Key takeaways
- Time the ask to a good moment the customer would recognise.
- One link and two prompts turn a chore into a two-minute job.
- A case study asks far more, so request it in its own email.
- Never offer payment or gifts in return for a positive review.
When is the right time to send a review request email
The right time is soon after the customer has felt the value: a go-live, a renewal they chose gladly, a support issue solved well or a compliment in an email. Asking then means the review describes something real.
Avoid asking during an open support case, just before a price change or in the first weeks, before they have used the product properly.
How do you make a review a two-minute job
Send one direct link to the review page and two prompts they can answer in a sentence each. People stall in front of a blank box; a question about what they were doing before gets them started.
Say roughly how long it takes, and say plainly that it is optional. Prompts that work well include:
- What were you trying to solve when you chose us?
- What is different in your work now?
- Who would you recommend it to, and why?
How a case study request email differs
A case study request asks for an interview, the customer's name and often sign-off from their marketing or legal team, so it needs a separate, more formal email. Explain what is involved, how much time it takes and that they approve the final text.
Ask the person who championed the purchase, and make the approval easy for them, for example by drafting the summary for them to edit.
What to avoid when you ask for a testimonial
Avoid any incentive tied to a positive rating; review sites usually forbid it in their rules, and it undermines the review. Also avoid writing the review for them, asking several people in one company on the same day, or chasing more than once.
Keep negative feedback in mind too. If the reply reveals a problem, fix it first and leave the review request for another time.
How to ask for a review, step by step
Prepare the link and prompts before you write, so the email itself is the shortest part.
- Pick a moment the customer valued, such as a go-live or a problem solved.
- Choose one review site and find the direct link to your review page.
- Write two prompts they can answer in a sentence each.
- Send the request from the person they work with, saying it is optional.
- Thank them whether or not they leave a review, and send one reminder at most.
The review request email
Send it within a week of a moment the customer valued. Change the first paragraph first, so it names that moment.
Subject: Would you share a few words about [product]?
Hi [first name],
It was good to see [the moment they valued, such as the new reporting process] go live last week. Thank you for the work your team put in.
Would you be willing to write a short review on [review site]? It takes about two minutes, and two prompts may help: what were you trying to solve when you chose [product], and what is different now?
Here is the link: [review link]. It is entirely optional, and no reply is needed if now is not a good time.
With thanks,
[your name]
Case study variant: 'Would you be open to a thirty-minute conversation about how [company] uses [product]? We would draft the story, and nothing is published until you and your team approve it.'
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- FoundationAgent memoryTell an assistant about the customer's go-live or a problem solved; it saves that as a short fact in memory and can use it when you ask for the review request later.
- CapabilityOutreach contentThe assistant drafts the review request and the case study request in chat, each in the personality you choose, and saves them as drafts in your connected Gmail or Outlook mailbox.
Common questions
Should you offer an incentive for a review?
Not one tied to a positive review. If you thank reviewers, do it the same way whether the review is glowing or critical, and check the review site's rules first.
Who should ask the customer for a review?
The person they work with day to day, usually the account manager or customer success manager. A request from a stranger in marketing is easier to ignore.
How many times should you ask for a review?
Once, with one gentle reminder a week or two later at most. Pebbles Ai does not send reminders on a schedule; ask an assistant and it drafts one from the thread.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
