How to Use AI for Customer Follow-Ups and Review Requests (and the FTC Review Rule)

A follow-up after the job tells customers you care, catches problems early and is the natural moment to ask for a review. AI can draft short, friendly messages in your voice. The rules about reviews are strict, so ask honestly and never write reviews yourself. This guide is part of the AI for Plumbers and Trades hub.

Caution: Use placeholders for customer names and addresses. Do not write, buy or generate fake reviews (including with AI), do not offer rewards only for positive reviews and do not hide or filter reviews in ways the law prohibits. Check marketing text and call consent rules before sending messages to customers who have not agreed to hear from you. General information, not legal advice.

The follow-up message

A day or two after the job, send a short note: thank them, ask whether everything is working as expected and give a number to call if not. This is also the best time to ask for a review if the customer was happy.

Asking for reviews the right way

The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, effective October 21, 2024, prohibits fake or false reviews, including ones that misrepresent that the reviewer exists or had a real experience, and it covers buying reviews conditioned on sentiment and certain kinds of review suppression (see 16 CFR 465.2 and 465.7). In practice: ask every customer the same way, do not only ask the ones you think will be positive and then discourage others, do not pay for positive reviews and never write a review for a customer, with or without AI.

Replying to reviews

Thank people, address concerns calmly and invite them to call. Do not repeat private details about the customer's home or job. See how to use AI to reply to customer reviews.

Texting rules

Marketing texts and automated messages are covered by consent and do-not-call rules, and transactional messages about a scheduled job are treated differently. Check with your attorney or trade association before texting people who have not agreed to hear from you.

A follow-up prompt

Write a short, friendly follow-up text from a plumbing business to a customer one day after a repair. Use placeholders [CUSTOMER NAME] and [MY NAME]. Thank them, ask if everything is working as expected, and give [PHONE NUMBER] if anything is not right. Then add one separate sentence asking if they would be willing to leave an honest review at [REVIEW LINK]. No offers, discounts or rewards. Under 60 words, no emoji.

Check it before you use it

• You are asking all customers in the same way, not selectively.
• No reward or discount is tied to a positive review.
• Placeholders are replaced and phone and link are correct.
• You have permission to contact the customer this way.
• You did not write or generate a review for anyone.

Related: replying to customer reviews, scheduling messages and customer emails with AI.

Want more ready-made prompts for this kind of work? Get the free AI prompt pack for plumbers and trades (PDF).

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount for a review?

Do not offer rewards conditioned on positive reviews, and check platform rules. Ask an attorney about incentives.

Can AI write a review I can post for a customer?

No. Fake or AI-generated reviews that misrepresent a real customer experience are prohibited.

When should I ask for a review?

Soon after a good job, once the customer has seen the result, in a short, polite message.

What if a customer leaves a bad review?

Reply calmly, offer to resolve it and avoid sharing private details. Report reviews that break platform rules through the platform.