Optimizing Review Request Timing

Testimonial requests tend to sound like homework. “Would you mind filling out a quick review form?” “Could you write a few lines about your experience?” As Abe Lincoln once said - ain't nobody got time for that. Not when they’re drowning in QBR decks and budget asks. But here’s the good news: You’re ALREADY getting testimonials. You’re just not capturing them. How? Well, your best reviews happen mid-sentence...not in post-call surveys. Every week, your customers are saying: - “This saved us so much time.” - “I had no idea we could do that.” - “You’ve made my job way easier.” THAT'S your testimonial. Don’t ask for it later. Double back immediately. “Loved that feedback - any chance I can turn that into a short quote for our team? I’ll write it up for you to approve.” The answer is usually yes. Here’s a 3-part system CSMs can use: 1. Use Sybill to identify key praise moments. Tag the call. Clip the quote. Make it easy for marketing to use. Bonus points if it aligns to a launch, feature, or persona. 2. Send the follow-up within 24 hours. Keep it short: “Hey Samantha - loved what you said on today’s call. I drafted a quick version below. Let me know if you’re cool with it or want to tweak anything.” Now it’s opt-in. You removed homework from the equation. 3. Tie review asks to key milestones. Don’t wait until EBRs. Ask after: - a successful onboarding. - a new feature rollout. - a strong support save. - a surprise ROI win. All you're doing is reinforcing momentum. tl;dr = testimonial collection isn’t so much of a marketing play as it is a CS system. If your team’s sitting on dozens of glowing comments each month, but none of them make it into your website, your decks, or your content, you simply need to do a better job of capturing what's already coming your way. Fix that and the next case study writes itself.

Most e-commerce stores are collecting reviews wrong. They send "Please leave a review!" emails 48 hours after delivery and wonder why they get generic responses like "Great product, fast shipping." The problem: You're asking customers to review their packaging experience, not product performance. Here's what actually works: → Wait 2-4 weeks for customers to properly evaluate the product → Send educational content first (care guides, tips) before asking for feedback → Ask specific questions about features that matter to future buyers → Position reviews as helping other customers, not helping your business Example: Instead of "How was your experience?" ask "How has [specific product feature] performed in your daily routine?" The difference? Generic reviews convert at 7%. Detailed, specific reviews convert at 34%. The stores that shift from reward-based to psychology-based review collection consistently see improvement in review quality. Most importantly: better reviews create better customers. People who leave thoughtful reviews have 67% higher lifetime value because they're more engaged with your brand. I've put together a 90-day implementation guide with the complete psychology-based review request system (including email templates for different customer segments). Get the guide at: https://lnkd.in/gk6va-MP #shopify #emailmarketing #reviews #ecommerce #d2c

🚀 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 3𝗫 𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Most apps ask for reviews at random times. But here’s the thing — timing is everything. 📈 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: One of our clients was struggling to boost their App Store rating velocity. We ran a simple test: Instead of showing the review prompt after an arbitrary action or X days of use, we triggered it 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 — a high point of engagement and satisfaction. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁? 🔹 3.25× 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 in ratings per download 🔹 Average rating jumped from 4.3⭐ 𝘁𝗼 4.5⭐ in just 30 days 🔹 Ratings volume per month grew +436% 💡 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: • Users are emotionally invested after activating a trial. • They’ve just unlocked value and are more likely to give positive feedback. • The request feels contextual, not disruptive. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Don’t just 𝘢𝘴𝘬 for reviews. Ask at the 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. The difference between a mediocre 4.2⭐ and a glowing 4.8⭐ might just be a well-timed nudge.

The biggest mistake with review requests? ⏱️ TIMING ⏱️ Ask too soon and the customer hasn’t formed an opinion. Ask too late and the energy’s gone. So how do you know when it’s right? Sometimes you’ll get clear signals: 👌 A follow-up purchase of the same brand. 👌 An add-on for the OG product. But what if there are no signs? That’s when you need to anchor to natural usage windows: 🧴Skincare: the average time it takes to see (or at least feel) results (2–3 weeks). 🧣Fashion: long enough for delivery, plus their first wear (around 10-14 days). 🪑Furniture: once it’s delivered and assembled (not still flat-packed in the hallway). ☕️ Coffee subscription: after their first bag runs out, not the minute it’s delivered. You don’t need a perfect trigger, you just need a plausible moment where the customer has experienced enough to give an opinion (and still feels the buzz). Reviews aren’t about the request itself, they’re about catching customers at the right moment to turn experience into story.

Can we stop with the 'review your order' emails before the order actually arrives? We all know reviews are crucial social proof (97% of buyers read them!). But WHEN do you ask for that feedback matters more than you might think. A study looked at 300,000 customer interactions and found a surprising result: Asking for reviews too soon (e.g., 1-5 days post-purchase/experience) actually slashed the number of reviews received by nearly 50%! Why does this work? Reminding someone before they've fully experienced the product feels redundant and can trigger 'psychological reactance'; that feeling of being pushed that makes people resist. And it doesn't give us enough time to reflect and form an opinion worth sharing. The sweet spot? Wait at least 10 days before sending that reminder. For example: - Travel reviews sent 13 days later saw a 68% increase - Clothing reviews sent after 2 weeks saw a 39% lift (Note: The exact timing depends on your product/service). So, Audit your review flow. If you're nudging users within 48 hours, you're likely leaving valuable feedback on the table. Experiment with delaying your review prompts - start testing reminders around the 10-14 day mark (or longer for complex experiences). Be patient. Let them live the experience. Then ask. Let me know if you have tested different timing windows? ___