The Best Time to Ask a Student for a Google Review

The best time to ask a student for a Google review is shortly after their visa is granted, while the relief and gratitude are still fresh. Ask by SMS a few hours later, with one short message and a direct link to your review page. Ask everyone at the same stage in the same way, and never offer anything in return.

Why happy students stay silent

Choosing a consultancy is a trust decision. A family comparing a few consultancies has very little to go on, so they look at your Google rating and read what people wrote.

But think about who writes reviews without being asked. Usually, it's someone who is annoyed. The student who got their visa is busy packing and celebrating. They'd happily say something kind about you, but nobody asked, and in a month they'll be in another country.

Your happiest students are your best marketing, and most of them will never say a word unless you make it easy.

Timing is almost everything

Ask after the good news

The strongest moment is a real milestone. For a study-abroad consultancy, that's visa granted. Some consultancies may prefer another point, such as an offer letter, but pick one clear stage and stick to it.

Wait a few hours

Don't send it the moment the stage changes. Give the student time to tell their family and enjoy it. A few hours later, they're still happy and they have a free moment. Four hours is a sensible starting point.

Don't rely on memory

"Remember to ask for a review" is one more thing a busy counselor will forget, usually on the busiest days, which are the ones with the most good news. Tie the request to the stage change so it happens by itself.

How to write the message

Keep it short enough to read on a phone. Use their name, say who it's from, and include one link:

Namaste [student's name], congratulations from [your consultancy]! If we made your journey easier, would you share a quick Google review? It helps other students find us.

Good requests:

• sound like a person, not a marketing campaign
• have one link, straight to your Google review page
• explain why it matters: it helps other students
• ask once, without chasing

SMS works well for this, because it doesn't depend on the student having an app open or checking email.

The rules you should never break

Fake or bought reviews can do real damage if they're found out, and families can often tell. Check Google's current review policies yourself, and hold to these basics:

• Never offer rewards. No discounts, gifts or fee reductions in exchange for a review.
• Never write reviews for students, and never ask staff or relatives to pose as students.
• Never pressure anyone. Don't ask in the office while they wait for their documents.
• Get consent. Make sure students have agreed to hear from you by SMS, and respect anyone who has opted out.
• Don't filter. Give everyone the same public link. Don't send only the happy ones to Google and quietly steer the rest elsewhere.

Handling a bad review

You will get one eventually. Handle it in the open:

1. Reply publicly, and calmly. Future students read your replies more closely than the complaint.
2. Don't argue or share private details. Say you'd like to look into it, and how to reach you.
3. Fix the actual problem. If the same complaint comes up twice, it's a process problem. Reply speed is a common one; see following up leads faster.

Never try to hide a bad review, or ask a student to take it down in exchange for anything.

Reviews and feedback are different things

Don't confuse the two:

• Private feedback comes to you during the journey, such as a rating from the student's link. Use it to catch problems while you can still fix them.
• A public Google review is for future students, and it belongs to the student who writes it.

You want both. Private feedback helps you earn the good public review. Our document checklist guide covers one of the most common sources of early frustration.

How to know it's working

Check these once a month, against your own past months:

• how many students were asked
• how many opened the link
• how many new reviews you received

If lots of students open the link but few leave a review, try simplifying your message. If few open it at all, look at your timing.

How ConsultMarg handles this

ConsultMarg sends the request by SMS when a student reaches a winning stage, visa granted by default, 4 hours later by default. You can change the stage, the wait and the message. The link passes through us first so taps are counted, then lands on your Google review page, and a log shows who was asked and who opened it. See how it works or book a demo.