Top 15 "Leave Us a Review" Phrases to Get Feedback from Customers: Examples, Templates, Tools

In this article we’ll discuss the most effective and clever ways to ask for reviews and show you some practical examples. We’ll look at motivation tools that inspire customers to rate products, services and stores more often. Additionally, we will explore what approaches to avoid when requesting a review and share tips and best practices on how to handle different types of negative feedback. If you’re wondering how to ask customers for reviews or looking for best ways to encourage feedback, this article will help you.

15 best ways to ask customers for reviews

In order for a business to get more reviews, it’s necessary to push the client to rate (whether it’s unconsciously or purposefully). Below, we’ll examine both digital and offline ways to collect customers’ feedback.

1. Marketing Quiz

While entertainment quiz is just for fun, marketing quiz has a different purpose: it helps businesses generate leads, increase sales and collect feedback. For example, a feedback quiz embedded on the company’s website can look like this:

You can ask only for customer’s name on the Lead Form or just disable it since you already have their email and have received all the responses from the quiz.

Ready-made quiz from the template gallery

2. Text messages

Collecting reviews through SMS has 2 main rules:

👉🏼 If your customer used a service, you should send a review request immediately or within a few hours

👉🏼 If your customer bought a product, it’s better to remind them to rate in a couple of days or weeks, so they have a formed opinion about it.

With large customer bases, SMS campaigns can be really expensive (ranging from $0.01 to $0.05 per message).

Messenger texts are a great alternative to SMS. You can include more words and add images. Also, if there was a previous communications with your company (for example, booking an appointment), asking for reviews would feel more natural. The cost of messengers texts depends on what platform you use.

Learning how do you politely ask for a review is key to getting high response rates without annoying your customers.

3. Phone calls

If your business wants a detailed feedback or even a whole story about interaction with your product, connect with your clients through phone calls.

It’s better to schedule phone calls in advance, using SMS invitations, push notifications or website pop-ups. Here, for example, is how the marketing quiz builder Marquiz does it.

4. Emails

Email structure typically includes:

👉🏼Informative subject that tells your request clearly

👉🏼 Reminder about purchasing, services, visiting store or registration

👉🏼Gratitude for choosing your company

👉🏼Review request with explanation why their opinion is important for you

👉🏼Button with a link to the survey

💡To create email surveys, log into your Marquiz account. Build from scratch or use ready templates like customer satisfaction surveys, tailored to your specific business needs.

Beyond standard HTML emails, there are AMP (accelerated mobile pages) emails. Unlike static HTML email-newsletters, AMPs have interactive elements animated with code. This lets customer rate the product directly in the email without clicking external links. This helps to increase the probability of participating in the survey.

Email campaigns work well for businesses with a large customer base. It also suits companies with formal and professional audiences, for instance, some premium clothing brands. When customers leave the contact information, they expect high-quality services and communications even after the purchase.

5. QR codes

QR codes are used everywhere you need to share lots of information in a limited space, such as advertising signs, business cards, receipts, tickets, and payment terminals. It is also used on product packaging where customers can access additional information and leave feedback.

You can link QR codes to a specific platform where you want your customer to leave review. For example, a coffee cup that leads to Google Maps.

Be sure that your customer hasn’t experienced any problems during or after purchase so you can direct them to public platforms. Otherwise, dissatisfied comments will be visible to everyone.

If you’re unsure about customer’s loyalty, link QR codes to a private survey available only to you.

💡Marquiz has ready-made review collection templates like Webinar Feedback, Conference Survey and Product Review. Each template easily adapts to any niche.

6. Feedback forms

Feedback forms are interactive web interfaces containing several elements:

👉🏼 Comment fields

👉🏼 Star ratings

👉🏼 Checkboxes and radio buttons

👉🏼 Dropdown lists

👉🏼 File upload fields

👉🏼 Submit buttons

We encounter review forms really often.

💡Marquiz quizzes have perfect types of questions for quick feedback: comment fields, star ratings, file uploads, and 10-point NPS scales.

Feedback form is used on websites, mobile apps, product pages, and chatbot windows. It’s usually placed on the task completion screens to get a fresh customer impression.

