Best Practices for Requesting Reviews

Email vs. SMS

Response rates for SMS requests are 4-15x better vs. email requests.

Email requests use fully customizable templates and are more visually appealing than SMS; however, email requests may introduce a layer of friction if the recipient reads the request from a computer rater than on a smart phone. In other words, if your request template includes links to review sites, the user may be required to perform an additional step of logging into those review sites if not already authorized within the current browser session (e.g., Google, Facebook).

SMS delivery ensures the customer is already on his or her mobile device, which typically results in a more seamless experience because *most* mobile users are already logged into those apps and can access the review form with one touch.

General Best Practices

Mobile App Requests

For best results in review attribution, follow these best practices:

  • Deliver a great experience! – People writing reviews are generally very dissatisfied or very satisfied. If the service is average, people are unlikely to write reviews. You must earn a positive review.
  • Tell customers what to expect. – Let customers know that you will send them a request to review their experience with you, and verbally invite them to click on the link and write a review. It is important to be clear as to what you need customers to do.
  • Show gratitude and make it personal. – Thank customers preemptively for taking the time to click on the link and write a review. Explain that you are striving to deliver the best service and that you feel proud and motivated when you hear positive feedback from customers.
  • Be particular about timing. – If the request is opened using the location wifi, it is likely that reviews will be removed as “fake” by Google, Facebook, and other review sites. It is best to wait for customers to leave the premises before sending the requests. However, do not wait too long before sending the request (no more than 6 hours).
  • Play by the rules. – Never offer monetary incentives or gifts to motivate the recipients to write reviews.

Bulk Requests

  • Review sites want to see steady, organic review growth over time. Rather than send an email or SMS message to your entire customer-base at once, divide your bulk requests to send no more than 10% per location each week to avoid a deluge of reviews in a single month.
  • To maximize deliverability against SPAM filters, ensure the “From” email includes a real name from your business domain “sarah.jones@yourcompany.com,” rather than “noreply@…” or “…@gmail.com.”
  • Ensure the “To” address is entered accurately to streamline the request process.

Compliance Best Practices

Requests include precautions to ensure compliance with laws and industry best practices, such as over-survey protection, SMS opt-in, and unsubscribe options. Review the following quick guides for information on compliance with particular regulations:

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