Asking your customers for a review can feel like pestering them or being too pushy. You’ve probably received an overly eager email from a brand before asking you to review your purchase when you’ve barely had time to look at it. You likely felt instantly put off, pressured, and outright annoyed by them. It might even spoil your experience of the product completely.
As a business owner, you want to avoid making your customers feel like they’re being nagged or pressured into sharing a positive review before they’re ready.
So how do you ask for reviews without annoying your customers?
Let’s take a look at the do’s and don’ts of asking customers for a review.
Do’s
Read the room
Timing is everything when it comes to asking for a review from your customer. Ask too soon, and you’ll scare them off. Ask too late and they’ll be scrambling to remember you, and probably delete your email out of annoyance. Try to aim for the sweet spot shortly after they’ve had time to enjoy your product or service. This is usually about 24 hours after they’ve received a product, or used a service. Another sign is when you see a customer talking positively about your brand online. This is a great time to reach out and ask for a review, as they’re far more likely to want to share their thoughts.
Make it personal
Nobody likes receiving a generic email asking for a review. Think about all those times you’ve ordered from a big brand, only to see them popping up in your inbox, with an empty “Dear Customer”, expecting you to spend your precious time gushing about them. By personalising your review request, you show the customer that you value their support, time, and satisfaction. For example, using their name goes a long way, along with including details about their purchase. If they’re a long-term customer, mention that, or if they’re a new one, acknowledge it, and let them know you’re there to help them with any more questions they have.
Keep it simple
The last thing a customer wants is a challenge. If they need to jump through multiple hoops in order to leave you a good review, they will give up before they get there. Make it easy for them to write a review. This could be via a direct link in an email to a platform such as Trustpilot, which allows them to leave a review in just a couple of clicks.
Don’ts
Pressure the customer
One mistake many brands make is pestering their customers for a review. While there’s nothing wrong with sending a nudge now and again, you don’t want to spam them with requests for a review. Not only will it make it highly unlikely for them to respond, but you risk ruining their opinion of your brand completely. They will feel less inclined to spend money with you if they associate you with pushy, frequent emails asking for their feedback.
Hide less than perfect reviews
If you have a new customer who’s ready to leave you a review, they will likely read through existing reviews at the same time. They might want to gauge other people’s thoughts before sharing their own, or figure out how they want to word their feedback. Some brands try to hide their less-than-glowing reviews, which is a disservice for many reasons. Firstly, they’re deceiving potential customers and new customers alike. Another reason why hiding reviews can be detrimental is that it prevents the new customer from actually standing up for the brand they had a positive experience with. If they feel your product or service helped them and see a review that contradicts this, it might encourage them to spend extra time explaining why their experience was great. Don’t miss out on that opportunity!
Manipulate
You’ll want to avoid incentivising your customer too much. Some forms of incentivising are heavily frowned upon, while others are outright prohibited. While it can be a grey area in some ways, it’s best avoided altogether. For example, promising a reward in exchange for a positive review is dishonest and will skew the brand’s actual reputation. This leads to customers feeling misled, which can have dangerous consequences in the worst-case scenarios. For example, a company selling an electrical item with a known fault could cause harm to customers who only see glowing reviews because that company gave their customers a voucher in exchange for five stars.
If you need any assistance or have any questions about asking for reviews, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help you navigate the process and ensure your customers have the best experience possible.
