How to ask for a review: scripts and templates in six languages

Ask every customer, in person or by one message, at the right moment, with a link that opens the review box. Ready templates in six Southeast Asian languages.

The reviewus team · 22 October 2026 · 9 min read

The best way to ask for a review is to ask every customer, in person or in one short message, right after a good moment in their visit, and to hand them a link or QR code that opens your review page in one tap. Keep it to one or two sentences, ask for an honest review rather than a rating, and never offer anything in return.

This guide covers what to say, when to ask for each kind of business, which platform to suggest, and copy-ready templates in English, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, Simplified Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese.

Why asking matters more than anything else

A hawker stall in Tiong Bahru, a warung in Ubud and a salon in Makati share the same problem: happy customers walk away and say nothing online, while the occasional unhappy one goes straight to Google. Many of those happy customers would review if someone asked at the right moment and made it easy.

Asking is not pushy if you ask everyone the same way and accept whatever they decide. Google itself suggests sharing your review link "in thank you emails", "at the end of a chat interaction" and printed in store (Google Business Profile Help, checked 22 October 2026).

The four rules of a good review request

Ask everyone. Not just regulars, not just the table that smiled. Asking only the customers you think are happy is review gating, and Google and Tripadvisor both treat it as a breach (more below).
Ask for an honest review, not a rating. "Would you mind leaving us a review?" is fine. "Could you give us 5 stars?" is not.
Make it one tap. Get your review link or QR code from your Google Business Profile (our Google review QR code guide shows how) and put it in front of the customer.
Ask once. One request in person, or one message after a booking, with at most one gentle reminder. Then leave it.

When to ask: timing by business type

Ask right after the best part of the visit, while the customer still has their phone in hand.

Business	Best moment to ask	Best channel
Café or restaurant	When the bill arrives, or right after a compliment about the food	QR card on the table, plus a word from staff
Hawker stall or kopitiam (SG, MY)	When a regular says "sedap" or "shiok", or while takeaway is being packed	QR card by the menu or the payment QR
Warung or street-food stall (ID, TH, VN, PH)	As customers pay, or while they wait for a takeaway order	QR card on the counter
Salon, barber or spa	After the mirror reveal, at payment	In person, then one WhatsApp message the same evening
Clinic, dentist or physio	At the counter after the appointment, or in the follow-up message	Message with the link, never mentioning their treatment
Hotel or guesthouse	On day two at breakfast, or at checkout	In person, QR card in the room, email after checkout
Gym, studio or class	After a class, or when a member reaches a goal	In person, or a message after their first month
Tour or activity	At the end of the tour, while people are still buzzing	In person and a message the same day
Shop or retailer	At the till, after the customer has been helped	QR card by the till, link on the receipt

What to say, and what not to say

The tone you want is warm, short and specific: thank them, say why it helps, show them where to go, and stop. "Thank you! If you have a minute, a Google review really helps a small shop like ours. The QR code is right here."

What not to say:

"Please give us 5 stars." Google's rating-manipulation policy covers "coercing or pressuring customers for specific ratings or reviews" (Google, checked 22 October 2026). Ask for a review, never a score.
"Leave a review and get a free drink." Google says "Offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, to customers in exchange for reviews is considered fake engagement and is strictly prohibited" (Google). Tripadvisor bans anything offered in exchange for a review, whatever the rating, including discounts and contest entries (Tripadvisor review guidelines). Lucky draws for reviewers count too.
"If you're happy, review us on Google. If not, tell us." Sending only happy customers to the public review page is gating. You can offer private feedback, but offer it to everyone alongside the public option.

Staff bonuses per review, or review targets for staff, are prohibited too. Reward good service instead. We go through every grey area in honest reviews: what Google and Tripadvisor allow.

Ask for the right platform

Not every customer should be sent to the same place. Pick one platform per customer, the one they are most likely to use.

Google is the default for almost every local business in all six markets. It is where people searching "char kway teow near me" or "spa Seminyak" see your rating.
Tripadvisor matters for tourists: hotels, guesthouses, restaurants in tourist areas, tours and attractions in places like Penang, Bangkok, Hoi An, Cebu and Bali. Tripadvisor encourages businesses to ask all guests, and offers a free email tool, Review Express, and free stickers with a QR code for claimed listings (Tripadvisor). See how to get more Tripadvisor reviews.
Xiaohongshu suits Chinese-speaking customers, visitors from China and many younger locals in Singapore and Malaysia. It is a personal post about the visit, with photos, rather than a star review. Our Xiaohongshu guide covers how it works for small businesses.

Review request templates in six languages

Each set has a line to say in person, a WhatsApp or SMS message, and a short email. Replace BUSINESS NAME with your shop's name and REVIEW LINK with the link from your Google Business Profile, and change any phrase that doesn't sound like you.

English (SG, MY, PH, and tourists everywhere)

In person: "Thank you for coming in! If you have a minute, a Google review really helps a small place like ours. The QR code is right here."
WhatsApp or SMS: "Hi, thanks for visiting BUSINESS NAME today. If you have a moment, we'd really value an honest review on Google: REVIEW LINK. Thank you!"
Email: Subject: "Thank you from BUSINESS NAME". "Thanks for choosing us. If you have a minute, we'd love to hear how it went in a Google review: REVIEW LINK. Every review, good or not so good, helps us improve."

Bahasa Melayu (MY, SG)

In person: "Terima kasih kerana datang! Kalau ada masa seminit, ulasan Google sangat membantu kedai kecil macam kami. Kod QR ada di sini."
WhatsApp or SMS: "Hai, terima kasih kerana singgah di BUSINESS NAME hari ini. Kalau ada masa, kami amat menghargai ulasan jujur anda di Google: REVIEW LINK. Terima kasih!"
Email: Subjek: "Terima kasih daripada BUSINESS NAME". "Terima kasih kerana memilih kami. Kalau ada masa seminit, kongsikan pengalaman anda di Google: REVIEW LINK. Setiap ulasan, baik atau kurang baik, membantu kami memperbaiki perkhidmatan."

