Why asking for reviews can feel tricky

At first glance, asking a customer for a review might feel awkward. After all, your main focus is to serve the customer. Asking for feedback on top of that could seem like you are shifting the attention away from them.

Yet, in practice, many businesses have found that asking for a review is a natural next step. A hotel guest, for example, will rarely object if the manager asks at check-out whether they would be willing to leave a review on TripAdvisor. The challenge lies in tone: striking the balance between asking and encouraging. Importantly, don’t steer people towards leaving only positive feedback: leave the choice to the customer. 

Beyond this general principle, here are five practical ways to increase your chances of receiving reviews. 

1. Ask face-to-face

Encouraging a customer in person remains the most effective way. By the time you ask, you’ve already built a relationship during the sales or service process. That personal connection is your best lever. You will also sense whether the customer is receptive, and you can tailor your request accordingly. 

2. Keep it personal, also online  

If you cannot ask in person, you need to inject more personalisation into digital requests. Asking via email is common, especially for webshops that lack direct contact but still depend heavily on reviews. The challenge is making it feel personal. Use a real email address (not info@), write from an actual person (for example, the customer service manager), and be clear in the subject line about what you are asking. 

3. Keep it natural

Yes, you can tempt customers with incentives (discounts, free products, loyalty points). But should you? The strongest reviews are authentic, whether positive or negative. 

If you pay for reviews with discounts or products, you turn them into an advertising model. 

Once you cross that line, you’re no longer practising content marketing, you’re paying for visibility. In fact, one US restaurant even paid for a wave of negative reviews just to get attention. That may drive visibility, but it undermines credibility. 

4. Offer multiple channels

The Yelp example above shows the danger of relying on just one review platform. It’s smarter to offer customers multiple channels. Allow them to leave feedback where they feel most comfortable: specialist platforms for your sector, your corporate website, or even social channels like Facebook or LinkedIn. 

5. Thank your reviewers  

Last but not least: show appreciation. Not by replying to every single review, but by thanking customers collectively in a post. Or even better, thanking them personally the next time you interact. Gratitude reinforces loyalty and encourages future engagement. 

Reviews are part of your culture

The underlying theme is clear: asking for reviews is about sensitivity and empathy. It should never be a rigid process bolted onto your organisation. Instead, it should be woven into your company culture. Some practical ways to achieve this: 

• Communicate internally about the value of reviews. 

• Show how reviews help the business grow. 

• Train your team in how to ask for them. 

• Create a feedback loop: how did customers respond when asked? 

In the US, some companies even integrate review requests into their bonus systems. This can work, but don’t turn it into a competition that misses the bigger picture.