Quick Answer
Send the request within 24 hours of the service being completed, on a weekday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the customer's local time zone. Reminders work best 3 to 5 days after the first message. Avoid evenings, early mornings, and weekends.
Why Timing Matters
Two things happen the moment a job ends. First, the customer's memory of the experience is at its sharpest. Second, their willingness to spend two minutes on you is at its highest. Every day of delay reduces both.
The Two Timing Rules That Matter Most
1. Same Day or Next Day
Send within 24 hours of the job being marked complete. If your CRM has an automatic "job closed" trigger (Jobber, HubSpot, Housecall Pro), wire your review request to it. A one-hour delay is a good default so the customer is not still standing next to your technician.
2. Business Hours in Their Time Zone
Send during 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. This window avoids early-morning grogginess, the pre-lunch rush, and evening family time. It also keeps you inside standard SMS quiet hours in most U.S. states.
What About Reminders?
One polite reminder recovers a meaningful share of non-responders. Send it 3 to 5 days after the first message, in the same time window. Do not send more than one reminder. A second reminder reads as pestering and can trigger unsubscribes.
SMS Quiet Hours You Should Respect
Most SMS regulations and carrier best practices point to sending only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's local time zone. SoTrustworthy enforces configurable sending hours per business so you never send outside your window by accident.
What Not to Do
- Do not send a request while the technician is still onsite. It feels coerced.
- Do not send on Saturday or Sunday. Response rates drop and complaints go up.
- Do not send at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m., even if that is when your job wrapped up.
- Do not send more than one reminder.
Related Reading
Ask every customer for a review—without review gating.
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