7. Social media and messenger polls

Poll variants differ from each platform:

🌐 Social media. Social network polls usually include:

✍🏻 main question in the post title

✍🏻 multiple choice answers in the poll

Sometimes you can also setup additional parameters like “Anonymous poll”, “Multiple choice” or custom background.

Most users are tired of standard social media polls, so it’s better to use creative quizzes. Share a link to your quiz in Instagram stories or add it in you Facebook post.

🌐Messenger. Messengers also have polls. Write and bold the main question, add details, poll and illustrations to catch subscribers’ attention.

All subscribers need to do is to click to give micro-feedback for your work and the most active users will complete the full survey.

8. Chatbots

Collect customer feedback not only from your subscribers, but also from new visitors too. For example, Facebook Messenger chatbot works really well for this.

9. Influencer marketing

This method involves partnering with influencers. First, companies find popular influencers with the right target audiences. Then they arrange different collaborations: they send free products or offer services in exchange of detailed reviews and brand mentions.

In most cases the company also pays for advertisment so not every business chooses this expensive option. However, this strategy helps business to get assessment from an authoritative person, and that inspires potential customers' trust in the company's product or service.

The main thing in collecting influencers’ reviews in choosing the right influencers. They should genuinely interest your target audience and have a relevant opinion, making their reviews truly authoritative and credible for potential buyers.

10. Respond to other reviews

When a user sees that the company responds to all of the customers’ comments, it encourages them to leave their feedback. If there is a negative comment, the company’s response shows that they are not indifferent to clients’ problems and are willing to offer a solution even in the most difficult situations. Positive feedback is also important, as the company shows its respect for the customer's efforts and thanks them for taking the time to provide praise.

It’s still not recommended to respond to some types of negativity in the comments, such as trolling. We’ll cover it in more detail later in this article.

11. Website, widgets and pop-ups

Your website itself is the perfect place for asking a review. This is where your customers spend their time researching you products or services. The main goal is to choose the right moment and make this process as easy as possible.

Add a review section. Many customers immediately look for this particular section to read about other experiences. Show the best reviews in the most noticeable parts of your website. This will inspire new customers to share their opinions too.

Embed widgets and pop-ups. Add some additional elements to get attention of your customers. It can be a widget that doesn’t interfere with viewing content, but is always in the user's view (widgets with existing reviews are especially effective). Or set up pop-ups that appear at key moments: after completing a purchase, when trying to leave the site, or when the user has spent a certain amount of time on the page. The main rule is not to annoy, but to offer delicately.

💡Marquiz offers 6 ways of embedding quiz on the website, including as widget and pop-up overlay.

Personalization and gratitude. Address the customer by their name in the pop-up: "George, thank you for your order! What do you think about our services?" This creates the feeling of a personal conversation rather than a mass mailing list.

12. In-person requests

Asking for feedback in a personal conversation may seem awkward, but it's actually one of the most effective ways. When you talk to a client face to face, you have a unique opportunity to show that you really care about their opinion.

⭐ Catch the moment of praise. The most natural situation is when the client starts praising you. Thank them for their kind words, and then gently suggest sharing these impressions in a review on Google maps

⭐ Create opportunities. At the checkout or after the service, you can ask open-ended questions like “Did you find what you were looking for?”, “Do you like our new product?”, “Were you happy with the service?”. If the answer is positive, you can continue your conversation with more questions.

⭐Don’t force it. Don’t ask for a review immediately after a compliment, it looks insincere. First, talk to the client, get to know them better, and ask for their opinion at the end of the conversation. If they seem in a rush or not interested, don’t insist. And if they are willing to share their thoughts, continue the conversation.

⭐Be honest and straightforward. Thank them for their purchase, ask how they enjoyed their experience, and if all is well, let them know directly: "We would really appreciate it, if you could leave a few words on our store page. These reviews help others trust us.”

⭐Help with tech details. Not everyone knows how to leave reviews. Explain that they need to open the maps or website, find your page and click the 'Leave a review' button. Or just give them a QR code for a quick transfer, as we discussed earlier.

13. Loyalty programs

Loyalty programs are a great way to enhance communication with customers and motivate them to share feedback.

Integration with platform. Add a “leave a review” option to the loyalty program interface, for example, in the mobile app or account on the website. Make the process simple so that customers can share their opinions at a convenient moment. For example: "Michael, did you like our coffee? Leave your review right in the "My purchases" section!”

