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

July 19, 2022
Contributor: Mark DiGiammarino

Encourage customers to give feedback to improve your search rankings, brand reputation and conversion rates.

To experience the benefits of reviews, you’ll first need to collect them from existing customers. Collecting reviews for your product or service is the easiest way to build trust with software buyers: 49% of customers say they refer to user ratings and reviews when evaluating what to buy (full report available to Gartner clients). 

People like sharing their opinions or experiences, but they need a little extra nudge before leaving a review. Do you have a review collection strategy in place to capture users’ experiences? 

Despite its immense value for customers, collecting reviews often becomes an afterthought for marketing teams due to competing priorities. Review recruitment should be a top priority since reviews don’t just impact purchase decisions at the bottom of the sales funnel, but also increase product visibility at the top. Software providers using Gartner Digital Markets typically see a 127% increase in traffic to their product landing pages or product profiles when they have 10 or more reviews

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. 

Use a compelling review request template to give customers the push they need to leave reviews. Here are some customizable review request templates and best practices to kickstart your review recruitment strategy.

How do you ask for reviews? Set the tone with these 7 review request email templates

When crafted with the right words and timing, requesting reviews throughout the customer journey can make your users feel heard and create a solid foundation for your brand’s reputation. 

Use these basic templates as a starting point to request reviews for different scenarios. Customize your message depending on the customer’s context, including where they are in the customer journey. While email is the most effective B2B marketing channel, you can also adapt these messages for other communication mediums. 

It’s a good idea to keep the tone of customer emails personal, friendly and empathetic. Thus, most of the review request templates here are personalized and have a human tone. Establishing one-on-one connections goes a long way in building stronger customer relationships. 

1. Prepare buyers to submit a review

Customers aren’t always ready to give feedback. They may not be sure of what to say or may not be motivated to leave a review in the first place. Send them an email explaining why they should leave a review and include a direct link to your review form. 

Here is a customizable customer review email template to try out: 

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.

 2. After the purchase

The best time to make a review request is after buyers purchase from you or the software implementation phase is complete. That said, give them some time to experience your product. The idea is to reach buyers when the product is still fresh in their minds but to give them sufficient time to explore its strengths and weaknesses. While two weeks might not be enough time to generate meaningful insights, a year might be too late to garner engagement. 

Check out the templates below to make a review request post-transaction: 

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. 

3. Schedule an interview for in-depth feedback

Software buyers like referring to reviews that give a detailed and qualitative commentary about the experience of working with a product. Schedule a five to 15-minute call with your past buyers to capture their feedback in depth. You can structure this call as an interview or record it as a monologue by the buyer. It’s also a great opportunity to ask for a video review if the buyer agrees to speak to you on a video call. 

Additionally, the constructive feedback provided in an interview could be used to inform your product team and influence product roadmap. Detailed feedback helps not only customers in selecting the right product but also software providers in improving their product offerings and brand messaging by hearing out what clients have to say through voice of the customer (VoC) analysis. Remember, customers are more eager to offer both praise and constructive criticism when they feel they can influence product improvements to fit their needs. 

Here are some sample email templates to schedule interview reviews:

Before the interview:

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! 

After the interview:

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
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4. For your happy customers

Satisfied customers are the ideal reviewers for any business. Leverage these customers by inviting them to write or record a testimonial. Testimonials are slightly different from reviews, as they tend to be from a customer who has had a highly positive experience with your product and can clearly speak to its merits. Extremely positive or glowing user reviews can also serve as testimonials.

Make your satisfied and loyal customers feel special with a custom-made invitation for feedback. When done right, this process can turn your customers into your biggest advocates. You can offer them special incentives such as extended maintenance periods and discount coupons. 

Use this template as a reference point to make a testimonial request:

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.

5. After providing training or a service

Don’t miss the opportunity to receive a positive review after providing a customer support service or staff training (whether scheduled or emergency). Send customers a review request email right after. If you provided them with an amazing experience, happy customers will willingly share their feedback. And if it didn’t go well, disgruntled customers will have a chance to express their dissatisfaction and suggest improvements. 

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! 

6. After a product demo or free trial

Product demonstrations and free trials are central to the software sales process. Asking for a review can be a great way to follow up with potential customers and lead them further down in the sales funnel. It also expands the purview of your reviews from customers to other people who may have liked your product but didn’t go through the final purchase due to other business or personal reasons. 

Here is a review request template for each:  

After a product demonstration: 

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>

After a free trial: 

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>

7. For unhappy customers

Did you received a negative comment or an angry email? Don’t stress–negative feedback is an opportunity to get authentic customer feedback. Show unhappy buyers that you care about their experiences by responding promptly and professionally. 

Customize these templates as per the situation to respond to an unhappy customer:

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.

Make review collection easy

It takes extensive and continuous effort to collect reviews and manage them for quality and authenticity. Make the process easy by working with our Review Collection Service to collect high-quality and credible reviews effortlessly. Attract a global audience of reviewers with in-language review collection resources, and show reviewers your appreciation with e-gift card incentives – paid for by us. 

Mark DiGiammarino 

Mark DiGiammarino is the Senior Director of Vendor Services for Gartner Digital Markets. His department helps vendors improve performance through review recruitment, profile optimization and landing page creation. When he’s not at work, you can find him exploring Kentucky’s breweries with his wife, daughter, and their goldendoodle. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

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