would you write an honest review about working with me on Google? It takes a few minutes, and it helps the next buyer or seller decide who to call.

Write a review: [review link]

And if anything comes up with the house, you still have my number.

Warmly, [Your name], [Brokerage name]

[Brokerage name], [street address, city, state, ZIP]. Don't want emails like this? [unsubscribe link]

Email: groomer, salon or any appointment business

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To

[Customer email]

Subject

A quick review for [Business name]?

Hi [First name],

Thanks for coming in to [Business name] this week. We're a small team, and reviews help new customers find us.

Would you leave us an honest review on Google? [review link]

See you next time, [Your name]

[Business name], [street address, city, state, ZIP]. Don't want emails like this? [unsubscribe link]

Email: first-time ask to recent customers

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To

[Customer email]

Subject

Would you review [Business name] on Google?

Hi [First name],

You've used [Business name] in the past few months, and we're asking all of our recent customers for an honest review on Google. It takes a minute or two and helps other people nearby decide whether to call us.

Leave a review: [review link]

Thank you for your business, [Your name]

[Business name], [street address, city, state, ZIP]. Don't want emails like this? [unsubscribe link]

The last one is for a business that has never asked before. Send it once to every customer from a recent stretch of time (all of them, not a picked list) and then switch to asking after each job.

What to say when asking in person

Keep it to one or two sentences, ask after the customer has seen the result, offer to send the link so they can review later on their own phone, and take a no gracefully. Google's policy says merchants "should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises," so the in-person ask is an invitation and the review happens later.

Here are four made-up exchanges you can adapt. The first is a plumber at the door.

• You

  All done. The new shutoff valve is in and the leak has stopped. Any questions before I head out?

• Customer

  No, that's great. Thanks for getting here so fast.

• You

  Glad we could. Can I ask a favor? We're a small company and reviews help people find us. Would you leave us an honest review on Google? I'll text you the link so you don't have to look us up.

• Customer

  Sure, send it.

• You

  It'll come from our office number in a few minutes. Thanks again.

At a salon or barbershop, customers sometimes ask what they should write. The answer is always theirs to decide.

• You

  You're all set. Before you go, would you be up for leaving us a review on Google? The code's on this card, or I can text you the link.

• Customer

  Sure. What should I say?

• You

  Whatever you'd tell a friend. An honest review is what helps us.

• Customer

  Okay, text it to me.

At an auto shop pickup, a customer says no. That's a fine answer.

• You

  Here are your keys. We replaced the front pads and rotors, and the old parts are in the trunk if you want to see them. One more thing: would you be willing to review your visit on Google? I can text you the link.

• Customer

  Honestly, I'm not really a review person.

• You

  No problem at all. Thanks for bringing it in, and drive safe.

For a long project, a phone call a few days after the finish feels natural. Here, a real estate agent calls a client after closing.

• You

  Hi Priya, it's Sam. I wanted to check you got the keys and the move went okay.

• Customer

  We did, thank you. The kids already picked their rooms.

• You

  That's great to hear. I have a small favor to ask. Would you be willing to write an honest review about working with me? I'll email you the link today, no rush.

• Customer

  Of course, happy to.

• You

  Thank you. And if anything comes up with the house, you've got my number.

If several people on your team ask for reviews, agree on one sentence and have everyone use it with every customer. Don't give staff a target number of reviews: Google's policy lists "merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews" among the things it does not allow.

What Google, Yelp and the FTC do not allow

Several tactics that show up in review templates online break at least one of these rules. Here is what each set of rules says, with a link to each. This is general information, not legal advice, and state laws can add their own rules; talk to a lawyer about anything that matters to your business.

The sources are Google's Maps user contributed content policy, Yelp's content guidelines and the FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465). The FTC says the rule took effect on October 21, 2024, and that courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations (FTC questions and answers).

Ask every customer the same way

Google's policy says merchants may not "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." The FTC's guide for businesses, Soliciting and paying for online reviews, says the same thing in plain words: "Don't ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones." Asking only the customers you expect to be happy is often called review gating.

The practical fix is to take the choice out of anyone's hands. The same sentence at the end of every visit, the same text after every paid invoice, the same line on every receipt. When a person decides who gets asked, they naturally pick the customers who were all smiles. Google's own tips page makes the case for the honest version: "A mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy" (Google Business Profile Help).

