Referral Texts That Don't Feel Like Begging

Most referral asks feel like begging because of when they land and what they ask for. The customer just paid you. The invoice is still warm. And now you want the names and numbers of their friends. That is a lot to ask of someone who mostly wants their kitchen back.

The fix is not a cleverer script. It is a better time, and a mechanic that puts the customer in charge.

Why three weeks after the job

The day of the job is for the thank-you. A few days later is for the review, if you ask for one. The referral ask belongs later, and three weeks is about right for most trades.

By then the furnace has run through some cold nights. The new tap has not dripped. The lawn has grown in. The customer has had a chance to notice that the work held, which is the only reason anyone refers a tradesperson. Ask before that and you are asking them to vouch for something they have not tested.

The mechanic: forward this, and have them text me

You do not ask for names. You do not ask for numbers. You send a short text the customer can forward, and it ends with an invitation for their friend to reach out to you. The referred person makes contact. You never text a stranger.

That matters for three reasons.

• It is easier for the customer. Forwarding a text is one thumb. Handing over a friend's number means deciding whether the friend would mind, so most people do nothing.
• It is better for the friend. A text from a stranger about their roof is spam, however nice the roof was. A text from their neighbour saying "these are the people we used" is a recommendation.
• It keeps you on the right side of the rules. In Canada, CASL covers commercial texts, not just email, and you cannot send one without consent. There is a narrow exception for a single message following a referral, but it has conditions: the referrer needs a real relationship with both you and the recipient, the message has to name the referrer in full and say it was sent because of the referral, and it still needs your identification and an unsubscribe option. That is a lot of fine print to get right on a Tuesday. In the US, the TCPA requires prior express consent before using an automatic dialing system to reach a cell number, and the wireless industry's messaging principles say a consumer's opt-in is not transferable to another sender. Your customer's consent is not their friend's consent.

When the friend texts you first, all of that goes away. They asked. In Canada, an inquiry gives you implied consent for six months.

When a small thank-you is fine, and when it gets weird

A thank-you after a referral turns into a job is fine. A coffee card, a small credit on their next service, a handwritten note. It comes after the fact, it is modest, and it is not the reason they referred you. Nobody feels bought.

It gets weird in a few predictable ways.

• Announcing the reward in the ask. "Get $50 for every friend you send" turns a recommendation into a commission. The friend can feel it, and it makes your customer into a salesperson, which is not a role they signed up for.
• Anything tied to a review. Google's review policy prohibits offering incentives, including payment, discounts, or free goods or services, in exchange for a review. A referral thank-you and a review ask should never share a text or a sentence.

The test: would you be comfortable if the referred person knew exactly what the referrer got? If not, skip it.

Six example texts

Each one is meant to be forwarded as-is. Plain language, your business name, and one clear next step for the friend.

Plumber

Hi Jennifer, it's Mark from Northside Plumbing. Hope the new water heater is behaving. If anyone you know is dealing with a leak or a tired old tank, feel free to forward this and have them text me at this number. Mention your name and I'll look after them the same way.

Electrician

Hi Dave, Sarah here from Bright Line Electric. Checking in on the panel upgrade - let me know if anything is tripping that shouldn't. If a neighbour or friend needs an electrician, you're welcome to pass this along and have them text me directly. No pressure at all.

Roofer

Hi Priya, it's Tom from Ridgeview Roofing. That last storm was the first real test for your roof - I hope it was uneventful. If anyone on your street is thinking about theirs, forward this and have them send me a text. Happy to take a look and give them a straight answer.

Landscaper

Hi Marc, Lisa from Green Acre Landscaping. The sod should be well rooted by now - give it a tug and let me know if it isn't. If anyone you know wants their yard sorted this season, forward this and have them text me here.

House cleaner

Hi Amanda, it's Rosa from Tidy Home Cleaning. Thanks again for having us in. If a friend is looking for a cleaner they can trust with a key, you can forward this and have them text me. I'll mention you sent them, and they'll get the same care you did.

HVAC

Hi Kevin, Jason from Comfort Air here. The furnace has had a few cold nights now - hope it's keeping up. If anyone you know is nursing an old unit through another winter, forward this and have them text me. I'll fit them in.

Notice what none of them do. No "we're growing and need your help." No reward. No asking for names. No link. A check-in, a door held open, and the friend's move.

What to do when a referral texts in

This is where it gets fumbled. The friend texts, and it sits until tomorrow.

1. Reply the same day. A referred customer came in warm. Two days of silence cools them right down. "Thanks for reaching out - Jennifer's a great customer. What's going on with the tank?" is enough. Use the referrer's name, then leave their job out of it.
2. Get to the booking. Address, a couple of times that work, a photo if it helps. Keep the thread on the phone; that is the channel they chose.
3. Treat them like any other customer from here. They started the conversation, so you can reply and follow up on the job. Keep your business name in the first message anyway, and stop if they say stop. Under CASL that is a requirement, and the carriers expect it too.
4. Close the loop with the original customer. Once the referred job is booked, text Jennifer: "Your neighbour Chris got in touch - thanks for passing my name along." This is the moment a small thank-you fits, if you do one at all.
5. Write it down. Note who referred whom. When the new customer's own three-week mark comes up, ask them too.

Keeping it up

The hard part is not the wording. It is remembering to send the text three weeks after every job, when you are already three jobs deep into something else.

If you would rather not have to remember. Ask Every Customer texts every customer after a job in your business's name: a check-in, a thank-you card, one honest review ask, a referral ask three weeks on, and a come-back reminder when it's time. $2 a customer, first five free, card on file, and a customer counts once a year. askeverycustomer.com

Either way: ask once the work has proven itself, make forwarding the whole job, and let the friend come to you.