Review Requests — Triggering & Sending

This article explains exactly when and how a review request goes out, the options your team has at checkout, and how patient opt-outs work.

Where Requests Are Triggered: The Checkout Reviews Tab

Most review requests are handled from the Reviews tab of the appointment checkout screen. When a staff member opens a checkout, TeamCare automatically creates a review request for that appointment (if one doesn't exist yet) and attributes it to the staff member handling checkout.

On the Reviews tab, staff choose one of three options:

1. Auto-Send

TeamCare sends the review text automatically after a delay.

• Choosing "Confirm Auto-Send" schedules the text to go out after your configured Send Delay (default 30 minutes).

• This option is only available when Auto-send SMS Review Requests is turned on in settings.

• Before it actually sends, TeamCare re-checks that the request is still scheduled (so a later change to "Do Not Send" cancels it).

2. Ask Patient

Use this when asking the patient in person. From here staff can:

• Show a QR code for the patient to scan on the spot, or

• Send the SMS now — texts the review link immediately instead of waiting for the delay.

3. Do Not Send

Skip the review request. There are two levels:

• Skip today — suppresses the request for today only. The patient becomes eligible again the next day.

• Never send / Opt out — permanently opts the patient out of review requests. This flips the patient's review-request preference off, and they won't be asked again unless you turn it back on.

Automatic Send Timing

When Auto-send is used:

1. Staff confirm Auto-Send at checkout.

2. TeamCare waits the number of minutes set in Send Delay (minimum and default: 30).

3. At that point it verifies the request is still scheduled and the patient is still eligible, then sends the text.

The delay is applied exactly as configured — set it to give patients time to leave the office.

What Must Be True for a Text to Actually Send

Every send checks all of the following. If any fails, the request quietly returns to pending rather than sending:

1. Feature enabled — "Enable Review Requests" is on.

2. Text messaging active — your A2P Business Verification is Approved.

3. Patient has a mobile number on file.

4. Patient hasn't opted out of review requests.

5. A text script is selected.

If a Twilio/carrier error occurs during sending, the request is reset to pending and the TeamCare technical team is notified automatically.

Per-Patient Controls & Eligibility

TeamCare tracks each patient's review-request status so the same person isn't over-asked:

Key rules:

• One request per patient per day. A patient who's already been sent a request today won't be texted again that day.

• Skip today is temporary. Suppressing a patient only affects today; they're eligible again the next day.

• Opt-out is permanent. "Never send" turns off the patient's review-request preference until it's manually turned back on.

The Marketing Queue

The Queue (Marketing → Review Requests → Queue) shows upcoming and recent appointments whose patients are eligible for a review request after their visit. Use it as a working list to make sure eligible patients are being asked. See The Review Requests Dashboard.

What Happens After the Text Is Sent

1. The patient taps the short link and lands on a 1–5 star rating screen.

2. After rating, they're shown buttons to review your practice on Google, Facebook, and Yelp (whichever links you've configured).

3. Their star rating is recorded in TeamCare as internal feedback, regardless of whether they continue to a public site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I chose Auto-Send but then decided not to send. Can I stop it? Yes. If you change the request to "Do Not Send" before the delay elapses, TeamCare cancels the scheduled send.

Q: Can I send the text right away instead of waiting? Yes — use Ask Patient → Send SMS now to text the link immediately.

Q: A patient was checked out but never got a text. Confirm all send conditions are met: feature on, A2P approved, patient has a mobile number, patient isn't opted out, and a text script is selected. If any is missing, the request stays pending.

Q: Can the same patient get multiple requests in one day? No. TeamCare sends at most one review request per patient per day.

Q: How do I re-enable a patient who opted out? Turn their review-request preference back on. Once re-enabled, they become eligible again.

Q: Can I trigger requests only for certain appointment types or providers? No. Triggering is practice-wide; there's no per-appointment-type or per-provider gating. Staff control each request individually at checkout.