How To Request a Review from Customers and Clients

Learn how to request a review from a customer or client so your business can gather more positive feedback online.

Reviews can be a game-changer for companies, adding to a brand’s credibility and reputation while encouraging more sales.

Trustpilot found that over 93% of online shoppers read reviews before making an online purchase. Also, nearly 62% of online shoppers search for a brand online if they’re not familiar with it. And very few of them will make a purchase if negative feedback shows up in search results.

Also surprising is that reviews matter more to customers than pricing and discounts. Plus, customers will pay more for the same item from a company with good reviews versus one with no reviews.

When it comes to online reputation management, asking for reviews is an important component of bolstering your digital presence, improving customer service and appealing to your target audience.

In this article, we’ll give you our top tips for requesting online reviews.

NetReputation provides information and services to encourage more customer feedback. Call us at 844-461-3632 to learn more, or fill out the contact form below for a free consultation.

Choose the Right Timing

When asking for online reviews from customers, timing matters. Here are some timing-related review request tips to keep in mind:

Request reviews shortly after a product has been purchased or a project has been completed.

This is when your brand is at the top of the customer’s mind. They’re more likely to (a) leave a review and (b) be thorough in their feedback when they do. Also, since this is when the customer’s satisfaction will be the highest, you’re more likely to get positive feedback this way.

Just be sure not to ask for a review the second the customer makes a purchase. You want them to have enough time to receive, open and use the product, but not so much time that the customer experience has passed.

Send review requests when a customer reorders.

Having a customer reorder from your shop or renew their subscription to your service means that they’re happy with your brand. This is an excellent time to encourage customers to leave reviews. The customer is already showing their trust in your business, and it could be a perfect time for them to provide valuable feedback.

Ask customers for reviews after they provide valuable feedback.

Let’s say you’re chatting with a customer on social media and they express how much they like your product. This is a great opportunity to ask for reviews on your preferred review platforms. Send them a review link to Google Maps, Truspilot, Yelp — whichever review platforms you use for your business.

Clarify that you’re not asking them to leave multiple reviews online, just that you’re providing different links so they can choose where to provide feedback.

Collect reviews when celebrating milestones or holidays.

A client’s one-year anniversary with your business or a certain number of purchases from a customer is cause for celebration. Plus, milestones provide natural opportunities to connect with clients and customers.

Similarly, customers tend to be in a good mood around the holidays, and your gratitude will be extra special during these times of the year.

Ask customers to leave reviews during these milestones or celebrations. Frame the review request to sound appreciative of their business and reflective of your time together. This will personalize the request instead of making it feel transactional.

Don’t request reviews if there are unresolved customer service issues.

There’s too high a likelihood that you’ll get negative reviews if you ask for them when issues still need clearing up. Wait until you’ve troubleshooted and resolved the issue before you ask for reviews.

Kindly request a review after a positive customer service interaction.

If you’ve managed to make a customer happy during a customer support interaction, this is a great time to ask for a review. You’ve already made the customer feel valued, and they may be willing to leave a review immediately following the experience.

Do you need help managing reviews? Call us at 844-461-3632 for a free consultation with one of our experts. 

Pick the Best Channel When You Ask for a Review

Different customers will be receptive to different types of review requests. Pick the channels that are right for your business and your customers. Here are some options:

Review Request Emails

This is one of the most common and effective ways to ask for reviews. Plus, you can automate review requests following orders or project completions. Provide a direct link to the review platform to make it easy for customers to leave feedback.

Messaging Apps or SMS

Customers who have opted in to messages from your brand are likely to act quickly when they see one come in. If you’ve already normalized texting with your customers, making a review request this way is simply an extension of your already-established communication.

Keep your requests brief, since this is a channel that calls for quick, direct communication. Also, time it well — send the review link during normal business hours so you don’t intrude on early mornings, evenings or weekends.

In-Person Requests

Brick-and-mortar stores and service-based businesses may have luck asking for reviews in person. When you’re having a positive interaction with a customer, casually ask for a review. It’ll be helpful to provide them with a card that has a QR code directing them to your preferred review platform.

