Should I text or email a customer for a referral?

Use the channel you already use with that customer. A text is quicker to read and forward, an email suits customers who booked by email or need a receipt. Either way, send it from your own phone or address so replies come back to you.

Should the referral request mention the reward?

Yes, if you offer one. Say the amount and the condition in one line, for example that you pay when the referred job closes. A reward nobody can repeat is a reward nobody acts on.

How often can I ask the same customer?

Asking at each natural moment is reasonable: when the job is done, a week later, after a review and at a seasonal check-in. Stop if they ask you to, and honour any opt-out the rules where you work require.

Referral Text Templates for After a Job

A good referral text has four parts

A referral request works when it is short and specific: a thank you, a plain ask, one link, and the reward with its condition. Leave out anything else. The customer should be able to forward it in one tap, and the person they send it to should understand it without context.

Fill in the brackets before you send

Every template uses the same placeholders: [first name], [your name], [your business], [your reward] and [your link]. Replace them with your own details. Your link is the referral page link from your dashboard, so the referral is attributed to the right person and you can see who to thank.

All twelve templates at a glance

Each of the four moments has three versions: a text for your phone, an email for customers you reach by inbox, and a few lines to say out loud in person or on a call. Pick the channel you already use with that customer, then copy the full wording from the sections below.

Twelve referral request templates by moment and channel
Moment	Channel	Opens with
Job completion	Text	Thanks for having us out today
Job completion	Email	Thanks again for choosing us
Job completion	Say it out loud	Before I head off
One week after	Text	Checking the work is holding up
One week after	Email	A quick check-in
One week after	Say it out loud	I wanted to check everything is working
After a 5-star review	Text	Thank you for the review
After a 5-star review	Email	Thank you for your review
After a 5-star review	Say it out loud	Thank you for the review you left
Seasonal check-in	Text	It is that time of year again
Seasonal check-in	Email	Getting ready for the season
Seasonal check-in	Say it out loud	I am calling ahead of the season

Moment one: right after the job is done

Ask the same day or the next morning, while the customer is looking at the finished work. This is the moment they are most likely to mention you to someone, so give them the link now. Keep it to a thank you, the ask, the link and the reward.

Text: job completion

Hi [first name], thanks for having [your business] out today. If anyone you know needs the same kind of work, here is my link to pass on: [your link]. If they hire us, there is [your reward] in it for you.

Email: job completion

Subject: Thanks again for choosing us Hi [first name], Thanks for having [your business] out. If anyone you know needs the same kind of work, this link sends them straight to me: [your link] If it turns into a job, there is [your reward] in it for you. Thanks, [your name]

Say it out loud: job completion

Before I head off, how do you feel about how it turned out? If you are happy with it, the best thing you can do for a small business like ours is pass our name on. I will text you the link, and there is [your reward] for you if someone you send hires us.

Moment two: one week after the job

A week later, check the work is holding up and ask again. A follow-up shows you care about the result, not just the invoice, and it reaches customers who meant to share your link and forgot. Lead with the check-in, then the ask.

Text: one week after

Hi [first name], [your name] from [your business]. Checking the work is holding up a week on. If it is, and someone you know needs help, here is the link to pass on: [your link]. [your reward] if it turns into a job.

Email: one week after

Subject: A quick check-in Hi [first name], It has been a week since we finished, so I wanted to check everything is working the way you expected. If anything needs a look, reply and I will sort it. If it is all good and you know someone who needs us, here is the link: [your link]. There is [your reward] for you if it becomes a job. Thanks, [your name]

Say it out loud: one week after

I wanted to check everything is working the way you wanted. If it is, and a neighbour or friend ever asks who did the work, I would be grateful if you passed my name on. I can text you the link so you have it.

Moment three: after a 5-star review

When a customer leaves a good review, thank them personally and ask in the same message. They have just said in public that they would recommend you, so a referral link is a natural next step. Keep the thank you first and the ask light.

Text: after a review

Hi [first name], thank you for the review. It means a lot to a business our size. If you know anyone else who needs us, this link sends them straight to me and makes sure you get the [your reward]: [your link]

Email: after a review

Subject: Thank you for your review Hi [first name], Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It genuinely helps. If anyone you know needs the same work, this link sends them to me and records that they came from you: [your link]. There is [your reward] for you if it turns into a job. Thanks, [your name]

Say it out loud: after a review

Thank you for the review you left. If anyone asks you who did the work, here is our card with the link on it, and there is [your reward] for you if they hire us.

Moment four: the seasonal check-in

Before the season that matters for your trade, check in with past customers. It is a useful reminder for them and a fresh chance to share your link with neighbours who are thinking about the same work. Offer help first, then mention the referral.

Text: seasonal check-in

Hi [first name], [your name] from [your business]. It is that time of year again. If you or anyone you know needs anything before the season, here is the link: [your link]. [your reward] for any referral that turns into a job.

Email: seasonal check-in

Subject: Getting ready for the season Hi [first name], It is that time of year again, so I wanted to check in before things get busy. If you need anything looked at, reply and we will find a time. If friends or neighbours are planning the same work, this link sends them to me: [your link]. There is [your reward] for you if it turns into a job. Thanks, [your name]

Say it out loud: seasonal check-in

I am calling ahead of the season to see if you need anything before we get busy. And if anyone you know is planning work, I would be glad if you passed my name on. I will text you the link.

Give referrers a disclosure line to use

When a referrer shares your link and may get a reward, they should say so. Give them a short line to add, in the spirit of the FTC's guidance on endorsements, so the person they send it to knows there is a reward. Put it on your referral page too. This is general information, not legal advice.

Disclosure line for referrers

Heads up: I may get a reward from [your business] if you hire them.

Your own phone sends these, not Revvin

On Revvin, referral asks open your own phone or email app with the message filled in, and your device sends them from your own number or address. Replies come straight back to you. To write a version for your trade, tone and timing, use the free Referral Message Generator.

Sources

FTC: FTC's Endorsement Guides, what people are asking

Referral request templates: what to text a customer after a job