getmitch home
Start free trial
Getting more Google reviews

How to ask for a Google review: text, email and face-to-face scripts

Word-for-word scripts for asking customers for a Google review by text, email and in person, plus the UK texting rules and what Google does not allow.

The getmitch team 4 min read

Ask in person, send a short text one to three days after the job, and put a direct link in it. Use their first name, name the job, ask once, and offer nothing in return. The scripts below do exactly that, for text, email, face to face and WhatsApp.

If you do not have your review link yet, get it here first or use the free review link generator.

Text scripts

A text works because the customer can act on it from the sofa in under a minute. Keep it to three or four lines.

After a boiler install

Hi Priya, it's Dave from Calder Heating. Thanks for having us in on Tuesday to swap the boiler. If you've got a minute, a quick Google review really helps a small local firm: [your link]. Reply STOP and I won't text again.

After a quick repair

Hi Mo, Dave here from Calder Heating. Glad the radiator's sorted. Would you mind leaving a short Google review about how the job went? It takes a minute: [your link]. Thanks!

After a bigger job (bathroom, rewire, roof)

Hi Gareth, it's Dave from Calder Heating. Thanks for being so patient while we got the bathroom finished. A Google review about how it went would mean a lot to us: [your link]. It helps other people nearby find someone they can trust.

One reminder, a week later

Hi Priya, Dave again. No worries if you've not had a chance, but if you can spare a minute for a Google review it would help: [your link]. Thanks either way.

What makes these work: your name, theirs, the actual job, one link. What is missing: "5 stars please", a script for what to write, a menu of review sites and any offer of a reward.

Email script

Email suits bigger jobs and commercial customers, and anyone whose number you do not have.

Review request email

Subject: How did we do? Hi Priya, Thanks again for having us in this week. We'd really appreciate a short Google review about how the job went. It helps other people nearby find a plumber they can trust. [your link] If anything wasn't right, reply to this email or ring me on 07700 900123 and I'll put it right. Dave, Calder Heating

The last line matters. It gives a customer with a problem somewhere to take it that is not a one-star review, and it is honest. It is not gating, because everybody got the same link.

Face-to-face script

You are not asking for the review on the doorstep. You are setting it up.

At the end of the job

That's all done, Priya. I'll send you a quick text in a day or two with a link. A Google review about how it went really helps a small firm like ours. If anything isn't right, ring me first and I'll sort it.

Three tips:

  • Say it while you are packing up, not while you are handing over the invoice.
  • Check you have the right mobile number and that they are happy to be texted.
  • Do not stand there while they do it. Let them do it later.

WhatsApp script

If you already run jobs over WhatsApp, it is a natural place to ask. Google's help page lists WhatsApp among the ways to share a review request. Only use it with customers who have messaged you there, and use the same short text as above.

When to send it

One to three days after the job. Ask too soon and the work has not settled in. Ask too late and the details have faded. If a job ran over several days, send it after the last visit, not the first. Our pillar guide on how to get more Google reviews explains the timing in full.

Texting customers: the UK rules

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) cover electronic marketing, and texts count. The ICO says marketing texts need the person's consent, with a narrow soft opt-in for your existing customers, which requires that they were offered a clear opt-out when you took their details and in every message.

Whether a bare "how did we do?" text counts as marketing depends on its purpose and content. A review request sits near the line, so play it safe:

  • Ask the customer if you can text them, and note their yes.
  • Say who you are.
  • Include an opt-out such as "Reply STOP", and honour it.
  • Do not mix in offers or sales messages.
  • Keep a do-not-contact list.

What not to say

Google's policy rules out the following, and removed reviews or restricted accounts are the consequence:

  • Any reward for a review: money, discounts, free work or a prize draw.
  • Trying to influence the rating or wording, such as "please give us five stars" or "mention Dave by name".
  • Only asking customers you think were happy.
  • Asking staff or relatives to leave reviews.

In the UK, fake and secretly incentivised reviews are also a banned practice under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, in force since 6 April 2025. This is general information, not legal advice.

Where else to ask

If a customer says "Where do I leave one?", a QR code on your invoice or van answers it. See Google review QR codes. When the reviews come in, reply to each one.

Plan: Skip the scripts

On the Local and Complete plans, Mitch writes and sends the review text itself, timed 24 to 72 hours after you submit the job. It needs the customer's mobile number and a consent tick first. See [review requests](/uk/platform/reviews) and [pricing](/uk/pricing).

Sources

Checked 9 October 2026.

Let Mitch send the ask

Submit the finished job and the review text goes out a day or two later. Fourteen days free, no card.

Start free trial
14 days free. No card. Cancel any time.

Keep reading

Review management for trades: what you need and what you don't

Most one-van firms don't need review management software at the price of a rep. What the job actually involves, and what to look for if you buy a tool.

Why buying Google reviews backfires

Buying Google reviews breaks Google's rules, can break UK consumer law, and tends to leave a profile looking worse than before. What to do instead.

Do Google reviews help SEO?

Reviews feed Google's local ranking, so they help you show up in the map results. What they do and don't do for your website rankings, and how to get more.

Questions answered

What is the best way to ask a customer for a Google review?
Tell them in person that a text is coming, then send a short text with a direct link one to three days after the job. Use their first name, mention the job and ask once.
Is it OK to ask for a review on the doorstep?
Yes, as a heads-up. Handing over a phone and waiting while they type feels pushy, so say you will send a link and let them do it later.
Can I ask for a five-star review?
Ask for an honest review. Google's policy prohibits trying to influence the rating or the wording.
Can I offer a discount in return for a review?
No. Google prohibits free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews.
How many times can I chase?
Once is a sensible limit. One reminder after about a week, then leave it.
Do I need consent to text a review request?
Get the customer's agreement to be texted and include a way to opt out. Under PECR, marketing texts need consent, and whether a review request counts as marketing depends on the message.

Try it on your next job.

Start the trial, take a photo when you finish tomorrow's job, and see what Mitch does with it.

Start free trial
14 days free. No card. Cancel any time.