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How Should an Electrician Text a Customer to Ask for a Google Review?
Short answer: An electrician should send every customer a short text with a Google review link within a few hours of finishing the job. Name the tech, say thanks, and ask for an honest review. Do not offer a discount or a gift, and do not text only your happy customers. Google's policy prohibits both.
- Google says you can share a review link or QR code; customers must be signed in to a Google Account.
- Google prohibits free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review.
- Review gating, sending the link only to customers you think are happy, is barred by Google's policy.
- The FTC's 2024 final rule bans incentives tied to review sentiment and buying fake reviews.
- Send the text the same day, one reminder about three days later, then stop.
- Ask for a yes to texting when you book the job, and end the text with "Reply STOP to opt out."
Most electricians get plenty of thank-yous at the panel and almost no reviews. The fix is a simple text, sent the same way every time. This page gives you the texts, the timing, and the rules.
What is a review request text?
A review request text is a short message you send a customer after a job. It thanks them and gives them a direct link to your Google review form. One tap should take them to the star rating.
Google lets you ask. Its help page says you can share a Google link or a QR code with customers as a reminder to leave feedback (Google Business Profile Help: read and reply to reviews). Google says customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review.
Why bother? What reviews do for an electrician
Homeowners check reviews before they hire someone to work on their wiring. In a Scorpion survey of about 2,000 homeowners, 87% said they would not hire a business rated below 4 stars. The same report found that 67% of business leaders say they struggle to collect reviews on a steady basis (ACHR News, Scorpion industry report (2026)). So a steady stream of asks puts you ahead of many of your rivals.
Reviews also seem to matter for AI answers. A Zarla study in August 2026 asked ChatGPT and Google's AI Mode for the "best" business in 10 trades and 10 cities. The businesses that were named had a median of 444 Google reviews. The ones that were not named had a median of 192. Ratings were nearly the same, 4.9 against 4.8 (Zarla: AI Visibility Index (2026)). That study covers many trades, not only electricians, and it is a snapshot. Read it as a hint, not a promise. We cover the numbers in more detail in how many Google reviews an electrician needs.
What are the rules for asking for reviews?
Two rules matter most. Both come from Google's own policy and from the FTC.
Rule 1: No payment, discounts or freebies for a review. Google says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review is strictly prohibited. That includes offering a perk to change a review or to take down a bad one (Google Business Profile Help). Google's Maps contribution policy also bars rewards for reviews (Google: Prohibited and restricted content, fake engagement).
Rule 2: No review gating. Review gating means you only send the review link to customers you think are happy. Google's policy bars businesses from selectively soliciting positive reviews, and from discouraging negative ones (Google: Prohibited and restricted content). So the same text goes to every customer. You can ask a private question like "Was anything off?" in a separate message, but you cannot use the answer to decide who gets the link.
The FTC has a rule too. Its 2024 final rule bans offering an incentive for a review that expresses a particular sentiment, positive or negative, even when that condition is only implied. It also bans threats meant to get a bad review taken down, and bans buying fake reviews (FTC: final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (2024)). The FTC can seek civil penalties against people who break it knowingly.
Do you need permission to text a customer?
Federal rules on automated calls and texts (the TCPA, in 47 CFR 64.1200) call for written consent when a message is telemarketing or advertising (47 CFR 64.1200, Cornell LII). A plain thank-you with a review link is not clearly an advertisement, but the line is not always clear, and some states add their own rules.
Our advice, not legal advice: when you book the job, ask "Is it OK if we text you updates and a quick review link after?" Write the yes in the job notes. Put "Reply STOP to opt out" at the end of the text. The FCC rule treats a text reply containing "stop" as a valid opt-out, and requests must be honored within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days (47 CFR 64.1200). Ask a local lawyer if you plan to text past customers in bulk.
Review request text templates for electricians
Pick one and keep it short. Swap the bracket words for real ones.
| Situation | Text |
|---|---|
| After a service call | "Hi [Name], it's [Tech] from [Company]. Thanks for having us out today. If you have a minute, an honest Google review helps a lot: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." |
| After a panel upgrade | "Hi [Name], thanks for trusting [Company] with your panel upgrade. If you'd like to share how it went, here's our Google page: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." |
| After an EV charger install | "Hi [Name], your charger is in and working. If you'd like to leave a Google review about the install, here's the link: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." |
| After an emergency call | "Hi [Name], glad we could get your power back on. If you can, please leave an honest review: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." |
| A second ask, 3 days later | "Hi [Name], [Tech] again. No pressure, but if you didn't get to it, here's the link for a quick review: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." |
| Landlord or property manager | "Hi [Name], thanks for the work at [Address]. A Google review from you would mean a lot to a small shop like ours: [link]." |
Do not write "Leave us 5 stars." Asking for a specific star rating is a form of steering. Ask for an honest review and let people say what they want.
