How to Ask Customers for Reviews: 7 Compelling Review Request Templates

Which reviews influence customers the most?

One of the top reasons B2B buyers read reviews is to get advice from people with similar needs and experiences. Understanding and identifying what makes a high-quality customer review is vital to effectively collecting and leveraging these social proofs.

Great reviews usually have four characteristics:

• Great reviews are specific. Look for reviews that include thorough product information with details such as the software used and features the reviewer liked or disliked.
• Great reviews are verified. Verify the customer name, job title, and purchase status of the reviewer to show that the review is legitimate. 
• Great reviews are unbiased. Vet the feedback to ensure no bias or other agenda factors compromises the integrity of the review. 
• Great reviews are recent. Collect recent reviews (three to six months old) to keep information relevant. The software industry is constantly evolving, making recency important to a lot of buyers. 

Subject: We’d love to hear from you! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for choosing <INSERT: Product name> to address <INSERT: Key business challenge or problem>. I am confident we are going to achieve great things together!

I had a quick question for you: What can we do to receive a review from you?

By leaving a review you create a better experience for yourself and other customers like you.

Please help us keep up with your needs and serve you better. You’d be able to share your thoughts here: <INSERT: Review link>

Would you let me know if you are (or aren't) interested?

Pro tip:

Use this template for all types of customers, regardless of where they are in the buying journey — whether they have just made a purchase decision or are considering software renewal — to receive their feedback. 

If you’re sending large email blasts, it’s best to segment your list based on your buyers’ needs. Mass email blasts will get you plenty of reviews, but they are also likely to generate low-quality reviews. This will increase the chances of being flagged by platforms you wish to publish your reviews on, such as third-party review sites or search engines.

Subject: Tell us what you thought about <INSERT: Product name> 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for being a valued user of <INSERT: Product name>!

We’d love to hear how your experience went with <INSERT: Company name>.

Do you mind taking just a few minutes to leave a review?

You can give your feedback by visiting this link: <INSERT: Review link>

Subject: How are we doing?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi <INSERT: Client name>,

Thank you for your business! We're excited to see the returns our work generates for you. I know it's going to be amazing.

We have a quick favor to ask you. Would you take a moment to let us know: How did we do? What could we have done better?

Your opinion matters to us. We will use your feedback to improve our operations and serve you better in future.

Please share your thoughts here: <INSERT: Review link> 

Subject: Help us improve, <INSERT: Client name>!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you’re feeling great about your experience with <INSERT: Product name>, but we want to know for sure.

Please take a minute to tell us how you really feel right here: <INSERT: Review link>

Your feedback will help us serve you better. 

Pro tip:

Use this email template to target new customers after their first purchase. Make sure to time it right; requesting feedback too soon or too late can be counterproductive. 

If you request a review too quickly (a couple of weeks), then it’s likely that customers are still getting up to speed after implementation. If you request a review too late (nine months to a year), users may not remember their initial reactions or may not be interested in providing feedback.

Three to six months is usually a good starting point to request software reviews. 

Subject: Did our <INSERT: Product name> meet your expectations?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi <INSERT: Client name>,

In the past, some of our clients reached us after being disappointed by a competitor. Most of them paid huge sums for <INSERT: Product sought> that didn’t work out well for them. We’re trying to learn from their experience.

We would like to get a sense of your experience so far with our <INSERT: Product name>. Have you run into any frustrations? Would you be willing to share your story in a quick 5-minute call?

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you! 

Subject: Thank you for your time!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi <INSERT: Client name>,

Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me today. Our team is happy to hear that you have been experiencing <INSERT: results or outcome>.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about your decision to buy from us, and your feedback about using <INSERT: Product name> so far.

Here’s a transcript of our interview: <INSERT: Link to interview>

Would you be willing to share this as a review on one of our key review sites?

It’s a quick copy and paste here: <INSERT: Review Link>

No worries if you can’t. You’re amazing either way!

Pro tip:

Reserve interviews for your customers with whom you share the strongest relationships. Some customers may not take the time to speak with you. Some signs of a customer that might share their experience through an interview:

• A satisfied customer who gives an all-star rating
• A happy customer who leaves a review immediately when asked
• A customer who informs you after leaving a review
• A customer who maintains continuous communication
• A customer who is an influencer (or expert) in the industry
• A previously dissatisfied customer with whom you made things right

Subject: We want to hear from you!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi <INSERT: Client name>,

I’m reaching out to the top <INSERT: Percentage> of our customers, and that’s you. You’ve been using <INSERT: Product name> for a while now, and I’d like to check in and hear from you about your experience.

I have just <INSERT: Number> questions to ask, and it should only take <INSERT: Number> minutes.

Would it be okay if we talked on the phone? Let me know if <INSERT: Day of the week> at <INSERT: Time> works for you.

If you’re busy, please let me know if there is a more convenient time or you can also share your thoughts here: <INSERT: Review link>

We appreciate you! 

Pro tip:

Find your happiest customers by segmenting existing customers under criteria such as repeat customers, high-engagement customers, admirers, and high spenders. Then filter out people who qualify for multiple criteria (three or more). You can also use this method to target customers for interview feedback.

Subject: How would you rate the service you received?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for contacting us for <INSERT: Matter attended to (training exercise, support request, or others)>! We are always working to make our services better.

How was our service today, <INSERT: Client name>?

If we exceeded your expectations, please consider leaving us a review: <INSERT: Review link>

If not, still consider leaving us a review. Your feedback will help us improve <INSERT: Product name> for you and for future customers. We’d love to know more about your experience so we can do better next time.

Thank you for your time! 

Subject: Thank you for choosing <INSERT: Company name>!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

<INSERT: Client name>, we are happy that we could connect on <INSERT: Day> for the demo of our platform.

Did we do a good job of explaining how our solution can help you <INSERT: business challenge or problem or buyer’s pain point that drove them to you>?

We would like to know more about your experience. Could you take a few minutes to tell us what you think?

Any thoughts on how we can serve you better will be much appreciated.

Let us know here: <INSERT: Review link>

Subject: How is it going so far?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi <INSERT: Client name>,

You’ve got <INSERT: Number of days> days left on your free trial. Do you feel <INSERT: Product name> is right for you?

I would like to know - what were the most frustrating and wonderful things about your experience with <INSERT: Product name>?

Please help us serve you better by sharing any thoughts you’ve had about our platform, or leave a review for us on our review site: <INSERT: Review link>

Subject: <INSERT: Client name>, we want to get it right!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We’ve really messed things up. We're so sorry. I know where we went wrong, but I would like to learn as much as I can from this.

Would you be willing to share how we could improve? Please send me an email on everything that you would like to be changed about your experience with <INSERT: Product name>.

This isn't only about keeping you with us, but also to prevent an experience like this from happening again.

Thank you for being awesome!

Subject: Problem with recently purchased <INSERT: Product name or category>

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello <INSERT: Client name>,

Thank you for contacting us. My name is <INSERT: Your name>, and I appreciate you giving us a chance to make things right.

I would assume this <INSERT: Problem or overlook that happened> was probably a fluke. I apologize for the disappointing experience.

To mend our relationship with you, I want to offer a <INSERT: Give discount coupon or other incentive to stay> as part of my apology for what happened. More importantly, I would also like to hear more from you.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts with me?

Please give us an opportunity to improve with the help of your feedback. 

Pro tip:

No matter if a negative review is authentic, the three mantras to deal with them are: professionalism, openness, and promptness. 

Responding with respect shows prospects that you are reachable in case things go south. Additionally, genuine users who leave a negative comment tend to update their response to reflect a positive customer experience once their problem is properly resolved.