What is the best way to ask customers for reviews?

Ask in person at a happy moment, then send the direct review link by text or email straight away so they can do it on their phone. The ask and the link together work better than either alone, because the customer never has to search for your listing.

Is it okay to ask customers for Google reviews?

Yes. Google's guidance for businesses says you can ask customers to leave reviews, including by sharing a link or QR code. What Google does not allow is offering incentives such as discounts or gifts, or selectively asking only the customers you expect to be happy.

How do I ask for a review without sounding pushy?

Keep it to one sentence, say why it matters to a small business, and make it easy to say no. Something like "if you have a minute, a review really helps us" works. Send one follow-up at most, and stop if they don't respond.

Should I ask every customer or just the happy ones?

Ask everyone you served, in the same way. Google's policies discourage selectively soliciting positive reviews, and a mix of ratings also looks more credible to people reading them.

What if a customer says they'll do it later?

Send them the link right then, by text or email, while you're still talking. Then send one short reminder a few days later. A promise to do it later is the most common reason reviews never get written.

Can I ask for a review over the phone?

Yes. Ask at the end of a friendly call, offer to text the link so they don't have to write anything down, and send it before you hang up the next call. Read the message back so they know what to expect.

How to Ask Customers for Reviews: Scripts That Work

Most customers who would happily leave you a review never do, and the reason is rarely that they didn't like you. Nobody asked, or the ask came without a way to act on it.

This guide gives you the exact words to ask customers for reviews in person, by phone, by text and by email, plus when to ask, what to leave out and how to follow up without being annoying. Google is the main example because it's where most local businesses want reviews, but the scripts work for any review site. If you don't have your review link yet, get it first with our free Google review link generator.

Quick answer

Ask every customer, soon after a good moment, with one clear sentence and a direct link to your Google review form. Ask in person if you can, then send the link by text or email so they can finish it on their phone. Send one reminder a few days later, then stop. Never offer anything in return.

Before you ask: get your direct review link

A direct link opens the review box for your business in one tap. Without it, you're asking customers to search for you, find the right listing and hunt for the button, and most won't.

From Google: verified owners can copy a link from Business Profile using "Ask for reviews". Google explains it on its help page for review links and QR codes.
Without manager access: use our Google review link generator to build a link from a business search.
For printed material: turn the link into a code with the review QR code generator.

For a full walkthrough of finding, testing and shortening your link, see our Google review link guide.

The rules: what you can and can't do

Google's guidance for business owners is that you can ask customers for reviews. Three things keep you inside the rules:

No incentives. Don't offer a discount, a free product or an entry into a draw in exchange for a review.
No cherry-picking. Don't ask only the customers you expect to be delighted, and don't steer unhappy customers away from the link. Ask everyone the same way.
No fake or staff-written reviews. Reviews should come from real customers about real visits.

Other platforms have their own rules. Yelp, for example, tells businesses not to ask customers for reviews, so we don't recommend sending customers to Yelp with a review request. Check the rules of any platform before you point customers there.

When to ask

Ask at the moment the customer feels the value of what you did, not when it's convenient for you.

At handover or completion: the keys, the finished job, the filed return, the last blowdry.
After a compliment: if a customer says something nice, that is your cue. "That's kind of you to say. Would you mind putting it in a Google review?"
Not during a problem. If something went wrong, fix it first. Asking a customer with an open complaint to review you is how you get the review you don't want.

Speed matters because the details fade. A request that arrives the same day, or the next morning for evening jobs, lands while the experience is still fresh.

Scripts for asking in person

Keep it to one sentence, say why it matters, and make it easy to say no. Then follow up with the link by text so they can act while you're still talking.

General script

"I'm glad that worked out for you. We're a small business and Google reviews really help people find us. Would you mind if I texted you a link so you can leave one?"

Car dealership (at delivery)

"Congratulations on the new car. If you have a few minutes this week, a Google review about how the purchase went would help other buyers a lot. I can text you the link now so it's on your phone."

Restaurant (at the table, after a compliment)

"Thank you, that means a lot to the kitchen. If you're up for it, a Google review helps more than you'd think. There's a link on the bottom of your receipt, or I can text it to you."

Salon (at checkout)

"You look great. If you're happy with it, I'd love a Google review. It's the main way new clients find us. Want me to send you the link?"

Accountant or professional services (after the work is filed)

"That's everything filed. If you were happy with how it went, a short Google review would help other small business owners find us. I'll email you the link so it's one click."

On the phone

"Thanks for your time today. If you have a moment, I'd appreciate a Google review. I'll text you a direct link right after this call so there's nothing to look up."

Text message templates

A text works because it puts the link in front of the customer while they're holding their phone. Keep it short, use their first name, and send from a number they recognize.

Right after the job

Hi [Name], thanks for choosing [Business]. If you have a minute, a quick Google review would really help us: [link] — [Your name]

After a compliment in person

Hi [Name], thanks again for the kind words earlier. Here's the link if you'd like to share them as a Google review: [link]

One reminder, 3 to 5 days later

Hi [Name], just a quick nudge in case you missed my message. A Google review takes a minute and helps us a lot: [link]. Thanks either way!

Send one reminder, not several. For more wording, compliance rules and timing, see our guide to SMS review requests.

Email templates

Email suits professional services and any customer you don't have a mobile number for. Keep it to one short paragraph and one button.

Subject line options - A quick favor, [Name]? - How did we do? - [Business]: would you share your experience?

Body

Hi [Name],

Thanks for choosing [Business] for your [service]. It was a pleasure working with you.

If you have a minute, a Google review would help other people find us. Here's a direct link: [link]

Thank you, [Your name]

More subject lines, timing and formatting tips are in our review request email templates.

Put the ask where customers already look

Some customers are happy to help but forget by the time they get home. A standing prompt catches them.

Receipts and invoices: a one-line ask and a QR code on the footer.
Thank-you cards and packaging: a small card with a QR code that says "Scan after your visit".
Email signature: a line linking to your review page.
On your phone: a QR code you can show in person, with nothing to print or lose. See our guide to the Google review card, including a virtual review card for iPhone.

Where you place a code matters. In a small 2026 look at five businesses hit by a Google review-posting block, Sterling Sky found on-site requests and QR codes at counters or checkout among the shared patterns (source). That is a small sample, not a Google rule. Take-home material such as receipts and invoices is a safer default than a sign at the register.

What not to say

"Give us five stars." Ask for an honest review, not a rating.
"Leave a review and get 10% off." That's an incentive and breaks Google's policy.
"Only if you were happy." That's steering, and it also tells unhappy customers you don't want to hear from them.
"You have to do this before you leave." Pressure produces short, resentful reviews.
Three follow-ups. One reminder is enough.

What to do with unhappy customers

Don't skip them and don't hide the link. Fix the problem first if you can. If they're satisfied with how you handled it, it's fine to ask, the same as anyone else, and to mention that an updated review is welcome. If they leave a negative review anyway, respond to it professionally so future customers can see how you handle problems.

Make it automatic

The scripts above work, but you'll only use them when you remember. The businesses that keep collecting reviews are the ones that stopped relying on memory.

Plaudit sends your review link to every customer after each job and follows up once if they haven't responded. Email requests are on the Starter plan ($19 a month) and text (SMS) requests start on the Growth plan ($39 a month). There's no contract and a 7-day free trial with no card. See how automated review requests work, or compare tools in our review request software guide.

Start your free 7-day trial, no credit card required →

Related guides

How to get more Google reviews: the full system, from link to follow-up
Google review link generator: build your link from a business search
Why a Google review isn't showing up: if a customer says they left one and you can't see it
How to respond to Google reviews: templates for every rating