The fastest way to write a review request email is to stop writing one from scratch. Below are templates for the first ask, the one follow-up worth sending, and a few common verticals, ready to copy and adjust to your voice.
Before the templates, two rules that matter more than any wording: send the same email to every customer who had a transaction, not a filtered list of the ones you think will respond well, and never offer anything in exchange for the review. Both are Google policy, not just good practice. Our guide to review gating covers exactly where that line sits if you want the detail.
The first-request template
Send this the same day as the visit or delivery, to everyone.
Subject: Thanks for stopping by, [First Name]
Hi [First Name],
Thanks for choosing us [today / this week]. If you have a minute, we'd appreciate a quick review, it helps other people find us and helps our team know what's working.
[Review link]
Thanks again, [Your name / business name]
Nothing in that message asks for a rating, a star count, or a specific tone. It just asks for the review itself, which is the version that holds up under any platform's policy.
The one follow-up worth sending
If there's no response after five to seven days, one reminder is worth sending. A second reminder after that starts to read as nagging and tends to hurt more than it helps, so stop there.
Subject: One more ask, [First Name]
Hi [First Name],
Just circling back in case our last email got buried. If you have sixty seconds, a review would genuinely help.
[Review link]
No worries either way, and thanks for your time. [Your name / business name]
Keep the follow-up shorter than the original, not longer. A long second email reads as pressure; a short one reads as a nudge.
Vertical variants
Restaurant, post-visit:
"Hope you enjoyed dinner with us tonight. If [staff name] took care of your table, a review helps them and helps us. [Link]"
Salon or spa, post-appointment:
"Thanks for coming in today. If you loved your [service], we'd appreciate a quick review, it helps [stylist name] and future clients picking a stylist. [Link]"
Auto repair, post-service:
"Your [vehicle] should be running well after today's [service]. If everything checked out, a review helps other drivers trust us with their car too. [Link]"
Home services, post-job:
"Thanks for having us out for your [job type]. If the work met your expectations, a review helps neighbors find a contractor they can trust. [Link]"
Each version names the specific thing that happened, which is the difference between a template that reads as generic and one that reads as written for that customer.
Subject lines that actually get opened
A personalized subject line, one with the customer's first name or the specific service, can lift open rates noticeably over a generic one; keep it under 50 characters since most opens now happen on mobile, where longer lines get truncated. A few that work better than "We'd love your feedback":
- "How was your visit today, [Name]?"
- "Quick favor, [Name]?"
- "[Business name]: thanks for coming by"
Skip anything that sounds like a plea or a demand. "Leave us a 5-star review" is both against most platforms' policy and a worse performer than a neutral ask, since it tells the reader what answer you want before they've given one.
Timing and cadence
Tuesday through Thursday, mid-morning to early afternoon in the customer's time zone, tends to outperform weekend or late-night sends, mostly because that's when people are actually checking a personal inbox rather than triaging a backlog. Send the first request the same day as the transaction. Send the one follow-up five to seven days later if nothing came back. Then stop, regardless of the outcome.
Where email fits next to everything else
Email works best as one channel in a system, not the only one. A customer standing at your counter with their phone already out converts better on a QR code than on an email they'll open later, if at all; email earns its place for anything that ships, gets delivered, or gets booked in advance, where there's no counter moment to catch.
Starboard's rating-first flow works the same way regardless of which channel opens it, email link, text, or QR scan: the customer sees the same star prompt first, then chooses where their feedback goes. Swap in your business name and service details, send the same message to everyone, and let the templates above do the opening line for you.