Templates

After-the-job scripts, for the work that follows

Six messages for after the invoice is paid. Send a same-day thank-you, a review ask with one nudge, a referral ask, a seasonal check-in, and a low-key win-back. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

The job that comes after this one is usually already in your client list. A happy client does not automatically send more work your way. Repeat and referred work is the cheapest work a solo operator wins. It almost never happens on its own. Someone has to ask.

These six scripts cover the time after a job is done. Send a same-day thank-you. Ask for a review while it’s fresh, with one follow-up nudge and then a stop. Ask for a referral once a client has come back a second time. Send a seasonal check-in for recurring work. Send a low-key win-back to a client who has gone quiet. Fill in your details once at the top of this page and every script below updates to match.

None of this needs a sales voice. The same idea runs through all six, and through the payment and quote scripts in the other packs. Say the thing plainly. Make the ask specific. Give the other person an easy way to say no.

Scripts

Script 01 · Same day, job done

Subject: Thanks, [Client name] — job’s done

Hi [Client name], Thanks for having [Your business] out today — [what you did], all done. [Anything to keep an eye on / care instructions], and if anything comes up, just reach out. Invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount] is on its way separately, due [Due date] — nothing else needed from you right now. [Your name]

Why it works A same-day thank-you, while the work is still fresh, reads as care and not a sales pitch. Keep it apart from the invoice. Then “thank you” and “please pay me” do not land in one awkward message.

Script 02 · 2–3 days later

Subject: Quick favor, [Client name]?

Hi [Client name], Glad it worked out — if you have two minutes, a review would mean a lot: [review link]. A line about [what you did] is even more useful to the next person than a star rating on its own. No pressure at all if now’s not a good time. [Your name]

Why it works Ask while the work is still fresh. You get a more specific, more useful review than you get weeks later. Say “no pressure” up front. Then the ask does not read as an obligation.

Script 03 · One nudge, then stop

Text

Hi [Client name], just a quick one — if you get a spare minute for that review, here’s the link again: [review link]. No worries either way!

Why it works One short nudge covers the case where the first ask got buried in an inbox. A second nudge reads as pressure, not a reminder.

Script 04 · After the second job

Subject: A small ask, [Client name]

Hi [Client name], Thanks again for having [Your business] back — a second job from the same client means a lot. If you know [anyone else on the street who could use similar work], I’d really appreciate the introduction; feel free to just forward this along as-is. [Your name]

Why it works Name who you want the introduction to. Do not just say “anyone”. The client then has a clear task. A vague ask is one they mean to follow up on and forget.

Script 05 · 6 or 12 months on

Subject: Time for [the annual service / next clean / next shoot]?

Hi [Client name], It’s been about [6 months / a year] since [Your business] was last out for you — usually about when [the annual service / the next clean / a seasonal shoot] is due. Want to get something on the calendar? No rush if the timing’s not right yet — just flagging it before it slips. [Your name]

Why it works A reminder tied to a real service interval reads as a helpful heads-up, not a pitch. The client would otherwise have to track that information themselves.

Script 06 · A year of silence

Subject: Checking in, [Client name]

Hi [Client name], It’s been a while since [Your business] did any work for you, so just checking in — no particular reason, and no obligation either way. Happy to help if something’s come up; if not, no worries at all, and thanks for the work we did get to do together. [Your name]

Why it works One low-key message with an easy no costs nothing. It sometimes reopens work that lapsed for reasons that had nothing to do with the work.

Questions

Can I offer a discount in exchange for a review?

No. Offering an incentive for a review breaches most platforms’ policies. Google’s policies prohibit offering payment, discounts, or free goods and services in exchange for a review outright. In the US, the FTC’s Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials applies too. It makes it unlawful to give compensation or other incentives that are conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment. The condition can be set expressly or by implication. Disclosing the incentive doesn’t fix that. Reward referrals instead. A discount for a friend a client sends your way is a different thing, and it’s allowed.

What if I don’t think they’ll leave a good one?

Ask everyone the same way. Deliberately asking only your happiest clients is against Google’s review policies. This is sometimes called “review gating.” If you’re worried about a specific job, ask privately first what went wrong. Fix what you can. Then ask for the review once it’s resolved. Do not quietly skip the ask for that client.

How soon after the job should I ask for a review?

While it’s still fresh. Two to three days after is right. The client has then had a chance to see or use the finished work. Ask before the details fade. Waiting weeks tends to get a vaguer review, if you get one at all.

What if a client doesn’t respond to a check-in or win-back message?

Leave it there. One message with an easy no is enough. Following up again reads as pressure, and pressure makes a quiet client go quieter.

Want to stop relying on remembering?

You send these yourself. No software writes a thank-you worth reading. The part that slips is knowing a message is due at all. Which client came back a second time? Who is six months past their last visit? Who has gone quiet for a year? BizBinder does not send a reminder for these. Each client page lists that client’s jobs and invoices with their dates, so you can check there before you write.

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