When you’re considering a purchase, what’s one of the first things you check? Customer reviews!

Customer reviews have the power to make or break your small business. This is why it’s paramount that you have a stellar system in place to request reviews from your community. 

How do you request a customer review for your business? Before you go out requesting people’s opinions of your offering, I want you to be intentional in how you convey your request, because that will make all the difference when it comes to your customers’ experience and potential response. 

Recently I received a letter from a toner company who I made a purchase from. This was a great example of getting different with marketing and I appreciated it. It was pleasant enough and I certainly didn’t expect a letter. Overall, I give it a four out of five stars, but there were a couple of oversights that really got me thinking about how we as small businesses can turn these types of communication into something mutually beneficial. 

The beginning of the letter was a little wishy-washy in that they said they hoped everything went well, without offering an opportunity to reach out if something wasn’t working out. While they did do this later, by then I was a little disengaged.

Then they went right into asking me for something, which was the customer review. Hey man. I just bought toner, now you’re expecting something from me? And, they asked me for a four or five star customer review. Kind of presumptuous.

And then…here’s the no no: They offered me an Amazon gift card for the higher review. I could see the stars I may have offered fading. I’m also quite certain this isn’t an allowed practice. In the end, the letter was signed off by the marketing team. That doesn’t scream, “We care about your consumer experience!”.

Still, I did smile when I received the letter and I did leave an honest customer review. It was also a great exercise for me and I reviewed the importance of how I request reviews as well. Some suggestions when requesting reviews. 

1. Ask your customer to send you an email, or send them a follow up letter or email. A thank you note for a purchase is unexpected and if worded correctly, can make a big impact.
2. Be sure that you are first addressing the customer and make sure you have lived up to their expectations. Ask about their consumer experience and if there is anything you can do to make it better. 
3. If you have any additional resources or guides relating to your business that may benefit your customer, include those links or tips for them in the letter so they are receiving a little something for free. 
4. Then, and only then, can you ask them for something, like a review. When requesting the review, be sure not to ask for a four or five star customer review. Ask for an honest opinion so you’re not seeking to manipulate them, giving them license over their own experience. Also, be transparent in your motives. Let people know that the best way for clients to discover you is to leave a review, and that selfishly this helps you as well as prospective clients. Of course, be sure to let them know how much you appreciate the time they may take to do so. 
5. Give an “out”. Saying there’s no pressure to post a quick review, that you really appreciate their patronage either way and are looking forward to serving them in the best possible way in the future. 
6. Sign off from the small business owner or the customer care team. The letter should open with concern for customer service and end on that note as well. 

Ultimately, we know we cannot please everyone. Not everyone is going to love your email request, letter or email sent to them. That’s ok. There will be a positive group of your customers who see the value in what you offer, and want other people to benefit from it too. 

Stay authentically you. That serves your community the most, and gets the best customer review. 

Wishing you big, big success.

-Mike