5 Words to Never Use When Asking for a Review

You did the job well, the customer was happy, and you finally remembered to ask for a review. Then nothing happened. Sometimes the problem isn't the customer, and it isn't the timing. It's a few small words in the message that quietly made the request harder to say yes to, or put you on the wrong side of a platform's rules. Here are five worth cutting.

The wording matters more than you'd think

A review request is a tiny ask with a lot of ways to go wrong. If it sounds like a trade, a favor, a form, or an obligation, people hesitate. If it sounds like a short, specific, friendly request, they're far more likely to follow through. We covered the big-picture reasons reviews don't happen in why nobody leaves you a review. This is the wording layer on top of that.

Word 1: "Discount" (or anything that sounds like a trade)

"Leave us a review and get 10% off your next job" feels generous, but it turns the review into a payment. Major review platforms generally don't allow reviews in exchange for rewards, and even when a platform doesn't catch it, readers can often tell. The same goes for "free," "reward," and "in exchange for." Keep the review request separate from any thank-you or incentive, a distinction we explained in should you offer a discount for referrals?

Say instead: "A short review would mean a lot to a small business like mine."

Word 2: "Five-star"

"Please leave us a five-star review" tells the customer what to write before they've decided what they think. It feels scripted and slightly pushy, and it can make a happy customer feel like they're being told how to rate you. Some platforms also discourage asking for a specific rating.

Say instead: "I'd appreciate an honest review of how the job went."

Word 3: "Whenever"

"Whenever you get a chance" sounds polite, but it gives the customer no moment to act. It's the review version of "I'll pay you next week": a good intention with no time attached, so it slides to the bottom of the list. The better approach is to ask at a specific moment, which we broke down in the best time to ask for a review.

Say instead: "Here's the link, it takes about a minute." Send it right as the job wraps up, when the result is still fresh.

Word 4: "Feedback"

"We'd love your feedback" is ambiguous. Some people will reply privately with a thank-you, send a quick text, or fill in a form that goes nowhere public. That's nice, but it doesn't help the next customer find you. If you want a public review, use the word "review."

Say instead: "Would you mind leaving a short Google review?" Name the place and give the direct link, so there's no hunting.

Word 5: "If"

"If you were happy with the work…" and "if you have a minute…" both hand the customer an exit. The first one also quietly screens people: you're only asking the happy ones. Review platforms generally discourage filtering who you ask, and it's a risky habit to build. Ask everyone, in the same way, and let the work speak for itself.

Say instead: State the request directly, without a condition attached.

Putting it together: a message that works

Here's a simple version you can adapt to your own voice:

"Hi [Name], thanks for trusting me with the [job]. A short Google review would mean a lot to a small business like mine. Here's the direct link, it takes about a minute: [link]. Thanks again, [Your name]."

It's specific, short, honest, and it asks for what you actually want without conditions, incentives, or instructions on what to say.

A quick note on platform rules

Review platforms have their own policies, and they change. Google generally prohibits offering incentives for reviews, and Yelp in particular discourages asking for reviews at all. Before you build a review process around any platform, take a few minutes to read its current guidelines for businesses.

The bottom line

A good review request is short, direct, and clean. It names the place, makes it easy, doesn't bribe, doesn't dictate, and doesn't give the customer an easy way out. Once the review request is working, it also feeds into referrals, since a customer who's already thinking about helping your business is more likely to pass your name along, as we covered in how to turn one happy customer into three new jobs.

That's the idea behind how Solo Sidekick handles it: a review request goes out automatically when a job is marked complete, so the ask happens every time without you drafting it on the spot.