Personalized messages. Use the customer's purchase history to make the message more personal. For example: "Julie, this is your third time choosing our service! We value your opinion and want to continue providing you with excellent service." This creates a feeling of individual attention.

Emphasize the value of their opinion. Explain how reviews help to improve products and services, for example: "Your feedback helps us to become better and create products that you will love!" This will motivate customers to share their thoughts, feeling that their input matters.

You should make participating in the loyalty program pleasant and natural, so that customers share their reviews without feeling like they are being paid for it. We'll discuss why you shouldn't offer gifts and discounts in exchange for feedback later.

14. Contests

Another excellent way to o engage customers in brand interactions and encourage them to share their reviews is contest. Instead of offering direct prizes for their feedback, contests can be structured in a way that includes feedback as part of the experience, but it's not the only requirement.

👉🏼 Story contest. Ask customers to share their stories and experience with your product or services. For example: "Tell us how our restaurant made your evening special." The best stories can be published on your website and social media, and the authors will receive recognition or the chance to win a prize for their creativity.

👉🏼 Social media. You can ask clients to share their impressions on social media with a unique hashtag associated with your brand. This increases the visibility of the company and motivates to create reviews. For example: "Share your feedback on Instagram with the hashtag #LoveYourBrand and our mention, and we'll choose the most inspiring stories!”

👉🏼Fair and transparent rules. Make sure that participating in the contest is not seen as an obligation to leave a review. For instance, you could suggest several ways for people to participate, such as sharing a photo, telling a story, or simply answering a question. This would reduce the pressure and make the process feel more natural.

15. Ask for reviews from vendors

If your business operates in the B2B segment, don’t forget that you can ask for feedback from partners and vendors too. Their opinion on cooperation shows that it is a pleasure to work with you, that you are a reliable and trustworthy partner. This helps build brand credibility and increases the likelihood of recommendations from other companies.

Asking partners for their opinion is a natural step in business communication. You can do this as organically as possible: for example, by thanking them for a joint project and noting that their feedback will be valuable not only to you, but also to future clients or partners. An informal, respectful request sounds much better than a formal request.

Try to turn the exchange of reviews into an element of corporate culture: leave honest recommendations about your partners yourself, and they will do the same in return. As a result, you will have not just a list of reviews, but a whole network of trust around your brand.

How to ask customers to leave a review: text examples

Before using templates, align them with the style of your company's communication and tone of voice. You can't just copy someone else's review request template and send it to customers. Review request text should match your company's style in all customer communications.

1. Caring request. Consider that there may be different reactions and explain why it is important for the company to receive feedback.

2. Warm, light style with bonus promise. Request looks like an exchange  — kind words for a small reward.

3. Mutual Gratitude. You thank customers for purchases/services and ask them to share gratitude in return.

These examples show great ways to request reviews and encourage customers to leave their feedback.

How not to ask for reviews

Businesses want to know how do you politely ask for a good review or how to ask for a 5 star review. It is important to do this ethically and respectfully. Here are some approaches you should avoid:

Don’t offer gifts or discounts

It’s better not to offer discounts or gifts in exchange for a review, as this is against the rules of many platforms, such as Google and Yelp. Additionally, such incentives can lead to a large number of low-quality reviews only with stars and no text. The main purpose of reviews is to help potential customers make decisions, not to promote your business at all costs.

Buying reviews

This practice is also strictly prohibited. It erodes trust in the platform and makes reviews less reliable.

Asking apologetically

Most people are willing to share their opinion, so don’t hesitate to ask customers for their feedback. They appreciate to be heard and often want to support businesses that meet their expectations. It also gives them an opportunity to help other customers make informed decisions.

❌ Bad example: “We’re sorry to bother you, but if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind to maybe leave us a review?”

✅ Good example:  “Thank you for your purchase! We’d love to hear your feedback, it helps us improve and inspires others to try our services. Please leave your thoughts on our review page.”

How to deal with negative reviews

Negativity differs depending on circumstances, so it takes different forms. It might be a constructive feedback from disappointed customer or unfounded complaints to the brand. Negativity can also be commissioned when competitors have a biased attitude towards a company in order to worsen its reputation and publicly talk about it.

Learn to distinguish different negativity tones and develop separate approaches for each.

