How to ask customers for reviews (with templates)

Asking for a review feels awkward the first few times. It stops feeling awkward once you realise most customers are happy to help, they just need a nudge and a link.

The three rules

1. Ask soon. Same day or the next morning, while the job is fresh.
2. Keep it short. One or two sentences and a single link.
3. Make it personal. Use their name and mention the actual job.

Text message templates

Text gets read faster than email and works best for trades and services.

Hi Sarah, thanks for having us out today. If you have a minute, a quick Google review really helps a small business like ours: [link]

Hi James, hope the new hot water system is sorted. Would you mind leaving us a review? Takes about a minute: [link]

Kia ora Mere, thanks for choosing us. A short review on Google would mean a lot: [link]

Email templates

Email suits businesses that already send an invoice or a receipt by email. Put the ask near the top, not buried at the bottom.

Subject: How did we do?

Hi Priya,

Thanks for your business this week. If you were happy with how things went, a quick Google review helps other people find us and helps us keep improving.

[Leave a review]

If something was not right, hit reply and tell me directly. I would rather hear it from you first.

Thanks, Sam

That last line matters. Offering a private channel for problems is not a trick to hide bad reviews. The public review option stays available to everyone. It just means unhappy customers usually come to you first, and you get a chance to put things right.

Asking in person

If you finish a job on site or serve someone at a counter, ask out loud and hand them your phone or point at a QR code.

"If you have got a second, it would really help us if you left a quick review. I will bring it up on my phone."

People rarely say no when you have just done good work and you are standing there.

What to avoid in the wording

• Do not say "leave us a 5-star review" or "if you can give us 5 stars". Ask for an honest review.
• Do not offer anything in return. No discounts, no draws, no free coffee.
• Do not only send the request to customers you think will rate you well. Send it to everyone.

Make the link do the work

The link in your message should open the Google review box directly, with the customer already signed in. If your link makes people search for your business or scroll past a map, you will lose half of them. See our guide on finding your Google review link.