A review request is a small piece of timing. Asked too early, it interrupts the class. Asked too late, the student has forgotten the details. Asked with several options, it stalls. Done well, the ask is one short message that arrives while the class is still fresh and points to one place.
Pick the moment
The booking record already knows who attended and when. Use it. Send the request in the quiet hour after a class the student actually turned up to, not after a booking they cancelled. Students who attend regularly can be asked on a slower cycle so the same person is not prompted every week, which turns a genuine request into background noise.
Ask for one thing
Keep the message to a single sentence and a single link. The reader should not have to choose between platforms or open an app to find the right page. One destination, named plainly, with the studio name for context. If the review page needs a step or two, that is fine, but the text itself should not add any. Name the review page in the sentence so the reader knows what to expect before they tap, and keep the studio name close by so the message is not mistaken for something unfamiliar.
Make it personal, not templated
A request that reads as a copy-paste blast gets ignored. Where the system can, include the class the student attended or the instructor's name, because that small detail shows the message was meant for them. The tone should stay plain: no prizes, no exaggerated thanks, no pressure. A simple line that says the studio would value their thoughts is enough.
Give unhappy students a private route
The point of asking is not only to collect praise. Add one short line inviting anyone with a concern to reply directly to the studio. A student who had a poor experience can then say so in the thread, where staff can respond in private and fix the issue, rather than letting the frustration sit until it becomes a public review instead.
Handle replies like any other message
Review replies should land in the same inbox as calls and bookings, so nothing is missed. A thank-you reply goes back to the student; a complaint gets a personal response and a note on the record. When the same concern appears more than once, that is a signal to change something in how the class is run, not just to answer the message.
Follow up once, then let it rest
If there is no reply, one gentle follow-up is reasonable. After that, stop. Repeated asks annoy the very students the studio wants to keep, and a longer sequence rarely earns enough extra reviews to justify the irritation. A student who was asked once and did not reply may simply have been busy that week, so the single follow-up gives them a fair chance. A third message does not, and it is the third message that tends to produce opt-outs. Because Elevoi answers calls around the clock, books appointments and sends SMS follow-ups, the same record that drives the review request also holds the booking history. SMS marketing for salons covers how review asks fit with reminders and win-backs in one campaign system.