Positive reviews: how to ask for them
How do you ask your guests to leave you a positive review? Here's your guide!
We all know it: people are far more likely to leave a review when they have been disappointed by a service than when they are happy with it. And yet positive reviews matter enormously to the person receiving them. So how do you go about asking for them?
Prepare your guest in advance
Before you even think about positive reviews, think about everything that will make a guest want to leave one.
Be available without being intrusive. Let them know clearly that you are there if needed, and check in halfway through the stay to make sure everything is going well. That way you avoid nasty surprises. Just be careful not to overdo it and "smother" your guest.
Also check before check-in that everything matches your listing. Everything must be spotlessly clean and nothing you have advertised should be missing.
To improve your chances of getting positive reviews, you can even lay on a few thoughtful touches for your guests.
How should you word your request?
One of the most widely used methods is to send a simple email politely asking your guests to share their experience on your platform. To improve your odds, remember to personalise your email and to include a clickable link so your guest has as little to do as possible.
You can also send your guests a text message at the end of their stay. Be careful though: handy as it is, this method is very intrusive and some people will find it annoying. So there are a few rules to respect: get straight to the point with a clear, concise message, do not raise any subject other than the review, and send it within a few hours of the booking ending. Finally, use a shortened URL for your link.
Our favourite method is the last one: the QR code. With our digital welcome book, your guests can leave their review simply by scanning the QR code before they leave the property. You can remind them of it in the terms and conditions or schedule a notification for them. It is a simple and effective way to collect positive reviews, because guests feel less "pushed" into it. Now that asking for positive reviews holds no more mysteries for you, why not read our article on how to respond to a negative review ?
Three main methods exist to request reviews: here's how they compare on timing, ease for the guest, and your control over the process.
| Method | Timing | Guest effort | Main advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| After departure | Moderate: finding the platform | Professional, customizable, direct link | |
| SMS | Hours after departure | Minimal: opening a message | Fast, immediate, shortened URL |
| QR code | Before departure, in the property | Very low: scan and rate | Guest feels less pressured, natural, in the moment |
| Key limitation | N/A | Email: delay extends the gap | SMS: intrusive for some guests |
Frequently asked questions
Why do happy guests leave so few reviews? Because a stay that goes well triggers nothing in particular. People go home and move on with their lives. Disappointment, on the other hand, makes you want to write. That is precisely why the request has to come from you, otherwise only the unhappy ones speak up.
When is the right moment to ask for a review? With a QR code, it is before departure, while the guest is still in the property. By text message, send it within the hours following the end of the booking, not days later. The wider the gap with the stay, the less the request means anything to the person receiving it.
Email or text message: which one should I choose? Email is still the most common method: a polite, personalised request with a clickable link so the guest does not have to hunt for the platform. Text messages are convenient but frankly intrusive, and some people dislike them. If you use one, get straight to the point, mention nothing but the review, and shorten the link.
Does a QR code work better than a follow-up message? It is the method we prefer, because the guest scans whenever they choose and feels far less pressured than with a reminder. From our digital welcome book, they leave their review before checking out. You can mention it in the terms and conditions or schedule a notification.
Should I check in mid-stay to see if everything is fine? Yes, once, around the middle of the stay. It saves you from discovering a problem in the review itself, when it is too late to fix it. Just tell the guest you are there if needed, then leave them alone. You can smother someone with attention too.
What should I check before arrival to give myself the best chance? That the property matches the listing exactly, that nothing you promised is missing and that everything is spotless. A gap between the listing and reality always ends up in the review. A few small touches on arrival do the rest.