Bahasa Indonesia (ID)

In person: "Terima kasih sudah datang! Kalau ada waktu sebentar, ulasan di Google sangat membantu usaha kecil seperti kami. Kode QR-nya ada di sini."
WhatsApp or SMS: "Halo, terima kasih sudah berkunjung ke BUSINESS NAME hari ini. Kalau berkenan, kami sangat menghargai ulasan jujur Anda di Google: REVIEW LINK. Terima kasih!"
Email: Subjek: "Terima kasih dari BUSINESS NAME". "Terima kasih sudah memilih kami. Jika ada waktu semenit, ceritakan pengalaman Anda di Google: REVIEW LINK. Setiap masukan, baik maupun kurang, membantu kami menjadi lebih baik."

Simplified Chinese (SG, MY, and Chinese-speaking visitors)

In person: "谢谢光临！如果您有一分钟，在 Google 上留个评价，对我们这样的小店帮助很大。二维码就在这里。"
WhatsApp or SMS: "您好，谢谢您今天光临 BUSINESS NAME。方便的话，欢迎在 Google 上分享您的真实感受：REVIEW LINK。谢谢！"
Email: 主题："BUSINESS NAME 感谢您的光临"。"感谢您选择我们。如果您有一分钟，欢迎在 Google 上分享您的体验：REVIEW LINK。无论是好评还是建议，都能帮助我们做得更好。"

Thai (TH)

Written with ครับ; female staff swap in ค่ะ.

In person: "ขอบคุณที่แวะมานะครับ ถ้าสะดวก ช่วยรีวิวร้านใน Google ให้หน่อยนะครับ ช่วยร้านเล็ก ๆ อย่างเราได้มาก สแกนคิวอาร์โค้ดตรงนี้ได้เลยครับ"
WhatsApp or SMS: "สวัสดีครับ ขอบคุณที่ใช้บริการ BUSINESS NAME วันนี้ ถ้าสะดวก รบกวนเล่าประสบการณ์จริงของคุณใน Google ได้ที่ REVIEW LINK ขอบคุณมากครับ"
Email: หัวเรื่อง: "ขอบคุณจาก BUSINESS NAME" "ขอบคุณที่เลือกใช้บริการของเรา ถ้ามีเวลาสักนาที ช่วยแบ่งปันประสบการณ์ของคุณใน Google ได้ที่ REVIEW LINK ทุกความคิดเห็น ทั้งคำชมและคำติ ช่วยให้เราพัฒนาได้ดีขึ้นครับ"

Vietnamese (VN)

In person: "Cảm ơn anh chị đã ghé quán! Nếu có một phút, anh chị đánh giá giúp quán trên Google nhé, việc đó giúp quán nhỏ như tụi em rất nhiều. Mã QR ở ngay đây ạ."
WhatsApp or SMS: "Chào anh chị, cảm ơn anh chị đã ghé BUSINESS NAME hôm nay. Nếu tiện, anh chị chia sẻ cảm nhận thật của mình trên Google giúp chúng tôi nhé: REVIEW LINK. Xin cảm ơn!"
Email: Tiêu đề: "BUSINESS NAME cảm ơn anh chị". "Cảm ơn anh chị đã chọn chúng tôi. Nếu có một phút, mời anh chị chia sẻ trải nghiệm trên Google: REVIEW LINK. Mọi góp ý, dù khen hay chê, đều giúp chúng tôi làm tốt hơn."

None of these mention stars, rewards or "only if you were happy".

What to do after you ask

Some customers will review on the spot, some that evening, many never. Don't chase; one reminder is the limit. Reply to the reviews that arrive, and before answering a bad one, read how to respond to negative reviews. If customers say they don't know what to write, remind them what they had ("How was the nasi lemak?") or point them to how to write a good Google review.

How reviewus helps

reviewus puts the ask and the writing into one QR card. The customer scans it with their phone camera (no app, no account), gives stars, and taps what they had and what they loved. AI writes a draft from only what they tapped and noted, in their own voice and language, and they can change every word before one tap copies it and opens your Google review page, Tripadvisor review form or Xiaohongshu. The customer page reads in eleven languages, including Bahasa Melayu, Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai and Vietnamese, and the review can also be written in Singlish.

Every customer sees the same two choices at every rating: share publicly, or send you private feedback. Nobody is filtered out. Setting up is free, and plans start at S$10 a month per location. Try the demo or set up your business.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to ask for a review?

Ask every customer, in person or by one short message, right after a good moment in the visit, and give them a link or QR code that opens your review page in one tap. Ask for an honest review rather than a rating, and don't offer anything in return.

How do you politely ask a customer for a Google review?

Thank them first, say in one sentence why a review helps a small business, and show them the QR code or send the link. For example: "Thanks for coming in! If you have a minute, a Google review really helps us. The QR code is right here." Then let them decide.

Is it OK to ask customers for reviews?

Yes. Google encourages it and suggests putting your review link on receipts, in thank-you emails and in store. What is not allowed is asking only happy customers, pressuring people for a particular rating, or offering a reward for the review.

Should I ask for a review by WhatsApp or SMS?

For businesses with bookings, such as salons, clinics, hotels and tour operators, one short message on the same day with the review link works well. Send it once, keep it to two sentences, and never mention private details such as a treatment or a room number.

Can I ask for a 5-star review?

No. Asking for a specific rating is the kind of pressure Google's rating-manipulation policy describes. Ask for an honest review and accept whatever the customer writes.