How do you send a review request step by step?
Follow this order each time. It takes about a minute per job once it is set up.
Step 1: Get your Google review link
Open your Business Profile and find the option to share a review link or QR code. Google's help pages explain the steps. Save the link in your phone or in your job software so you never have to hunt for it.
Step 2: Ask for the yes at booking
When the customer books, ask if they are OK getting a text. Note the answer. If they say no, skip the text and thank them in person.
Step 3: Send it within a few hours
Send it the same day, while the lights are working and the customer is glad. Do not wait a week. A delayed ask looks like an afterthought, and people forget the details.
Step 4: Send the same text to every customer
Everyone who agreed to texts gets the link. Do not skip the customer who seemed annoyed. If you skip anyone based on how happy they seemed, you are gating.
Step 5: Follow up once
Send one reminder after about three days. Then stop. A third text starts to feel like pressure.
Step 6: Reply to every review
Thank people for good reviews and answer bad ones calmly. Google's help page has advice on replying to reviews, including negative ones (Google Business Profile Help). Do not offer deals in a reply.
Who should send the text?
The best sender is the person the customer met. A text that starts "it's Mike, who did your panel" gets a better response than one from "the office." If your techs do not want to type texts, set up an automatic text that goes out when the job is marked done. Whatever you use, keep the tech's first name in the message.
You can also hand over a card with a QR code at the end of the job. Use it as an extra, not a replacement. Text reaches people after they have left, and that is when most of them have time.
What if you get a bad review?
Reply politely, say what you would do to fix it, and offer to talk by phone. Do not argue and do not ask them to take it down in return for a discount. That breaks Google's rule against incentives to change or remove a review. Do not threaten legal action over an honest review. The FTC rule bans unfounded legal threats meant to suppress reviews (FTC (2024)).
If a review is fake, such as one from a person who never hired you, you can flag it to Google. Keep your job records handy so you can show you have no customer by that name.
Where reviews show up beyond Google
Your Google reviews feed the stars people see in Maps and Search. They also seem to feed AI answers. Putting a few real reviews on your own site helps too. We cover that on the electrician website checklist. For a plan that ties reviews to listings and your site, see how to get your electrical business recommended by ChatGPT. For examples across trades, there is a general guide to contractor review examples.
Licensing rules, code editions and the number of local competitors change from state to state. Our state pages pull those facts together, for example California and Florida.
Common questions
Can I give a customer a discount for leaving a review?
No. Google calls offering free or discounted goods or services for a review strictly prohibited. The FTC rule also bans incentives tied to positive or negative sentiment. Thank people instead, and let the review stand on its own.
Can I only ask my happy customers for reviews?
No. Google's policy bars selectively soliciting positive reviews. Send the same link to every customer you finished a job for. If you want to learn from unhappy customers, ask them in a separate message. Do not use the answer to decide who gets the review link.
When is the best time to send a review request?
Send it the same day, within a few hours of finishing the job. The customer has just seen the work and your tech is fresh in mind. Send one reminder about three days later if they have not left a review. Then stop.
How many reviews does an electrician need?
There is no fixed number. In the Zarla snapshot, businesses named by AI had a median of 444 Google reviews against 192 for those not named, but that covered 10 trades. More useful is a steady flow, a few new reviews each week, with a rating that stays high.
Do I need written consent to text a customer a review link?
It depends on whether the text is seen as marketing, and on your state. A plain thank-you with a link is not clearly an advertisement, but the rules are not always clear. Ask for a yes to texting when you book, keep a record, add a STOP line, and check with a lawyer for bulk sends to past customers.
Want to see how this fits into a full site that collects and shows your reviews? See a free demo site for your electrical business.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: read and reply to reviews
- Google: Prohibited and restricted content, fake engagement
- FTC: final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (2024)
- ACHR News: Scorpion industry report (2026)
- Zarla: AI Visibility Index (2026)
- Cornell LII: 47 CFR 64.1200, delivery restrictions
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