Home › Guides › Review Request Texts for Tree Services (Copy and Paste)
What Should a Tree Service Review Request Text Say?
Short answer: A review request text from a tree service is two or three short sentences. It uses the customer's first name, names the job ("the oak removal on Maple Street"), says thank you, and gives one tap-to-open Google review link. Send it the same day the crew finishes, while the clean yard is still fresh. Do not offer anything in return.
- Google prohibits offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews.
- Send the same text to every customer after every job, not only to the happy ones.
- Send storm and emergency job requests one to two days later, once the customer has settled.
- Send one follow-up at most, three days later, to people who did not reply.
- Yelp's guidelines say businesses should never ask customers to write reviews, so send the Google link only.
- Only text customers who gave you their number for the job, and stop if they reply "stop."
A review request text is a short message you send to a customer after a job, asking them to rate you on Google. Tree work is a good fit for this. The before and after is easy to see, the homeowner is usually relieved, and nobody forgets a tree that used to hang over the roof.
Below are eight templates you can copy, then the rules that keep you out of trouble.
Why tree services need reviews more than most trades
Most people hire a tree company once every few years. They cannot judge the work by looking at a price. So they look at stars and read what neighbors wrote.
Reviews also feed the answers people get from AI tools. In the Zarla AI Visibility Index, businesses that were named by AI had a median of 444 Google reviews, against 192 for businesses that were not named (Zarla, AI Visibility Index). That study covers ten local-service trades, and tree service is not one of them, so treat it as a direction and not a target for your town. Our guide on how many Google reviews a tree service needs covers the numbers in more detail.
The short version: more real, recent reviews help you in Google Maps, in ChatGPT and with the homeowner reading your page.
The 8 templates
Replace the words in brackets. Keep each text under about 300 characters so it reads in one screen on a phone.
1. After a tree removal
Hi [First name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. Thanks for letting us take down the [oak/pine/maple] today. Would you leave an honest Google review? It helps a small crew like ours a lot. [link]
2. After trimming or pruning
Hi [First name], [Your name] at [Company]. Thanks for having us trim the trees at your place today. Would you leave an honest Google review? Here is the link: [link]
3. After stump grinding
Hi [First name], [Company] here. The stump is gone and the yard is raked. Would you leave an honest Google review? Takes about a minute: [link]
4. After an emergency or storm job
Hi [First name], [Your name] from [Company]. I know last night was stressful. Glad we could get the tree off your [roof/fence/driveway] fast. When things settle down, would you leave an honest Google review? It helps other neighbors find us in a storm: [link]
Send this one a day or two later, not that night. Someone with a tarp on the roof is not thinking about stars yet.
5. A follow-up, three days later
Hi [First name], [Your name] again from [Company]. No pressure at all. If you have a minute to leave an honest Google review of the [job], here is the link: [link]. If anything was not right, reply here and I will fix it.
Send this only once, and only to people who did not reply to the first text. Two messages is the limit.
6. For a repeat customer or an HOA board contact
Hi [First name], thanks again for trusting [Company] with the trees at [property name]. Would you leave an honest Google review? It helps other property managers find us. Here is the link: [link]
7. A soft ask when the job had a snag
Hi [First name], [Your name] at [Company]. I know the job took longer than I said it would, and I am sorry about that. Would you leave an honest Google review of how it went overall? Here is the link: [link]. I would also like to hear what we can do better.
This sends the same link to everyone. That matters, and the next section explains why.
8. A text to ask for a reply, not a link
Hi [First name], [Company] here. How did the job turn out? I can send you a link to leave an honest Google review.
This works when you are not sure the person wants to be asked. It adds a step, so use it sparingly.
How to make the link
Google says you can remind customers to leave a review by asking them to visit a Google link or scan a QR code, and it points to a separate help page on how to create one (Google Business Profile Help: Ask for Google reviews). Make the link once, test it on your own phone, and save it in your phone's text shortcuts or in your job software.
Check three things before you send it to anyone:
- The link opens the review box for your business, not a search result.
- It works when the customer is not signed in to Google (they will have to sign in, which is normal).
- It points to the right profile if you have more than one location.
If you do not have a profile yet, start with our Google Business Profile tips for arborists. A service-area business can list the towns it serves instead of a street address (Google Business Profile Help: service-area businesses). Most tree companies work out of a yard or a home office, so this fits.