Customer Portals or Receipts

This is one of the simplest ways to go about review collection because it’s so passive. And while you may not want it to be your one and only way to gather positive reviews, it’s smart to have part of your review process one you can practically forget about.

Add a review link or QR code to account dashboards, invoices and receipts. Customers can act on it at their own pace, and they’ll know where to go if they want to leave a review in the future.

Keep the Review Request Simple and Clear

When you ask for reviews, it’s important to make the process as simple as possible. You don’t want customers to have to take several steps just to leave a review. If the process is too complicated, people won’t do it.

Use Plain and Friendly Language

Avoid sounding very formal or using corporate jargon. Speak the way you would if the customer were in front of you. Conversational tones help strengthen your brand reputation of being approachable and genuine. Also, provide a call-to-action (CTA) so the customer knows exactly what to do.

Provide a Review Link

Customers shouldn’t have to go out of their way to leave a review. After all, customer feedback is much more important for your business than it is for the customer. Include a direct link or QR code to the review platform, whether that’s Google Maps, your business Facebook page, Yelp, etc. Fewer clicks mean a better chance of the customer leaving a quick review.

Personalize the Review Request

Sending a generic review request to a customer will make them feel like one of a herd instead of a singular and special component of your business. Personalizing your review request will make your customer feel seen and valued. This improves the chance that they’ll leave customer feedback.

Address the Customer by Name

Using a person’s name shows them that the message was created especially for them. It also helps to build a connection with the customer while showing that you respect them. This can be easily implemented into your review strategy by having the customer’s name automatically added to review request emails.

Mention the Specific Product or Service

When making post-purchase review requests, reference the specific items or services bought. This makes the review request more relevant. It may even spark a reminder for the customer that they have a new purchase to start using.

Encourage Honest Feedback from Customers

It’s one thing to encourage customers to leave reviews; it’s another to ask them to leave positive reviews and star ratings. The unfortunate truth about review management is that your feedback is bound to include negative reviews along with great ones.

Here’s the thing: How you respond to reviews is what matters most to customers, even if some of those reviews include negative feedback. BrightLocal found that 88% of consumers would use a business that replies to all reviews, both positive and negative. However, only 47% would use a business that doesn’t respond to its reviews at all.

What you can do is ask customers to leave genuine reviews. This emphasizes that you value authenticity and that you truly care about their actual customer experience.

Are you worried about your negative reviews? Let us help you take back control of your online reputation. Call us at 844-461-3632 for more information.

Add an Incentive To Get More Reviews

To reiterate, you can’t outright require guests to leave positive reviews, and negative reviews are par for the course when you run a business. But when asking for honest reviews post purchase, it’s smart to offer an incentive for their feedback and the time it took to leave it.

An incentive may motivate a customer who wouldn’t otherwise leave a review, or it could get them to act now instead of waiting to leave a review (and ultimately forgetting to do it at all).

Review incentives don’t have to be expensive or even cost anything at all. For example, you can offer any of the following:

• Extra loyalty points
• Featuring the review on your social media
• Giveaway entry
• Low-cost freebie with their next purchase
• Personalized thank-you note
• Special discount code

When phrasing your incentive offer, make sure to clarify that they’ll get the gift no matter what type of review they leave — positive, neutral or negative. To do that, simply don’t mention the type of review you’re after. Some review platforms have policies against businesses requesting or compensating only positive reviews.

Final Thoughts About How To Ask for Reviews and Customer Feedback

Making a review request doesn’t have to be complicated. Focus on being clear and thoughtful, and automate any parts of the process that don’t have to be personalized directly by you.

By choosing the right timing, using the best review request channels, tailoring your messaging to customers and offering mini incentives, it’ll be easier and more rewarding for customers to leave reviews.

As a result, you’ll get much more than an improved Google or Yelp rating. Feedback helps your business reputation, too, encouraging customer engagement and forging stronger customer relationships.

At NetReputation, we work with brands on review management and other areas of ORM. Give us a call at 844-461-3632 to learn more or fill out the contact form below.