Most review request emails fail for the same three reasons: they're too long, they're from "The Team" rather than a person, and they ask the customer to go and find your profile themselves.

Fix those three things and your response rate roughly doubles without changing a word of the actual wording. Everything below assumes you've got a direct review link that opens the review box in one tap.

The five rules

Under 60 words. Longer emails get skimmed and closed.
From a named person, ideally the one who served them.
One link, one action. No newsletter sign-up, no social buttons, no offers.
Say why it matters. "It really helps a small business" works because it's true.
Never offer anything in return. Not a discount, not a prize draw. It breaks Google's policy and increasingly consumer law — here's why.

Subject lines that get opened

Quick favour, [name]?
How did we do?
Thanks for coming in yesterday
30 seconds of your time?
[Your name] from [business]

Avoid anything containing "review request," "feedback survey," or an emoji. They read as automated, which is exactly the impression you're trying to avoid.

The 12 templates

1. The universal one

Hi [name], thanks again for coming in yesterday — it was good to meet you. If you have thirty seconds, a quick Google review genuinely helps a small business like ours: [link]. No worries either way. — [Your name]

2. Restaurant or café

Hi [name], hope you enjoyed dinner on Saturday. If you've got a moment, a short Google review helps more people find us: [link]. Thanks again for choosing us. — [Your name], [restaurant]

3. Trades and home services

Hi [name], hope everything's working well after Tuesday. If you're happy with the job, a quick Google review would mean a lot — it's how most of our work comes in: [link]. Any issues at all, ring me on [phone]. — [Your name]

4. Salon or personal service

Hi [name], hope you're still loving it! If you fancy leaving a quick Google review it really helps us out: [link]. See you at your next appointment. — [stylist name]

5. Clinic or practice

Dear [name], thank you for visiting us on [date]. If you'd be willing to share your experience, a short Google review helps other patients choose with confidence: [link]. With thanks, [name], [practice].

6. Hotel or accommodation

Hi [name], thank you for staying with us — hope the journey home was easy. If you have a moment, a quick Google review helps other travellers find us: [link]. Hope to welcome you back. — [Your name]

7. Retail, after a purchase

Hi [name], hope the [product] is working out. If you've got thirty seconds, a Google review would be a real help to us: [link]. And if anything's not right, just reply to this email. — [Your name]

8. SMS version (keep it this short)

Hi [name], thanks for today! If you have 30 seconds, a quick Google review really helps us: [link] — [your name] at [business]

9. Repeat customer

Hi [name], always good to see you. Slightly cheeky ask — we're trying to build up our Google reviews, and a line from a regular carries real weight: [link]. Thanks either way. — [Your name]

10. After you fixed a problem

Hi [name], glad we got that sorted. If you feel we handled it well, a Google review mentioning that would be genuinely valuable — how we deal with problems matters more than never having any: [link]. Thanks for your patience. — [Your name]

11. Handwritten card or invoice footer

Thanks for your business. If we did a good job, a quick Google review helps us enormously — [yourbusiness.com/review] or scan the code. — [Your name]

12. Gentle follow-up (send once, a week later)

Hi [name], just following up on my last message — no pressure at all, but if you have a spare thirty seconds the review link is here: [link]. Either way, thanks again. — [Your name]

Template ten is the one most businesses never think to send, and it produces some of the most persuasive reviews you'll ever get. A review saying "something went wrong and they sorted it brilliantly" convinces cautious customers more than any perfect five-star.

Timing and frequency

Send within 24-48 hours of the visit or job while it matters to them. More on this in the best time to ask for a review.
One follow-up maximum. Two is a nag, three is spam.
Space them out. Don't email 200 past customers on the same day — a sudden spike of reviews is one of the most reliable ways to get them filtered out by Google.
Check your marketing rules. In many jurisdictions transactional follow-ups to your own customers are fine, but consent and unsubscribe requirements vary — worth a quick check for yours.

What kills response rates

Branded HTML templates. A plain-text email from a person beats a designed newsletter every time.
"Please rate us 5 stars." Asking for a specific rating is pressure, and it's against Google's spirit and increasingly its letter. Ask for a review, not a score.
Filtering unhappy customers out — asking only the happy ones. That's review gating and it's a policy violation.
noreply@ addresses. If they can't reply, it isn't a personal message.

Then reply to every review that comes back — reviewers who get a response are noticeably more likely to review you again next time. Reploi handles that half automatically. Start free — 5 replies/month →

12 Review Request Email Templates (Copy & Paste)