No discounts, freebies or prize draws for reviews

Google does not allow businesses to offer incentives, "such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services," in exchange for posting any review, or for the "revision or removal of a negative review." That covers any review, positive or negative. Yelp says incentives for reviews violate its policies too.

The FTC's rule makes it illegal to give "compensation or other incentives in exchange for, or conditioned expressly or by implication on," reviews that express a particular sentiment (16 CFR 465.4). Its definition of buying a review lists money, gift certificates, products, services, discounts, coupons and contest entries as things of value (16 CFR 465.1). So a monthly prize draw for reviewers is no loophole: the FTC counts a contest entry as something of value, and Google bans incentives for any review.

If you want to thank loyal customers, do it for everyone, in a way that has nothing to do with reviews.

No reviews from you, your staff or your family

Google removes reviews "based on a conflict of interest," which its policy says may include "current or former employment" and "familial relationships." Yelp's guidelines say you shouldn't review your own business or employer, or businesses run by friends or relatives.

The FTC's rule requires officers and managers who review their own business to clearly disclose the relationship, and it limits asking employees and relatives for reviews that end up posted without that disclosure (16 CFR 465.5). On Google and Yelp, the simple answer is: don't ask them at all. Your staff's job is to ask customers.

No pressure, no scripts, no threats

Google says that when soliciting reviews, merchants "should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises, nor should they request that specific content be included." That rules out the tablet held out at the till, "mention Jake by name" and "say something about our prices."

The FTC's rule also bans using unfounded legal threats, physical threats, intimidation or knowingly false public accusations to stop a review being written or to get one taken down (16 CFR 465.7). And writing or buying fake reviews is illegal under the same rule (16 CFR 465.2).

What if a customer is unhappy?

They get the same request as everyone else. You don't need to make the spoken ask to someone in the middle of a complaint, but the text or email that goes to every customer after the job goes to them too. Holding it back from unhappy customers is selective asking.

Fix the problem because it's the right thing to do, and keep the fix separate from the review. Offering a refund or a free visit in exchange for changing or removing a review is one of the incentives Google prohibits. If a critical review does appear, a calm, specific reply is what future customers read, and how to respond to negative reviews has worked examples for common complaints.

Common mistakes when asking for reviews

Most mistakes are about timing, friction or fairness. Here they are side by side.

Two more are easy to miss. The first is asking people who were never customers, such as your whole social media following or a bought mailing list. Google's policy treats content "not based on a real experience" as fake engagement, so ask the people who actually used your business. The second is putting private details in a request: a treatment, a price, a problem the customer would rather keep to themselves. "Your visit" and "the job" are enough.

A checklist before you send your first request

Review request setup

• Copied your direct Google review link from your Business Profile
• Opened the link on a phone to check it reaches the review form
• Saved the link as a shortcut on every phone that sends requests
• Written one text and one email template with the customer's name, your business name and the link
• Removed star counts, 'if you loved it' and suggestions about what to write
• Added 'Reply STOP to opt out.' to every text template
• Checked that you have permission to text each customer you plan to text
• Added your postal address and an unsubscribe line to email templates
• Agreed one spoken ask that everyone on the team uses with every customer
• Put the QR code on a counter sign, receipt or leave-behind card
• Decided who replies to new reviews, and how often they check

0 of 11 done

Where Reputation Beam fits

Everything in this guide works with a phone and a notes app. The hard part is doing it for every customer, every day, without forgetting anyone. That is the part Reputation Beam handles.

You add customers one at a time or import a CSV file, then send review requests by text or email from the dashboard, using templates with placeholders for the customer's name, your business name and the review link. Each request carries its own link, which expires after 72 hours. Each customer's permission to be texted is recorded, the default text ends with "Reply STOP to opt out," and a customer who replies STOP gets no more texts. If you book through Square, a request can go out after an appointment. Your Google and Yelp reviews arrive in one feed, and you can reply to Google reviews from there.

Keep going

The reviews you get will include some you wish you hadn't. How to respond to negative reviews shows what to write when one stings, with replies for late arrivals, price complaints and reviews from people who were never customers. Before you text anyone, read the rules for texting customers on consent, opt-outs and timing.

For the pieces that make asking easier, see how to find your Google review link, how to make and place a Google review QR code and review request email templates. If you are unsure when to send, the best time to ask for a review goes through it by type of business, and Google's review policy lists what businesses can and can't do.