What a review request message needs to do
A review request message has one job: make it easy for a real customer to describe a real experience on Google. The best ones are short, sound like the business that sent them, arrive while the visit is still fresh and contain one working link. This guide gives templates for the main channels, explains the rules that apply to all of them and shows how to adapt the wording for a chain of stores without it sounding like a mass mailing.
The five parts of a good request
- Who it is from: the store or brand name the customer will recognise.
- What it is about: the visit, order or appointment, with a date or item if you have it.
- The ask: a plain request for honest feedback, not for five stars.
- The link: your Google review link, tested on a phone.
- A way out: for channels that need it, how to stop receiving messages.
The rules that apply to every template
Google's guidance is clear on the essentials. Reviews must reflect a genuine experience, and offering incentives such as discounts or free products in exchange for reviews is prohibited. Google's content policy also says businesses may not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive ones. In practice that means every customer in a group gets the same request, and the wording never hints at the rating you want.
Google on asking customers for reviews: genuine experiences only, no incentives, and a link or QR code to share.
Tips to get more reviews (Google Business Profile Help)Google's Maps content policy, including the rules on incentives and selectively soliciting positive reviews.
Prohibited and restricted content: Maps user contributed content policy (Google)Template: short message
Hi, thanks for visiting [Store name] today. If you have a minute, we would value an honest review on Google: [link]. It helps us see what we got right and what to fix.
Keep it under two short sentences plus the link. Add the customer's first name only if your system fills it in reliably; a wrong name is worse than none.
Template: after an order or delivery
Your order from [Brand] was delivered today. How did it go? Tell other customers on Google: [link]. If something was wrong, reply here and we will sort it out first.
Offering help is fine, and it is good service. What is not fine is sending the review link only to customers who said everything was perfect.
Template: after an appointment
Thank you for coming in to [Clinic or salon name] on [day]. We would appreciate a review of your visit on Google: [link]. Please avoid sharing personal or medical details in a public review.
The privacy line matters for clinics and any business where customers might over-share.
Template: email
Subject: How was your visit to [Store name]? Thank you for shopping with us on [date]. We read every review and share them with the store team. If you have two minutes, please tell us and other customers how it went: [Leave a review on Google]. Thank you, [Name], [Store name]
More email versions, including subject lines.
Template: receipt or printed card
Tell us how we did. Scan to review [Store name] on Google.
Google suggests receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat and a printed QR code in store as places to share your review link or QR code.
Google on creating a review link or QR code and where to share it.
Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews (Google Business Profile Help)Making templates sound like your brand
Write one master version, then let regions adjust greetings and language. A jewellery showroom might open with a respectful greeting; a quick-service outlet can be brisk. Keep the core ask and the honesty identical everywhere so the request remains fair. Avoid exclamation marks, emojis in every line and phrases like "a 5-star review would mean the world", which ask for a rating.
Running templates across many locations
For a chain, each location needs its own review link, otherwise reviews land on the wrong profile. Keep a sheet of location links, test them each quarter, and put the store name in the message. If you use one sending system, make sure it picks the link for the store the customer actually visited.
How to create a Google review link and QR code.
How to create a google review link and qr codeFree review snapshot
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No commitment. We use your details only to send your snapshot and follow up. Privacy policy
How to tell whether a template works
Count new reviews per location per month before and after a change, but also read them. A template that brings more two-word reviews may be less useful than one that brings fewer detailed ones. Detailed reviews tell you which topics customers care about at each store.
Common mistakes
- Asking for five stars or a "positive" review.
- Sending the link only after a good survey score.
- Offering a discount, entry into a draw or a gift for reviewing.
- Using one review link for every store.
- Sending several reminders in a week.
- Messages that look automated and impersonal.
Common questions
Can I ask for a review in the same message as a receipt?
Yes, and Google lists receipts as one place to share your link.
Should I include the customer's name?
Only if it is reliably correct.
Can I mention that reviews help small businesses?
Yes, as long as you do not ask for a particular rating.
How many templates do I need?
One per channel is usually enough, with local language versions where customers use them.
Checklist
- Clear sender and visit.
- Honest ask, no rating.
- No incentive.
- Same request for every customer.
- Correct link per location.
- Tested on a phone.
In short
Write a short, honest request with the right store's link, send it to every customer soon after the visit, never offer a reward or hint at a rating, and judge templates by the detail of the reviews they bring.
Doing this with Falcon
Falcon does not send review requests. It analyses the Google reviews your requests produce: every Google Maps review of your stores is classified into themes, sub-themes and specific issues from your own taxonomy, with the sentiment of each mention and the exact quote behind it. As volume grows, negative share by topic, store and month becomes more reliable, small samples are flagged, and you can see whether new reviews are more detailed and more useful than the old ones.