Why Emergency Customers Never Leave Reviews (& How to Fix It)

You just saved a customer from a flooded basement at 2 AM. They were panicked when you arrived, grateful when you left. The crisis is over. They're relieved. And they'll never leave you a review.

Sound familiar? It happens to plumbing contractors hundreds of times every year. Emergency plumbing customers are your most grateful clients—and your least likely to review. This isn't just frustrating. It's costing you thousands of dollars in lost jobs.

Quick Summary: Emergency plumbing jobs make up 60% of service calls but generate only 15-20% of reviews. This guide shows you the 24-hour rule, emergency-specific messaging templates, and systematic processes that triple review rates from emergency customers—turning crisis calls into your most powerful marketing asset.

Reading time: 8 minutes | Last updated: January 21, 2026

In This Guide, You'll Learn:

• Why emergency customers forget to review (and the psychology behind it)
• The 24-hour rule that triples emergency review rates
• 4 copy-paste templates for emergency review requests
• How to systemize review collection without adding admin time
• Benchmarks to measure your emergency review performance
• A 7-day action plan to implement immediately

According to BrightLocal's 2025 Consumer Review Survey, 87% of consumers read reviews before hiring a plumber for emergency work. Yet the very jobs that drive the most urgent searches generate the fewest reviews. Let's fix that.

Why Emergency Plumbing Is Different

The Emergency Customer Psychology

When a customer calls you at midnight because their basement is flooding, they're not in normal decision-making mode. They're in crisis.

Their mental state during the emergency:

• Fight-or-flight stress response activated
• Sole focus: make the problem stop
• Price becomes secondary to speed
• Decision-making driven by panic, not research

What happens after you fix it:

• Crisis ends, stress evaporates instantly
• Relief replaces fear—you did your job
• They return to normal life immediately
• The emergency becomes "that thing that happened"

This is the review gap. The intensity of their gratitude during the emergency doesn't translate to action after it. Once the flooded basement is dry, they're back to work, kids, and life. You're forgotten—despite being their hero hours earlier.

The Review Gap Problem

The numbers tell the story:

Based on 100 emergency calls and 50 scheduled jobs annually

If you run 100 emergency calls per year at a 15% review rate, you're getting 15 reviews. A plumber who cracks the emergency review code at 40% gets 40 reviews from the same number of jobs. That's 25 additional reviews pointing to their business instead of yours.

The revenue impact: When a homeowner searches "emergency plumber near me" at 11 PM, Google shows businesses with the most reviews first. If your competitor has 247 reviews and you have 63, who gets the $650 call? Not you. Multiply that by 50 emergency calls per year, and you've lost $32,500 in revenue—because emergency customers didn't review.

Why Standard Review Requests Fail

Most plumbing contractors use the same review request approach for all jobs:

1. Asking too soon (during or immediately after service)

   • Customer is still stressed, focused on the problem
   • They're not in "help others" mode yet
   • The request feels transactional when emotions are raw

2. Asking too late (a week or more after service)

   • Customer has completely moved on
   • Emergency is forgotten (intentionally—who wants to remember a crisis?)
   • No emotional connection remains

3. Generic messaging ("Thanks for your business, please leave a review")

   • Doesn't acknowledge what they went through
   • Feels like every other business request
   • No empathy for the emergency context

The result? Your review request gets ignored—not because they weren't happy, but because you asked at the wrong time, in the wrong way.

The 4 Pillars of Emergency Review Generation

Pillar 1: Strategic Timing

The 24-Hour Rule: Wait 24 hours after completing an emergency job before sending your first review request.

Why 24 hours works:

Emergency customers need time to decompress. Immediately after you leave, they're still in "recovery mode"—cleaning up, assessing damage, dealing with insurance. Ask them for a review while they're mopping water, and your message gets deleted.

