The Best Time to Ask a Customer for a Review

Ask right after the job is finished and the customer has seen the result, ideally the same day, while the work is fresh. Send a text with your review link, and ask every customer the same way. Google publishes no official best time, so this is field practice, not a rule.

The best time to ask is the moment the customer is looking at finished work and feeling the relief of having it done. That moment does not last. By the next weekend, they are back to their own life and your request is a chore.

When exactly is the right moment?

Think of three windows, in order of how well they work in the field.

Window	What it looks like	Why it works
At the final walkthrough	You say it out loud: “I’ll text you a link, it helps us a lot.”	They are standing in front of the result.
Same day, within a few hours	The text arrives before you have left the driveway or that evening.	The job is still the most interesting thing that happened to them today.
The next morning	A text sent after they have lived with the work one night.	Good for jobs where the result shows up after you leave, like a furnace or a paint cure.

If you have to pick one, pick the same-day text. Do not wait for the invoice to be paid or for the season to end. Those delays are why most requests never go out.

What does “the job is finished” mean?

This is where contractors sometimes go wrong. Ask when the work is actually done: punch list closed, site cleaned up, questions answered. Asking in the middle of a job invites a review about the mess and the schedule, not the result.

Then hold this line: ask every customer, the same way. Do not sort people into “ask” and “skip” piles by how happy you think they are. Google prohibits selectively soliciting only positive reviews or discouraging negative ones, as its review policy states. If a customer is upset, the answer is to fix it and still make the same request.

What should you say?

Copy and paste these. Swap the bracketed parts.

In person, at the walkthrough:

“Glad that’s all set. I’m going to text you a link in a few minutes. If you’re happy with the work, a short Google review really helps a small company like ours.”

Same-day text:

Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] with [Company]. Thanks again for having us out today. If you have a minute, could you leave a quick review of the job? It helps other homeowners find us. [Review link]

One reminder, a few days later, only if there is no review yet:

Hi [Name], [Your Name] here. No pressure at all, just a friendly nudge on the review link from the other day. Thanks again for the work. [Review link]

Notice what is not there: no discount, no gift, and no line like “only if you’re 100% satisfied.” That would be gating. If you need the link itself, we cover it in how to get your Google review link and QR code.

Does timing change by trade?

Yes, because the moment of “it’s done” is different.

• Emergency plumbers: the relief moment is real, but they are stressed and on a bad day. Fix the leak, leave the place clean, and send the text that evening or next morning.
• Roofers: wait for the final cleanup and walkthrough, then text the same day. Roof work is hard for homeowners to see, so pictures in the text help them remember what was done.
• HVAC: ask once the system has run and the house is comfortable. On install jobs, the next day works because they have felt the difference.
• Painters: ask after the final walkthrough and touch-ups, not after the first coat. Give them a day in the room first if you can.
• Landscapers: for a one-time install, ask once the plants have settled and they have seen it in daylight. For recurring mowing, ask after a few visits, not on day one.
• Remodelers: long jobs run past a single moment. Ask after the last punch-list item closes, and consider a second check-in after they have lived in the space for a week or two.

What about texting rules?

Rules for business texting change, so confirm the current requirements for your setup. In the U.S., carriers require registration for business texts sent from local 10-digit numbers, as Twilio’s documentation explains. Beyond that, the operational basics are simple:

• Get the customer’s okay to text them, for example when they give you their number to schedule the job.
• Honor STOP right away.
• Register your number where registration is required.
• Keep the message useful and short.

How do you make it a habit?

A system beats memory. Add “review request sent” to your job-complete checklist, the same line as “invoice sent.” Then track how many you send.

If you would like the request to go out automatically after each job, automatic Google review requests are included in the Builders Presence plan at Builders Presence. Either way, the timing rule is the same: right after the work, every customer, one reminder.

To set a target, see how many Google reviews a contractor needs. For the full system, the Google reviews for contractors guide covers asking, responding, and handling bad ones.

Common questions

Should I ask for the review in person or by text?

Do both, in that order. A short in-person mention at the final walkthrough sets the expectation, and the text right after gives them the link to act on. A verbal request alone leaves the customer with nothing to tap, so the text does the real work.

How long should I wait before sending a reminder?

A few days is a reasonable gap for one reminder, then stop. One gentle nudge respects the customer and catches people who meant to do it. More than that starts to feel like pressure. Send the same single reminder to every customer, not only the ones you think were happy.

What if the customer had a problem with the job?

Fix the problem first, and finish the job properly. Then ask, the same way you ask everyone. Do not skip unhappy customers and do not steer them elsewhere. Google prohibits selectively soliciting only positive reviews, and a fixed problem handled well can make a strong review.

Is it okay to give a discount for leaving a review?

No. Google removes paid or incentivized reviews. Do not offer discounts, gifts, or entries into a drawing in exchange for a review. Thank people sincerely and keep the request simple. That protects your profile from having reviews removed.