How Do I Change My Review-Request Message?

To change your review-request message in SoTrustworthy, log into your account, navigate to Settings > Message Templates, and select the SMS template you want to edit. Make your text changes, ensure your dynamic tags are correct, and click Save. All future outgoing requests—whether sent manually or triggered automatically via Jobber or HubSpot—will immediately use your new text.

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Step-by-Step: Updating Your Review-Request Template

Changing your request wording takes less than two minutes. Follow these steps to update your active SMS template:

1. Log in to your SoTrustworthy dashboard.
2. Click Settings in the left navigation menu.
3. Select Message Templates.
4. Click on the template you want to modify (e.g., Initial Request, Follow-Up #1, or Manual SMS).
5. Edit your message in the text editor box. As you type, check the live preview box on the right to see how the text will appear on a customer's phone screen.
6. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Once saved, the updated template applies instantly. Any review requests queued by automated integrations or sent manually from the dashboard will use the new wording. Requests already sent before the update cannot be changed.

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Using Dynamic Personalization Variables

SoTrustworthy uses dynamic variables (tags) to automatically insert job-specific details into your text messages. This keeps your communications personalized without requiring manual effort for every customer.

When editing your template, click the Insert Variable dropdown menu or type the tags directly into the message editor.

• {first_name}: The customer's first name (e.g., John).
• {business_name}: Your company's name as configured in your account settings.
• {review_link}: The short, trackable link that sends the customer directly to your Google Business Profile review form.
• {tech_name}: The name of the technician or staff member who completed the job (available on Growth and Pro plans).

Example of a properly tagged template:

Hi {first_name}, thanks for choosing {business_name} today! Would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? It takes under a minute: {review_link} - Reply STOP to opt out.

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Keeping Within SMS Character Limits and Segments

When writing your message, keep text message lengths in mind. Standard mobile carriers charge and send texts in standard 160-character blocks called SMS segments.

• Standard SMS length: 160 characters per segment.
• Extended messages: If your message exceeds 160 characters, carriers split it into multiple segments (e.g., a 200-character message uses 2 segments per recipient).
• Emojis and special symbols: Adding emojis, non-standard quotes, or special accented letters forces the system into Unicode encoding, reducing the character limit per segment from 160 to 70 characters.

SoTrustworthy displays an active character counter and segment calculator directly below the message box. Keep your message under 160 characters (1 segment) to keep delivery fast and conserve your monthly account messaging limits across Starter, Growth, or Pro plans.

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Legal Compliance and Requirements for SMS Requests

Text messaging is strictly regulated. When customizing your text templates, you must follow carrier standards and federal legislation to keep your account compliant and prevent carrier filtering or account suspension.

TCPA & Opt-Out Compliance

Under the FCC TCPA guidelines, commercial text messages must clearly state who is sending the message and offer a clear way for recipients to opt out.

• Required Opt-Out: Every initial request template must include clear opt-out language, such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" or "Reply STOP to opt out."
• Automatic Opt-Out Handling: If a customer replies "STOP", SoTrustworthy automatically flags that phone number, immediately blocks all future automated or manual messages to that customer, and marks them as opted out in your dashboard.

A2P 10DLC Registration Rules

U.S. mobile carriers require business text messaging to pass through registered 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) channels. To comply with Twilio A2P 10DLC guidance:

• Always include your business name clearly in the body of the message.
• Avoid using URL shorteners like bit.ly or tinyurl. SoTrustworthy automatically generates clean, compliant short links tailored to your domain.
• Avoid standard spam triggers like ALL CAPS TEXT, excessive punctuation (!!!), or words like "FREE," "WINNER," or "CONTEST."

Google Review Policies & Anti-Gating Rules

Google strictly prohibits review gating—the practice of screening customers with a survey first and sending only happy customers to Google while routing unhappy customers to a private form.

In accordance with Google review policies:

• No Gating: Your request message must direct every customer directly to your Google review link regardless of their experience.
• No Incentives: Never offer discounts, gift cards, or entry into raffles in exchange for leaving a review. Google explicitly bans compensated reviews and can delete your review profile if caught.

SoTrustworthy forms follow strict compliance standards out of the box—ensure your custom message copy adheres to these rules as well.

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How Custom Messages Work with Integrations (Jobber & HubSpot)

If you use SoTrustworthy’s native integrations with field service platforms like Jobber or CRMs like HubSpot, your message updates will trigger automatically based on your workflow setup.

• Jobber: When a technician completes a job or closes an invoice in Jobber, SoTrustworthy triggers your designated default SMS template after your specified delay window (e.g., 1 hour after job completion).
• HubSpot: When a deal moves to "Closed Won" or a contact tag changes, your active message template fires automatically.

Editing your template in SoTrustworthy does not require re-connecting or re-configuring your Jobber or HubSpot integrations. The integrations simply pass the contact details (name and phone number) to SoTrustworthy, which then formats the payload using your newly saved template text.

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Customizing Follow-Up Sequences and Message Throttling

For accounts on Growth and Pro plans, review requests include multi-step follow-up sequences. If a customer doesn't click your review link on the first attempt, SoTrustworthy can automatically send a polite follow-up message 3 to 5 days later.

Editing Follow-Up Templates

To edit your follow-up sequence:

1. Go to Settings > Message Templates.
2. Select Follow-Up #1 or Follow-Up #2.
3. Customize the text to sound distinct from the initial message (e.g., "Hi {first_name}, just following up to see if you had a moment to share feedback on our service...").
4. Click Save Changes.

Intelligent Message Throttling

SoTrustworthy protects your customer relationships using built-in review-request throttling:

• Repeat Customer Protection: If a home-service professional visits the same house three times in two weeks, SoTrustworthy will not spam the homeowner. By default, the system prevents sending a new review request to the same phone number within 30 days of a previous request.
• You can adjust your account throttling window under Settings > Sending Rules.

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High-Converting Message Templates for Home-Service Businesses

Not sure what to write? Here are three simple, proven templates that comply with carrier rules and achieve high conversion rates:

Template 1: Direct and Professional (Best for General Trades)

Hi {first_name}, thanks for choosing {business_name} today! Would you mind sharing your experience in a quick Google review? {review_link} - Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 2: Friendly & Personal (Best for Small Cleaners & Salons)

Hi {first_name}! {tech_name}loved helping you out today. If you enjoyed our service, could you leave{business_name}a quick review?{review_link}` Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Template 3: Short & Conversational (Best for Fast Turnaround Services)

Thanks for working with {business_name}, {first_name}! Got 30 seconds to drop us a review? {review_link} - Text STOP to opt out.

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Testing Your New Message

Before running automated requests with real customers, send a free test message to your own cell phone:

1. In the Message Templates section, click the Send Test SMS button next to your saved template.
2. Enter your mobile phone number.
3. Click Send Test.

Check your phone to confirm that dynamic tags like {first_name} replace correctly with sample data, that the short link opens properly to your review page, and that the text formatting looks clear and readable.

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Related Steps & Next Actions

• [Set Up Your Automated Review Delay Rules] — Learn how to configure the exact delay timing (e.g., 2 hours after job completion) before your new SMS message goes out.
• [Connect Your Google Business Profile] — Verify that your direct Google review link is targeting the correct Google Maps location.
• [Manage Unsubscribes and Opt-Out Lists] — Learn how to view customers who replied STOP or manually remove phone numbers from future automated sequences.