Where to Find This
Navigate to Services → Customers → Customer Reviews tab → Request Review sub-tab.
How Requests Are Sent
Every review request goes out as a text message to the phone number on the form.
An email is sent as well when the customer has an email address on file — that only happens when you pick them from the Select Customer dropdown. If you type the name and phone number in by hand, there's no address to send to, so the request goes by text only.
The text is always sent first. If it can't go out, nothing is sent and you'll see an error on the screen — so a customer never gets the email without the text.
Why Request Reviews?
- Better response rates than waiting for organic reviews
- Verified reviews are more trustworthy
- Control timing - ask when the experience is fresh
- Build credibility faster with more reviews
Steps
1. Go to Customer Reviews
In Services, open the Customers group and click Customer Reviews.
2. Open Request Review
Select the Request Review sub-tab.
3. Choose a Customer, or Enter Details Yourself
Option A: Pick someone from your customer list
Use the Select Customer dropdown. Each person is listed by name, with their email address in brackets after it when they have one — that's how you can tell at a glance whether the email will go out too.
Choosing someone fills in Customer Name and Customer Phone for you. The name is then locked to the record. If there's no phone number saved for them, the phone box stays open so you can type one in.
Option B: Enter details yourself
Leave the dropdown on Select a customer or enter manually below, then type the customer's name into Customer Name and their number into Customer Phone. Requests entered this way go by text only.
4. Check the Phone Number
A UK number can be typed just as your customer would say it, starting 07…. For anywhere else, use the full international format: a + followed by the country code, with the digits run together and no spaces — the field's own example shows this (+15551234567), which is the safest form to use for a non-UK number.
Correct format:
07700900000or+447700900000(UK)+15551234567(US)
Anything else won't be recognised — a non-UK number without its + and country code, for instance — and the send will fail with a message asking for the full international format. Adding the country code first saves you a wasted attempt.
5. Send the Request
Click Send Review Request. The button reads Sending... while it works, then you'll see Review request sent successfully!, the form clears itself, and the customer appears in the Recent Requests list underneath.
If you picked a customer with an email on file and the text goes out fine but the email specifically fails to send, you'll see a different, amber message instead — "SMS sent, but the email failed to send: [reason]". The text still went, so the customer can still leave their review from that link.
What the Customer Gets
By text:
"Hi Sarah! Thanks for choosing ABC Cleaning. Share your feedback: [link]"
By email (when they have an address on file) — the subject line is Share Your Experience with followed by your business name, and the message thanks them for choosing you, invites their feedback and notes that the link expires in 7 days.
Both point at the same link. Opening it shows a page headed with your business name and Welcome back, [their name]!, then a Share Your Experience form with:
- A star rating
- Your Name, already filled in from your request and locked
- Review Title (optional)
- Your Review
- A Submit Review button
Once they submit, they see a thank-you message and are taken to your home page a few seconds later.
What Happens Next
- Customer opens the link - The review form opens with their name already in place.
- They leave a review - Star rating, an optional title, and their comments.
- The review reaches you - It shows up in the Manage Reviews sub-tab.
- It publishes - Straight away or after your approval, depending on your setting in Auto-Publishing Settings.
Tracking Requests
The Recent Requests card under the form lists the 20 most recent requests, newest first, ten to a page. For each one you'll see the customer's name, the phone number it went to, the date it was sent, and a status:
Request Expiry
Review links expire after 7 days, and each link can only be used once. If a customer doesn't respond in time, or has already used their link, just send them a new request.
Tips for Better Response Rates
- Time it right: Send requests soon after completing work while the experience is fresh.
- Pick from the list where you can: choosing a customer who has an email address on file sends the request by email as well as text, which gives them two chances to see it.
- Don't over-request: One request per customer per service is enough.
- Follow up: If they don't respond, a gentle reminder after a few days can help.
Troubleshooting
Text not arriving?
- Check the number is a UK number starting 07…, or starts with + and the country code for anywhere else.
- Verify the number is correct.
- Some networks may delay delivery.
Nothing arrived by email?
- Email is only sent when you picked the customer from the Select Customer dropdown and they have an address on file — check for an address in brackets next to their name in the list.
- Ask them to check their spam or junk folder.
- If the email specifically failed, the screen tells you so at the time — see the callout in step 5 above. Otherwise the text carries the same link, so the customer can still leave their review from that.
Got a message about the phone format?
- UK numbers can start 07…; for anywhere else, the number needs the full international form, starting with + and the country code, for example
+447700900000.
Customer says the link has expired or has already been used?
- Links last 7 days and work once. Send a fresh request from the Request Review sub-tab.
Customer can't open the link?
- Ensure they're clicking the full link.
- The link works on any device with a browser.
- The link points at your own website — your custom domain if you've connected one, otherwise your Bizzly web address — so it opens your review form with your branding, not a generic page. You don't need a custom domain for it to work.