If a customer did not receive their review request, the issue is usually caused by an invalid or landline phone number, built-in review request throttling, an active opt-out (like replying STOP), or carrier spam filtering. It can also happen if your Jobber or HubSpot integration hasn't synced the closed job yet or if your account reached its monthly send limit.
Here is a breakdown of the most common reasons review requests fail to deliver, along with exact steps to fix each one.
1. Smart Throttling and Cooldown Rules
SoTrustworthy includes built-in review-request throttling to protect your business reputation and keep you compliant with messaging standards. If you clean a house or complete a service call for the same client twice in a short window, our platform automatically pauses duplicate requests.
- How throttling works: By default, SoTrustworthy will not send more than one review request to the same customer within a 30-to-90-day window (depending on your account settings).
- Why this matters: Sending multiple review requests to the same customer over a short period increases unsubscribes, spam complaints, and negative reviews.
- How to check: Go to Activity Logs in your SoTrustworthy dashboard. If a request was skipped due to throttling, you will see the status listed as
Suppressed - Cooldown Active.
2. The Phone Number Is a Landline or Invalid
Because SoTrustworthy uses an SMS-first workflow to maximize open and conversion rates, requests must be sent to valid mobile numbers.
If your team enters a landline or a incorrectly formatted number into your CRM or the SoTrustworthy app, the carrier will drop the message immediately.
- Landline Detection: Our system automatically detects landline numbers before sending to save your monthly credits. If a landline is detected, the request will be flagged as undeliverable.
- Formatting Errors: Ensure phone numbers include the correct area code. In North America, numbers must follow the 10-digit standard (or standard E.164 formatting).
- Fixing the issue: Update the customer’s phone number in your CRM (Jobber, HubSpot, or manual contact list) to a verified mobile line, then trigger a manual resend from the SoTrustworthy dashboard.
3. Carrier Spam Filtering (A2P 10DLC Regulations)
Cell phone carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) use strict automated filters to block unwanted commercial text messages. Under federal guidelines and carrier rules established by the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, businesses sending automated texts must be fully registered.
If your review request was flagged by a carrier filter, your customer will never see it, even though SoTrustworthy attempted to send it.
Common reasons carriers block text messages include:
- Unregistered A2P 10DLC Profile: If you have not completed your business registration (EIN verification) in your SoTrustworthy settings, carriers may filter or outright block your SMS messages.
- Spam Trigger Words: Custom message templates that use ALL CAPS, excessive dollar signs ($$$), or words like "FREE," "WIN," or "GUARANTEED" are frequently flagged as spam.
- Shortened Generic Links: Using third-party URL shorteners (like bit.ly or tinyurl) inside text messages heavily triggers carrier spam filters. SoTrustworthy automatically generates secure, domain-verified links to prevent this issue.
If you suspect carrier filtering, verify that your business registration status shows Verified under Settings > SMS Setup.
4. The Customer Opted Out or Is Blacklisted
To comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), SoTrustworthy automatically handles customer opt-outs. If a customer previously replied "STOP", "UNSUBSCRIBE", or "QUIT" to any automated text sent from your dedicated sending number, our system immediately blocks all future messages to that phone number.
- Automated Protection: You cannot manually override a TCPA opt-out inside the platform. This protects your business from severe legal fines.
- How to fix it: The customer must explicitly unblock your number by replying START or UNSTOP from their mobile device to the exact text number your business uses. Once they reply, their status will clear, and future review requests can be delivered.
5. Integration Sync Delays (Jobber or HubSpot)
If you automate your review requests through our native integrations with Jobber or HubSpot, the trigger relies on specific job actions and sync schedules.
- Jobber: Requests are typically triggered when a job is marked as "Completed" or an invoice is marked as "Paid," depending on your settings. If a technician closes the job on site without completing the invoice, the webhook may not trigger until the end-of-day billing process runs.
- HubSpot: Requests trigger based on deal stage changes (e.g., "Closed Won" or "Service Complete"). If a workflow rule or property mapping is misconfigured in HubSpot, the event will not send data to SoTrustworthy.
- Sync Delay: Most integration triggers execute in real time, but API delays between platforms can occasionally take up to 15–30 minutes. Check your Integrations > Sync History page to see if the customer data was successfully received from your CRM.
6. Monthly Account Limits Reached
Each SoTrustworthy subscription plan includes a specific number of automated review requests per month:
- 14-Day Free Trial: Includes limited request credits for testing.
- Starter Plan: Designed for low-volume sole proprietors.
- Growth Plan: Tailored for growing service teams with steady monthly job volume.
- Pro Plan: Includes high-volume limits and multi-location management.
If your business exceeds its monthly allowance, automated sending will pause until your next billing cycle resets or until you upgrade your plan.
To check your usage, go to Settings > Billing & Usage. If you have hit your limit, you will see a banner alerting you that request delivery is paused. You can upgrade your plan instantly to release queued requests.
7. Quiet Hours and Delivery Scheduling
SoTrustworthy respects local quiet hours so your business doesn't text customers late at night or early in the morning.
- Default Quiet Hours: By default, SMS review requests are paused between 8:00 PM and 8:00 AM in your business's local time zone.
- Overnight Triggers: If your field technician closes out a job in Jobber or HubSpot at 8:30 PM, SoTrustworthy queues the request and holds it safely until 8:30 AM the following morning.
- Status in Dashboard: Queued messages waiting for morning delivery will show as
Pending - Scheduledin your Activity Log.
8. Google Policy Compliance Reminder (No Review Gating)
SoTrustworthy strictly adheres to Google review policies, which prohibit "review gating"—the practice of filtering unhappy customers away from public review sites while directing happy customers to Google.
All review requests sent through SoTrustworthy give every customer direct access to leave feedback on your Google Business Profile, regardless of how they rate their experience. If a customer claims they didn't receive a link because they indicated they were unhappy, rest assured SoTrustworthy does not filter or hold requests based on sentiment. If the request was sent, the customer received the link.
How to Quickly Troubleshoot a Missing Request
Follow these steps if a specific customer says they didn't get their text:
- Check the Activity Log: Go to Activity in SoTrustworthy and search for the customer's name or phone number. Read the status tag (
Delivered,Failed,Suppressed,Pending, orOpted Out). - Verify the Phone Number: Ensure the phone number in SoTrustworthy is a valid mobile line with the correct 10-digit format.
- Check A2P Registration: Ensure your account profile is fully registered under Settings > SMS Setup.
- Send a Manual Test Request: Click Send Request at the top of your dashboard, enter your own personal mobile number, and test the workflow to confirm your sending line is active and delivering properly.
Related Articles
- Understanding SoTrustworthy Throttling & Cooldown Rules
- How to Register for A2P 10DLC Messaging
- Connecting SoTrustworthy to Jobber or HubSpot
Ask every customer for a review—without review gating.
SoTrustworthy sends a compliant, perfectly-timed review request to every customer after the job — no filtering, no gating, just more honest 5-star reviews on Google.
