A text message gets read within minutes of landing, which is exactly why the wording matters more than it does in email. There's no subject line to soften a bad opener and no inbox to sit in unopened for a week. Below are templates for the first ask, the one follow-up worth sending, and a few common verticals, along with the rules that keep an SMS ask from reading as spam.
The same two rules from every other review channel apply here, maybe more strictly, since a pushy text is harder to ignore than a pushy email. Send the identical message to every customer who had a transaction, not a filtered list of the ones you expect to respond well, and never offer anything in exchange for the review. Our guide to review gating covers exactly where that line sits.
Why SMS is a different medium than email
Keep it under 160 characters where you can. A text that scrolls past a couple of lines reads as a chore before the recipient even gets to the ask. Skip the subject line entirely, get to the point in the first sentence, and always include the customer's first name if your system supports it, since a message that opens with a name reads as sent by a person, not a batch job.
Timing is tighter too. Send within a few hours of the visit for anything that happens in one sitting, same day at the latest. A text that lands two days after a haircut or a repair has already lost the moment.
The first-request template
Hi [First Name], thanks for stopping by [Business Name] today! Mind leaving a quick review? [Link] Takes 10 seconds and really helps.
Short, names the business, states the ask plainly, and gives a time estimate so the recipient knows what they're committing to before they tap.
The one follow-up worth sending
If nothing comes back after three or four days, one nudge is worth it. A second follow-up by text reads as more intrusive than a second email ever does, so stop after one.
Hi [First Name], just a quick reminder, if you have a sec, we'd appreciate a review of your visit: [Link]. Thanks either way!
"Thanks either way" matters more than it looks. It signals the ask isn't a demand, and it's the line that keeps a follow-up from reading as pressure.
Vertical variants
Restaurant, post-visit:
"Thanks for dining with us tonight! If [staff name] took care of you, a quick review helps them and us: [Link]"
Salon or spa, post-appointment:
"Hope you loved your [service] today. A quick review helps [stylist name] and other clients choosing a stylist: [Link]"
Auto repair, post-service:
"Your [vehicle] should be running well. If everything checked out, a review helps other drivers trust us with their car: [Link]"
Home services, post-job:
"Thanks for having us out for your [job type]. If the work met expectations, a review helps neighbors find a contractor they trust: [Link]"
Each variant names something specific to that visit. A text that could apply to any business reads as automated even when a person triggered the send.
Where SMS fits next to email and the counter
SMS earns its place for anything remote where you don't have a counter moment to catch, a delivery, a booking, a service call scheduled days in advance. For a customer standing in front of you with a phone already out, a QR code review card converts faster than any message they'd have to open later. And for anything that ships or gets billed with a paper trail, email review request templates still have a place: longer explanations, attachments, and customers who've asked not to receive texts all favor email over SMS.
Pick one channel per customer per visit. Sending both a text and an email for the same transaction reads as nagging even when neither message alone would.
Getting the number right in the first place
None of this works without a clean, opted-in phone number attached to the transaction, and a way to trigger the send without a staff member remembering to do it manually. Starboard's rating-first flow treats every channel the same way under the hood, text, email, or QR scan all open the identical star prompt, so the templates above aren't a separate system to maintain. Swap in your business details, load the send list from whatever already captures a phone number at checkout, and let the timing rules above do the rest.