Categories / Reviews & Reputation
SMS review requests after invoicing
HVAC company · 12 reviews in 3 years before automation
- Task
- replace manual "can you leave us a review?" asks with an automatic post-job text so reviews arrive without staff effort
- Result
- before: 12 Google reviews in 3 years, ~5% manual conversion, 2–3 reviews/month. After a 30-day test (Aug 2026): 23 new reviews (35 total), 18% conversion, staff time under 10 min/week; 17 reviews came from the first text, 6 from the follow-up
- Tools
- Google Business Profile "Ask for reviews" short link
- CRM "Invoice Paid" trigger
- Zapier (free tier ≈100 tasks/mo)
- Twilio SMS (~$0.0075/text)
- Setup
- copy the direct review link from the Google Business Profile dashboard → trigger on "Invoice Paid" (exclude warranty callbacks and open disputes) → wait 1–2 hours, then text first name + service + direct link (<160 chars, ask for honest feedback not a star rating) → one follow-up text/email 48–72 hours later → 90-day de-duplication so repeat customers aren't re-asked → track send volume and conversion weekly. Never gate reviews (FTC rule) and send the same ask to every eligible customer
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A ready-to-send prompt built from this card. Your AI will ask a few questions about your business, then give you a beginner setup plan.
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Help me set this up for my business: "SMS review requests after invoicing".
Example business: HVAC company (Dallas area; small, appointment-based). Task: replace manual "can you leave us a review?" asks with an automatic post-job text so reviews arrive without staff effort.
Reported result: before: 12 Google reviews in 3 years, ~5% manual conversion, 2–3 reviews/month. After a 30-day test (Aug 2026): 23 new reviews (35 total), 18% conversion, staff time…
Tools: Google Business Profile "Ask for reviews" short link, CRM "Invoice Paid" trigger, Zapier (free tier ≈100 tasks/mo), Twilio SMS…
Setup outline:
1. copy the direct review link from the Google Business Profile dashboard → trigger on "Invoice Paid" (exclude…
Starter prompt from the guide (use it as a base):
Write 3 versions of a text message under 160 characters asking a customer for a Google review after we finished a {{service type}} job.
Include: their first name, the service done, and the placeholder [REVIEW LINK].
Ask for honest feedback, never for a specific star rating, and don't offer any reward. Friendly, no emojis.
First, ask me up to 5 questions about my business and tools. Then give me a beginner step-by-step setup plan, plus copy-paste prompts/templates I can use. Plain English, and tell me if any step needs a tech helper.
via autopilotbusiness.ai/use-case/hvac-company-automated-sms-review-requests-1-2-hrs-after-invoice-paid/Step-by-step setup guide + copy-paste prompt
Honest note: this is rule-based automation (a trigger, a delay and a text). There's no generative AI. The AI step here is optional: use a chat assistant to draft the message wording.
Prerequisites
- A Google Business Profile you manage.
- A system that can signal "invoice paid" or "job complete" to Zapier (your CRM, QuickBooks, Jobber, Housecall Pro and similar).
- Zapier (free plan is enough to start) and a Twilio account with a texting number.
- Customer phone numbers and consent to text them.
Step-by-step setup
Step 1. Get your direct review link. Sign in to Google, search your business name, and use the Ask for reviews button on your profile to copy the short link that opens the review box. Google's own steps are in the Business Profile help page below.
Step 2. Create the Zap. In Zapier click + Create → Zaps. For the trigger, pick your CRM or invoicing app and the event "Invoice Paid" (or "Job Completed") → Continue → sign in → Test trigger.
Step 3. Skip the jobs you shouldn't ask. Add a Filter step so open disputes, warranty callbacks and unpaid jobs don't continue. Don't screen for "happy" customers: ask everyone who has no open complaint. Pre-screening for good experiences is review gating and breaks FTC and Google rules.
Step 4. Wait 1–2 hours. Click + → Delay by Zapier → Delay For → 1 hour. The test found that sending within about 2 hours worked best.
Step 5. Send the text. + → Twilio → Send SMS. Sign in with your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token. Choose your Twilio number as From Number, map the customer's phone (format +15551234567) to To Number, and paste the message with your review link. Click Test action, check your own phone, then turn the Zap On. Note that Zapier truncates to 160 characters unless you switch on Send Large Message.
Step 6. Add one reminder 48–72 hours later. Repeat Delay → send (SMS or email) with a shorter thank-you and the same link. Stop at one reminder. More messages didn't add reviews.
Step 7. Add a 90-day rule. Keep a Google Sheet of numbers you've texted, and have the Zap skip anyone asked in the last 90 days.
Copy-paste prompt
Write 3 versions of a text message under 160 characters asking a customer for a Google review after we finished a {{service type}} job.
Include: their first name, the service done, and the placeholder [REVIEW LINK].
Ask for honest feedback, never for a specific star rating, and don't offer any reward. Friendly, no emojis.Sources
- Humble Help: "I automated my reviews for a month" (single HVAC test, Aug 2026). Credit: an HVAC company in the Dallas area, written up by an agency.
- Google: Manage and reply to reviews / ask for reviews
- Zapier Help: Get started with Twilio on Zapier
- Twilio: Sending SMS messages with Twilio and Zapier
Industries: AI automation for Home Services & Contractors
Results as reported by the source; not independently verified. Community-sourced from public sites and attributed to the source platform. Original author? Ask us to correct or remove it. Read the disclaimer.