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When does a QR code work best?
On site, in the moment itself. A QR code at the counter, on the receipt or on the table sign catches the customer who is satisfied right now and already has their phone in hand. No address needed, no waiting, no chance for the moment to fade. That makes the QR strong in hospitality and at the counter, where satisfaction peaks at the moment of paying. How to handle that at the table is in collecting reviews at the table with QR, and you create a QR code as described in creating a Google review QR code.
The QR's weakness: it only works if the customer is physically present and remembers to scan. Someone already outside will not scan anymore. That makes the QR strong as a first chance, but weak as your only channel.
When does SMS work best?
Right after a visit, if you have the mobile number. SMS has a high open rate and is read within minutes almost every time, which makes it ideal for the peak moment shortly after the experience. A short text with a direct link, sent the same day, catches the customer who is already out the door but still fully satisfied. This is the channel that comes closest to the ideal moment without the customer having to be on site.
The trade-off: SMS feels more personal and direct than email, but also more intrusive when used wrong. One message, well timed, no reminder. More than that and you annoy.
When does email work best?
When you already have the address and the customer is used to hearing from you. Email offers room for context, a personal greeting and multiple links, and it is the natural channel for businesses that already email their customers, like car dealers after a workshop visit or service providers after a job. Email also reaches customers whose mobile number you do not have, which extends your reach.
The weakness is the open rate: part of your emails is opened late or not at all, and the peak moment passes. That makes email the workhorse for reach, but not the fastest channel.
Why is the combination stronger than one channel?
Because your customers are not all reachable or inclined the same way. One scans the QR right away, another only reacts to the SMS in the evening, a third opens the email at the weekend. Pick one channel and you miss everyone who responds just a bit differently. The smart setup is layered: a QR for those who want to do it immediately, followed by an automated email or SMS for those who did not scan on site, without approaching anyone twice who already responded.
That last part is the hard bit manually, because you have to track who already left a review. With Repmanager you send email invitations and generate a QR code per location, and the overview of sent invitations shows whether the link was clicked, so you can see who already responded before you follow up. That way you use each channel's strength without the risk of the combination becoming annoying. Which moment to use per sector is in the best moment to ask for a review.