After 24 hours, three things have happened:

1. The crisis is truly over (they've had time to confirm everything works)
2. Stress has subsided (they can think clearly again)
3. Gratitude has replaced panic (they remember you saved them, not just that they had a problem)

Comparison to scheduled jobs:

• Emergency: 24-hour delay
• Scheduled water heater install: 2-4 hour delay
• Routine maintenance: Same-day or 2-hour delay

The worse the crisis, the longer the wait. A burst pipe flooding a finished basement? 24-48 hours. A clogged drain? 24 hours is perfect.

Seasonal timing adjustments:

Winter emergencies (frozen pipes, furnace issues) may need 48 hours—the customer is dealing with multiple vendors (plumber, restoration, insurance). Summer sewer backups? 24 hours is plenty.

Pillar 2: Empathetic Messaging

Generic review requests fail because they ignore what the customer just experienced. Emergency-specific messaging acknowledges the crisis, references the specific problem, and positions the review as helping others avoid the same stress.

The empathy formula:

1. Acknowledge the specific emergency ("We know dealing with a burst pipe is stressful...")
2. Confirm resolution ("We hope everything is back to normal now")
3. Position the review as helping others in crisis ("...helps other homeowners know who to trust")

Example (burst pipe):

"Hi Sarah, we know dealing with a burst pipe and water damage was incredibly stressful. We hope everything is back to normal now! If our team helped solve the problem quickly, would you mind sharing your experience? It helps other homeowners know who to trust when they face the same emergency."

Compare this to generic messaging:

"Hi Sarah, thanks for choosing ABC Plumbing. We'd love a review!"

The first message shows you remember what they went through. The second could be copy-pasted to any customer. Which one gets the response?

Pillar 3: Multi-Channel Follow-Up

Why SMS is primary for emergencies: 78% of emergency plumbing searches happen on mobile devices. Your customer found you on their phone during the crisis. That's where they'll respond to your review request.

The 3-touch sequence:

Touch 1 (24 hours): SMS

• Short, empathetic message
• Direct link to Google review
• Personal tone (use their first name, reference specific emergency)

Touch 2 (72 hours): Email with before/after photos

• Longer context about the emergency
• Include photos from the job (if you took them)
• Visual reminder of the crisis and resolution
• Same review link

Touch 3 (5-7 days): Final SMS reminder

• Brief, friendly nudge
• Focus on helping others: "Your review helps families in [city] find trustworthy plumbers during emergencies"
• Last chance before you stop

The response rate breakdown:

• 40% respond to Touch 1 (SMS at 24 hours)
• 30% respond to Touch 2 (email with photos at 72 hours)
• 30% respond to Touch 3 (final SMS at 5-7 days)

Without Touch 2 and 3, you're leaving 60% of potential reviews on the table.

Pillar 4: Review Interception System

The worst place for negative feedback is on Google. The best place is in a private conversation where you can fix the problem before it becomes a public review.

How review interception works:

Before asking for a Google review, ask: "How did we do?"

If they respond positively → Send Google review link If they respond negatively or neutrally → Route to private feedback form

The private feedback flow:

1. Customer rates 1-3 stars in your initial message
2. Automatic redirect to private form (not Google)
3. You receive immediate notification
4. You call within 1 hour to resolve the issue
5. After resolution, ask if they'd update their experience publicly

Example pre-review filter (SMS):

"Quick question about your emergency service last night: On a scale of 1-5, how did we do? Reply with a number."

• Reply "4" or "5" → Send Google review link
• Reply "1", "2", or "3" → Send link to private feedback form

This simple filter catches unhappy customers before they post publicly. A customer who felt overcharged for a $1,200 emergency repair won't post that on Google if you call them within an hour and explain the pricing breakdown. They'll post on Google if you ask for a review and ignore their frustration.

Important: According to Google's review policy guidelines, you cannot selectively request reviews only from happy customers. The interception system asks everyone for feedback first, then directs them to the appropriate channel based on their satisfaction level. This complies with Google's policies while protecting your reputation.

Emergency-Specific Review Request Templates

Template 1: Burst Pipe / Water Damage

SMS Version (24 hours after service):

Hi [First Name], we know dealing with a burst pipe and water damage was incredibly stressful. We hope everything is back to normal now! If our team helped solve the problem quickly, would you mind sharing your experience? It helps other homeowners know who to trust when they face the same emergency.
 
