| name | customer-review-strategy |
| description | Designs post-purchase review collection strategies with timing, email templates, and incentive programs to build social proof. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Customer Review Strategy
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Build a systematic review collection process for your products or services
- Create email sequences that request reviews at the optimal time
- Design incentive programs that encourage reviews without violating platform policies
- Increase review volume and quality across your sales channels
DO NOT use this skill for managing negative reviews, reputation crisis management, or generating fake/incentivized reviews that violate platform terms.
Core Principle
THE BEST TIME TO ASK FOR A REVIEW IS WHEN THE CUSTOMER HAS JUST EXPERIENCED THE VALUE OF YOUR PRODUCT — NOT BEFORE, NOT WEEKS LATER.
Phase 1: Review Audit
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Product/service type | "What are you selling — physical product, digital product, or service?" | Physical product |
| Current review volume | "How many reviews do you have now and where?" | Starting from zero |
| Sales channels | "Where do you sell — own website, Amazon, Etsy, other?" | Own website |
| Monthly order volume | "How many orders do you fulfill per month?" | 50-100 |
| Current review process | "Do you currently ask for reviews? How?" | No current process |
GATE: Confirm the audit before designing the strategy.
Phase 2: Timing & Sequence Design
Optimal Review Request Timing
| Product Type | Ask After | Why |
|---|
| Physical product | 7-14 days post-delivery | Customer has used the product |
| Digital product | 3-5 days post-purchase | Immediate consumption |
| Service | 1-3 days after completion | Experience is fresh |
| Subscription | After 2nd or 3rd delivery | Enough experience to judge |
Email Sequence
Build a 2-touch review request sequence:
Email 1: Soft Ask (primary timing above)
Subject: How's your [product name]?
Hi [Name],
You received your [product] about a week ago — I'd love to know how it's working out for you.
If you have 60 seconds, a quick review helps other [audience] decide if it's right for them:
[Review Link Button]
Either way, thanks for your order.
[Your name]
Email 2: Follow-up (5-7 days after Email 1, only if no review left)
Subject: Quick favor — 30 seconds?
Hi [Name],
I know you're busy, so I'll keep this short. If you've had a chance to try your [product], I'd really appreciate a quick review:
[Review Link Button]
Your feedback helps me improve and helps other customers make informed decisions.
Thank you,
[Your name]
SMS Option (if applicable)
- Send one SMS review request 10-14 days post-delivery
- Keep it under 160 characters with a direct link
- Example: "Hey [Name]! Enjoying your [product]? We'd love a quick review: [link]. Thanks! — [Brand]"
Phase 3: Incentive Program
Compliant Incentive Options
Design incentives that do not violate platform policies:
| Incentive | Best For | Policy Notes |
|---|
| Discount on next order | Repeat purchase businesses | Most platforms allow — cannot require positive review |
| Loyalty points | Brands with points programs | Reward for ANY review, not just positive |
| Entry into monthly giveaway | High-volume stores | Draw-based, no guaranteed reward per review |
| Free sample of new product | Product launches | Builds buzz and generates reviews simultaneously |
| Handwritten thank-you card | Premium/artisan products | No ask — just delight that naturally prompts reviews |
What NOT to Do
- Never offer incentives only for positive reviews (violates FTC and platform policies)
- Never ask customers to change or remove negative reviews in exchange for a refund
- Never purchase fake reviews — platforms detect patterns and penalize accounts
- Always disclose if a review was incentivized (FTC requirement)
Phase 4: Review Management & Amplification
Response Protocol
- 5-star reviews: Thank the customer by name, reference a specific detail from their review
- 3-4 star reviews: Thank them, address any concern mentioned, offer to make it right
- 1-2 star reviews: Respond publicly with empathy and a private resolution offer — never argue
Review Amplification
Turn reviews into marketing assets:
- Feature top reviews on product pages with customer name and photo (with permission)
- Create social media graphics with review quotes
- Include review snippets in email marketing
- Add structured data markup for review stars in search results
Metrics to Track
| Metric | Target |
|---|
| Review request email open rate | 40%+ |
| Review completion rate (of those asked) | 5-15% |
| Average star rating | 4.5+ |
| Review response rate (yours) | 100% of 1-3 star reviews |
| Time to first review on new products | Under 14 days |
Anti-Patterns
- Asking too early — requesting a review before the customer has used the product guarantees low response rates or uninformed reviews.
- Asking too often — more than 2 emails feels like spam and damages brand perception.
- Making it hard — requiring account creation or multi-step processes kills completion rates. One-click links only.
- Ignoring negative reviews — unanswered complaints tell future customers you do not care.
- Only collecting on one platform — diversify reviews across Google, your website, and your primary marketplace.
- Generic review requests — "Please leave a review" converts worse than personalized, product-specific asks.
Recovery
- Zero reviews to start: Reach out personally to your first 20-30 customers with a genuine, non-templated request. Offer to make it effortless.
- Low response rates: Test different subject lines, send times, and shorten the review process. Try SMS if email is not working.
- Negative review surge: Investigate the root cause — product quality, shipping, or expectation mismatch. Fix the problem before optimizing the ask.
- Platform policy violation warning: Immediately stop any incentive program in question. Review platform-specific guidelines and redesign within compliance.
- Reviews but low star average: Focus on product/service improvement before collecting more reviews. More bad reviews will not help.
