Ask while the visit is fresh
The best moment to ask for a review is close to the treatment, while the client still remembers how the room felt and how the therapist worked. Send the request the same day or the next morning, not a week later. A text that arrives after the memory has faded reads as an obligation rather than a thank-you. Keep the timing steady so the team is not guessing, and avoid stacking the request on top of the appointment reminder in the same hour.
Keep the ask to one question
One question is easier to answer than a list. Ask whether the visit went well and invite a short reply. Clients often write a useful sentence when they know a person will read it, and that sentence tells you whether the request should move to a public review or stay internal.
Route the reply before it goes public
When a client replies, someone should read it quickly. A happy reply can be followed with a simple invitation to leave the review, and an unhappy one should reach the owner or the therapist rather than being pushed toward a public page. Handling the quiet complaint first protects the relationship and gives the spa a chance to fix the visit. This is why replies need a live path, not a mailbox nobody checks.
Make leaving the review easy
Once the client is willing, send a direct link to the right listing rather than telling them to search for the spa. Name the spa and the therapist where it is appropriate, and keep the steps to a single tap. If the client prefers to talk instead of typing, a reply path lets the team offer help. Every extra step between the good feeling and the review costs you responses. Pick one listing per location and keep it current, so the link never lands on a stale or duplicated page.
Handle quiet clients
Many clients will not reply, and that is normal. One gentle follow-up is enough; more than that turns a request into pressure. Some clients simply do not leave reviews, and a spa should not treat silence as a slight. Move on, and let the next good visit be the next chance to ask. Over time, a steady flow of requests reaches enough willing clients that the reviews accumulate without a single pushy week. Track which visits drew a reply and which drew silence, so the timing, the wording and the therapist assignment can be adjusted on evidence rather than habit.
Keep consent and tone in check
Send within reasonable hours, respect quiet times, and honour stop requests immediately. Under Canadian anti-spam rules each message should identify the spa and offer a working opt-out, with consent recorded on the client file. Keep the tone warm and specific; a review request that reads like a generic blast is easy to ignore.
Elevoi answers calls, books appointments, and sends SMS follow-ups, so a review reply that arrives while the team is with a client is still seen and answered. Run the requests alongside the SMS marketing for salons plan, with an AI receptionist for massage spas handling the calls that follow.