[Review Link]
 
Thanks,
[Your Company Name]

Email Version (72 hours after service):

Subject: We hope everything is back to normal, [First Name]
 
Hi [First Name],
 
Plumbing emergencies like burst pipes are incredibly stressful—especially when they cause water damage. We're glad we could help get things back to normal quickly.
 
If you're satisfied with how [Technician Name] handled your emergency, would you share your experience with other homeowners? Your review helps families in [City] know who to trust when they're dealing with the same crisis.
 
[Before/After Photos if available]
 
Leave a Review: [Review Link]
 
Thank you for trusting us during a difficult situation.
 
[Your Name]
[Company Name]
[Phone Number]

Template 2: No Hot Water Emergency

SMS Version:

[First Name], enjoy those hot showers again! We know going without hot water is no fun. If you're happy we got your water heater fixed quickly, a quick review helps us help more families in [City] when they need emergency service.
 
[Review Link]
 
- [Company Name]

Email Version:

Subject: Hope you're enjoying hot water again, [First Name]!
 
Hi [First Name],
 
Going without hot water is one of those emergencies that disrupts everything—showers, dishes, laundry. We're glad [Technician Name] got your water heater working again quickly.
 
If we delivered the fast, professional service you needed, would you take 30 seconds to share your experience? It helps other families in [City] know they can count on us for emergency water heater service.
 
Leave a Review: [Review Link]
 
Wishing you no more plumbing surprises,
 
[Your Name]
[Company Name]

Template 3: Clogged Drain / Sewer Backup

SMS Version:

Hi [First Name], we hope your [kitchen/bathroom] is back to normal after that drain emergency. If you're glad we got there fast and fixed it right, would you share your experience? Takes 30 seconds and helps neighbors find reliable help during plumbing emergencies.
 
[Review Link]
 
Thanks,
[Company Name]

Template 4: Weekend/After-Hours Emergency

SMS Version:

[First Name], thanks for choosing us for your [weekend/evening] emergency. We know plumbing problems don't wait for business hours. If we delivered the fast, professional service you needed, your review helps others know they can count on us anytime.
 
[Review Link]
 
- [Company Name]

Follow-Up Template (5-7 days after initial request)

SMS Only (brief reminder):

Quick reminder, [First Name]: Your feedback about your recent emergency service helps families in [City] find trustworthy plumbers. Takes just 30 seconds if you have a moment: [Review Link]

Keep it short. This is their third touchpoint. If they haven't reviewed by now, a novel-length email won't change that. A brief, friendly reminder acknowledges you haven't heard from them without being pushy.

Systemizing Your Emergency Review Process

Manual review requests fail because busy plumbers forget to send them. You finish a midnight emergency call, fall asleep, and never send the request. Systemization ensures every job—emergency or not—gets a review request at the perfect time.

Step 1: Tag Jobs by Type

Your CRM or field service software should categorize every job as:

• Emergency
• Scheduled service
• Maintenance
• Major project

Why this matters: Each job type needs different timing. Emergency = 24-hour delay. Scheduled water heater install = 2-hour delay. If you treat all jobs the same, half your requests go out at the wrong time.

How to tag in your software:

• ServiceTitan: Use "Job Type" custom field
• Housecall Pro: Use "Job Tags"
• Jobber: Use "Job Type" dropdown
• Spreadsheet/manual: Add "Emergency" column

Also tag:

• Service category (drain, water heater, leak, sewer, etc.)
• Customer satisfaction flag (quick assessment at job completion: satisfied/neutral/unhappy)

Step 2: Automate the Timing

Set up automated review requests based on job type:

How to automate:

• GoHighLevel: Workflow automation with conditional triggers based on custom fields
• ServiceTitan: Marketing Pro automation rules
• Housecall Pro: Automated review requests with timing controls
• Zapier: Connect your FSM to review request platform with delay steps

If your software doesn't support conditional timing, set a reminder on your phone for 24 hours after emergency calls. Manual is better than nothing.

