Reviews are one of the biggest reasons customers choose one local business over another, and most happy customers will leave one if you simply ask at the right moment. This free kit writes the messages for you. Enter your business name and review link, choose a tone, and copy the messages you need. You’ll also get a printable counter card with a QR code that opens your review page.
Your details save automatically in this browser only; nothing is sent to Advanton.
Your details save automatically in this browser only. Nothing is sent to Advanton.
Messages asking for a review
Text message
Send within a few hours of the visit or job, only to customers who agreed to receive texts.
Gentle follow-up
Send once, about three days later, if they haven't left a review.
What to say in person
Replying to reviews
Reply to a positive review
Mention something specific from their review.
Reply to a negative review
Stay calm, keep it short and move the conversation offline.
Counter card
Print and place at your counter, on receipts or in packages. Customers scan the code to open your review page.
How to find your Google review link
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Google Business Profile.
- Search for your business name on Google, or open your profile in Google Maps.
- Look for the option to ask for reviews or get more reviews. Google shows a short link you can copy and share.
- Paste the full link, starting with https://, into the kit.
Using another review site? Most platforms offer a direct link to your review page in their business tools.
When to ask for a review
- Right after a great moment: when a job is finished, an order arrives or a customer thanks you.
- Within a few hours, while the experience is fresh.
- Every time, from every customer. Make it part of your routine, not something you remember occasionally.
- Once, with one reminder. Send a single gentle follow-up a few days later, then stop.
Rules to follow
Asking for reviews is encouraged; manipulating them isn’t. Keep your requests clean:
- Ask everyone, not just happy customers. Review platforms, including Google, prohibit "review gating," where you screen customers and only invite those likely to leave positive reviews.
- Don’t pay or reward people for reviews. Google’s policies prohibit offering incentives for reviews, and the Federal Trade Commission’s rule on fake reviews, which took effect in October 2024, bans conditioning rewards on positive or negative reviews.
- Never write fake reviews or have employees or family post reviews without disclosing their connection.
- Don’t suppress negative reviews with threats or legal pressure.
- Only text customers who agreed to receive texts from you, and include your business name so they know who’s writing.
The messages in this kit are written to follow these rules: they ask for honest feedback and never offer anything in return.
Replying to reviews
Replying shows future customers that you listen.
- Reply to every review, ideally within a day or two.
- For positive reviews, thank the person and mention something specific they said.
- For negative reviews, stay calm, apologize for the experience, avoid arguing in public and invite them to contact you directly. Then fix the problem if you can.
- Never share private customer details in a reply.
Using the counter card
Print the cards on card stock, cut them out, and place them where customers wait or pay: at your counter, on tables, in delivery bags or with invoices. Test the QR code with your own phone before printing a batch. If your review link changes, update it in the kit and print new cards.
Track your progress
Count your reviews each month. Asking every customer, every time, is usually the single biggest driver of new reviews, so if the count isn’t growing, check whether requests are actually going out. Retake the online presence checkup every few months to see how your score improves.
Related guides
Last reviewed October 21, 2026.