When to send it
| Job type | Best time to send | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Removal | Same day, evening | The yard looks its best and the work is fresh |
| Trimming or pruning | Same day or next morning | Quick job, easy to remember |
| Stump grinding | After the debris is cleaned up | Do not send it while the pile is still there |
| Storm or emergency | One to two days later | The customer needs time to breathe |
| Commercial or HOA | After the invoice is paid | The contact may need to check with others first |
| Repeat customer | Any time after the job | They already trust you |
Send the text from the crew lead's phone or a business number, in your own voice. A text from a real person who stood in the yard gets more replies than one that sounds like a form.
What not to do
Do not offer a discount or gift for a review
Google prohibits offering incentives, such as free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for reviews (Google Business Profile Help: Ask for Google reviews). That includes "10 percent off your next trim if you leave five stars."
Do not ask only the happy customers
Skipping the unhappy ones feels smart, but it can backfire. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews, effective October 21, 2024, has no specific prohibition against asking only satisfied customers, but the FTC says this practice could violate the FTC Act (FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, Questions and Answers).
The safest habit is simple: send the same text to every customer after every job. That is why template 7 uses the same link.
Do not write or buy reviews
The FTC rule bars writing or selling fake reviews, and a business can be liable for reviews it bought if it knew or should have known they were false (FTC). Do not have your crew, cousins or friends post reviews for jobs they did not pay for.
Do not ask for reviews on Yelp
Yelp's guidelines say businesses should never ask customers to write reviews (Yelp: Content Guidelines). So keep Yelp out of your text. A line like "find us on Yelp" is fine, but do not use the word "review" with a Yelp link. Send the Google link and leave Yelp alone.
Do not text people who never gave you their number for the job
Only message customers who gave you their mobile number as part of booking or paying for the work. Put your company name in every text so they know who it is, and stop at once if someone replies "stop." This is plain courtesy. If you plan to send texts in bulk or by software, check the rules with a lawyer first, because text marketing is regulated.
Reply to every review you get
A review request is half the job. The other half is a short reply. Keep it plain and specific.
For a good review:
Thanks, Dana. Glad the maple is gone and the garage roof is safe. Call us any time.
For a bad review:
We are sorry the stump took two visits. We should have told you the first day it would. Please call [number] and we will make it right.
Do not argue in public, and do not give out the customer's address or job details. Google also says a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy (Google Business Profile Help). One three-star review among fifty is not a problem. A reply that attacks the customer is.
Put the ask into the job, so it does not depend on you
Most owners mean to ask and forget. Make it part of closing the job:
- The crew lead finishes cleanup and takes after photos.
- The owner or office sends the invoice.
- The review text goes out in the same hour, using a saved shortcut.
- If there is no reply in three days, one follow-up goes out.
- Every review gets a reply within two days.
You can do this with a text shortcut and a spreadsheet. The method matters more than the tool.
You can also put a QR code on the invoice and on a small card the crew leaves with the customer. Google lists a QR code as one way to ask (Google Business Profile Help). Use it for people you meet in person who do not read texts.
Where reviews should show up on your website
Once you have them, use them. Put your best five or six on your home page and on each service page, with the first name, the town and the service. For example, "Tom, Asheville, oak removal." Only use reviews that real customers wrote, and do not edit them. If your state asks tree companies to show a license number, as Maryland does on written contracts, keep that number near the reviews. Our checklist on what a tree service website should include shows where reviews fit on the page. For ideas on how contractors in general display them, see the hub guide on contractor review examples.
Common questions
How many reviews should I ask for each month?
Ask after every finished job, and let the number fall where it falls. A steady trickle looks more natural than a burst of twenty in one week. If you do 30 jobs a month and a third of customers answer, that is about ten new reviews a month, which is a good pace for a small crew.
Is it okay to text a customer a review link?
It is a common practice, and Google lists asking customers to visit a link as a normal way to ask (Google Business Profile Help). Use it for customers who gave you their number for the job, include your company name, and honor any request to stop.
Can I give a discount to customers who leave a review?
No. Google prohibits offering free or discounted goods or services for reviews. The FTC also bars incentives that require a positive review. Say thank you instead, and reply to the review.
What if a customer leaves a bad review?
Reply in a calm, short way, offer to fix the problem by phone, and move on. Do not ask the customer to take it down in return for a refund, because Google also prohibits offering incentives for removing negative reviews.
Should I ask for reviews on Facebook and Yelp too?
Put Google first. Yelp's guidelines say not to ask customers for reviews, so only point people to your Yelp page without using the word "review." Facebook is fine to mention, but one clear link in the text gets more replies than three.
Want the website to match the reviews?
Good reviews send people to your website, so the site should be ready for them. You can see a free demo site built for tree services.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Ask for Google reviews (2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Manage your service area (2026)
- FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, Questions and Answers (2024)
- Yelp: Content Guidelines (2026)
- Zarla: AI Visibility Index (2026)
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