Step 3: Multi-Touch Sequence

Never send just one request. The majority of reviews come from the second or third touch.

Automated sequence for emergencies:

Touch 1 (24 hours):

• Send SMS with emergency-specific template
• Track if they click the review link

Touch 2 (72 hours):

• IF no review received → Send email with before/after photos
• Include same review link
• Longer context about their specific emergency

Touch 3 (5-7 days):

• IF still no review → Send final SMS reminder
• Keep it brief and friendly
• Focus on helping others

Touch 4 (Stop):

• Do not send more requests
• Mark contact as "Review Sequence Complete"
• Try again after their next job (if they become a repeat customer)

Step 4: Monitor and Optimize

Track these metrics weekly:

Review rate by job type:

• Emergency jobs: _____% review rate
• Scheduled jobs: _____% review rate
• Overall: _____% review rate

Response rate by channel:

• SMS Touch 1: _____%
• Email Touch 2: _____%
• SMS Touch 3: _____%

Review rate by technician:

Technician tracking reveals who delivers 5-star service consistently. Use this data for:

• Performance bonuses
• Training less-effective technicians
• Assigning VIP customers to top-rated techs

A/B test your messages: Try two versions of your emergency SMS template for one month. Which gets more responses? Keep the winner, test a new variation next month.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Asking Too Soon

The error: "Hey, I just fixed your flooded basement. Mind leaving me a review?"

Why it fails: Customer is still in crisis mode—cleaning up water, calling insurance, assessing damage. A review request during this time feels tone-deaf.

The fix: Wait 24 hours minimum. Let them decompress, confirm everything works, and process the experience.

Mistake #2: Generic Messaging

The error: "Thanks for your business! We'd appreciate a review."

Why it fails: This message could go to anyone—a restaurant customer, a car buyer, a dental patient. It shows no awareness of what they just experienced.

The fix: Reference the specific emergency. "We know dealing with a burst pipe was stressful..." immediately shows you remember their crisis.

Mistake #3: Email-Only Strategy

The error: Sending only email requests for emergency customers.

Why it fails: They found you on mobile during a midnight emergency. They're not checking email—they're looking at their phone.

The fix: SMS primary, email secondary. SMS gets 32% response rates for time-sensitive messages vs. 8% for email.

Mistake #4: No Follow-Up

The error: Send one review request, never follow up.

Why it fails: 60% of reviews come from the second or third touch. One request = leaving 60% of reviews on the table.

The fix: 3-touch sequence over 7 days. Respectful persistence = more reviews.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Negative Signals

The error: Customer seemed unhappy at job completion. You send a Google review request anyway.

Why it fails: Unhappy customers will leave a review—a negative one. Asking them to do it just speeds up the damage.

The fix: Route dissatisfied customers to private feedback first. Fix the problem before asking for a public review. Most will never post the negative review if you resolve their concern quickly.

Measuring Success

Key Metrics to Track

1. Review rate by job type

• Emergency review rate: _____%
• Scheduled review rate: _____%
• Overall review rate: _____%

2. Average time from job completion to review request sent

• Target: 24 hours for emergencies, under 4 hours for scheduled

3. Response rate by channel

• SMS response rate: _____%
• Email response rate: _____%

4. Review velocity (reviews per month)

• Current: _____ reviews/month
• Target: _____ reviews/month

5. Keyword frequency in reviews

• How many reviews mention "emergency," "fast," "reliable"?
• These keywords match high-intent searches

Benchmarks for Plumbing Businesses

Where do you rank? If your emergency review rate is below 20%, implementing the 24-hour rule and emergency-specific templates can double or triple your results.

7-Day Action Plan

Day 1-2: Setup & Assessment

Day 1: Calculate your current emergency review rate

• Count emergency jobs in the last 90 days
• Count how many left reviews
• Calculate percentage: (Reviews ÷ Emergency Jobs) × 100

Day 2: Tag your jobs

• Go back 30-60 days in your CRM/FSM
• Tag each job as emergency or scheduled
• Note which emergencies generated reviews vs. which didn't

Analysis: You'll likely find that most emergency jobs have zero reviews, even for customers who were extremely grateful at the time.

Day 3-4: Create Your Templates

Day 3: Customize the templates from this guide

• Replace [Company Name], [City], [Technician Name] placeholders
• Add your review link (Google Business Profile review URL)
• Adjust tone to match your brand voice

Day 4: Write your SMS and email versions

• Create templates for:
  • Burst pipe/water damage
  • No hot water emergency
  • Clogged drain/sewer backup
  • Weekend/after-hours emergency
  • Follow-up reminder (day 5-7)

Test send each template to yourself. Do they sound empathetic and natural?

Day 5: Configure Your System

Option 1: Automated system (GoHighLevel, ServiceTitan, etc.)

• Set up workflow: Job Complete → Wait 24 hours → Send SMS
• Configure multi-touch sequence (Touch 1, 2, 3)
• Test with a sample job

Option 2: Manual reminder system

• Set calendar reminder for 24 hours after each emergency job
• Keep templates in a doc for easy copy-paste
• Track sent requests in spreadsheet

Automated is ideal, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Manual implementation beats no implementation.

Day 6-7: Launch & Monitor

Day 6: Send your first batch

• Identify 5-10 recent emergency jobs (within last 30 days)
• Send them the 24-hour SMS template (even though it's been longer—better late than never)
• Track response rate

Day 7: Review early results

• How many customers opened the message?
• How many clicked the review link?
• How many actually left a review?
• Any negative responses? (if yes, route to private feedback immediately)

Expected results: 2-4 reviews from 10 requests (20-40% rate) is realistic for your first batch. As you refine messaging and timing, this will improve.

Key Takeaways

1. Emergency customers forget to review because stress → relief → forgetfulness. The 24-hour rule gives them time to decompress before you ask.

2. The 24-hour delay triples emergency review rates by waiting until gratitude replaces panic.

3. Emergency-specific messaging outperforms generic templates by 3-5x because it shows empathy and acknowledges what they experienced.

4. Multi-channel sequences recover 60% more reviews. One request isn't enough—80% of reviews come from touches 2 and 3.

5. Systemization ensures consistency even during your busiest weeks. Manual requests fail when you're overwhelmed with emergency calls.

Turn Emergency Calls into 5-Star Reviews Automatically

You've just learned how to manually implement emergency review generation. Here's the reality: when you're running a plumbing business, fighting fires at 2 AM, and managing a team—manual review requests fall through the cracks.

Reputation Genius automates this entire process:

✅ Smart emergency timing: Automatically waits 24 hours for emergencies, 2 hours for scheduled jobs ✅ Emergency-specific templates: Pre-written messages for burst pipes, water heaters, drains, and after-hours calls ✅ Multi-channel sequences: Sends SMS, email, and follow-ups without you lifting a finger ✅ Review interception: Routes unhappy customers to private feedback before they post on Google ✅ Works with your existing software: Integrates with ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, or any CRM

The best part? It costs 70% less than Birdeye or Podium—while being specifically built for plumbing contractors, not generic businesses.

Schedule a 15-minute demo and we'll show you exactly how Phoenix plumbing contractors are generating 3x more reviews while spending less time on reputation management.

Every account includes Emergency Review Rescue Templates, smart timing automation, technician performance tracking, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don't see more reviews, you pay nothing.

About the Author

Dustin Giordani is the founder of Reputation Genius, a reputation management platform built specifically for home service businesses. After watching hundreds of HVAC, plumbing, roofing, and electrical contractors lose jobs to competitors with more reviews—despite delivering superior service—he created a system that turns customer satisfaction into marketing power. Dustin has helped home service businesses generate over 50,000 five-star reviews and believes every contractor who delivers great work deserves a reputation that reflects it.

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Looking for the Emergency Review Rescue Templates mentioned in this guide? Download all 12 templates free →