Constructive negative reviews

This is the most useful  type of negativity. Customers share with business real problems and show its consequences. This helps companies find growth opportunities and improve business processes. Constructive negative reviews usually maintain calm tones without aggression — customers genuinely want to solve that problem and are ready for a dialogue.

What to do with constructive negative reviews:

⚠️ Don't discuss problems publicly. Ask customers to move the discussion to private messages

⚠️ Learn situation details and offer solutions, conclude by thanking them for valuable feedback

⚠️ Fix business process shortcomings that caused customer problems, possibly document new experiences as case studies

⚠️ If possible, offer small tokens to smooth negative impressions and maintain customer trust

⚠️ Publicly respond on platforms where negative constructive comments appear and explain how you solved customer problems

Unconstructive Negative Reviews

Unconstructive negative reviews contain more emotions than facts. Unclear problems require additional time and effort to understand conflicts.

What to do with unconstructive negative reviews:

⚠️ Verify if review authors are actual customers and check their recent activities. This helps determine comment validity

⚠️ Ask questions and clarify incident details

⚠️ Try to get conversation on a constructive path. If unsuccessful, use humor or directly state you attempted problem resolution, but the author wouldn't engage

Trolling

With trolling, it's nearly impossible to understand authors' intentions: they distort facts or omit them entirely, and these problems may not exist. Trolls deliberately provoke businesses to communicate on their terms: without logic or meaning, using insults and profanity.

How to respond to trolling:

⚠️ Don't justify yourself or try proving anything to trolls — it's pointless

⚠️ Sometimes ignore such comments entirely. Users distinguish trolling from real reviews and don't consider it when making purchase decisions

⚠️ Delete comments if platforms allow, or request administrators do so

Information Attacks

Information attacks are deliberate, targeted actions spreading false or distorted company information. The goal is discrediting and destabilizing businesses. Review texts during info-attacks are commissioned by competitor companies, disgruntled influential customers, or even government agencies.

During information attacks:

⚠️ Regularly monitor reviews as prevention to recognize approaching info-attacks early and stop them immediately

⚠️ Invest time in creating materials supporting business reputation

⚠️ The main method for eliminating early info-attack signs is deleting negative comments and reviews on the internet resources where possible, or asking administrators to do so

⚠️ When self-managing info-attacks becomes impossible, pursue legal action or use reputation management services — specialists who help remove outdated brand information from Google search results

Why is it important to ask customers for feedback?

All successful companies in the market build their marketing strategy on social evidence. Companies collect reviews, create ratings of their products and services based on them, and publish customer stories about positive experiences with the brand.

✅ You improve the reputation of the business and its products. Potential customers make their first impression not only on how good your website is, marketing, price or product characteristics, but also on the reviews of those who actually use it.

✅ The customer's path from the request to the purchase is shortened. In the process of searching for options for satisfying their request, consumers make a choice on buying a particular product based on the opinions of other users.

✅ You learn how to improve the products. This is mainly due to constructive negative reviews, which contain comprehensive information about the hidden problems and shortcomings of the business.

✅You can optimize purchases. Reviews prove demand or lack of it — based on this, the business determines which products can be increased or which services should be developed, and which should be completely removed from the range.

✅ It boosts the business and its products in the search results. Search engine algorithms see the number and quality of ratings: the company's search ranking depends on how satisfied consumers are with the products or services of a business.

✅You enhance product listings on online platforms. With so many choices available, people get overwhelmed. Reviews help them find great places. Impressions of a place or service on Google Maps may be enough to make a final decision.

FAQ

How to ask for a review professionally?

Use polite and sincere words, emphasizing the importance of their opinion. For example: "We really appreciate your feedback and would be grateful if you’d share your impressions about our product. It helps us get better!" This approach sounds professional, but it remains warm and unobtrusive. It’s important to adapt the text to your company's communication style and take into account the context of interaction with the client.

What is the best way to get user feedback?

It depends on your audience and business, but focus on making it personal and easy. Use the customer’s name, mention their purchases, and keep the process simple. Combining channels like email, surveys, social media, and in-person requests ensures you reach more people. Platforms like Marquiz can help create user-friendly, engaging feedback surveys.

Why should you avoid fake reviews?

It damages your business’s credibility because customers can spot fake feedback, which leads to losing trust. Fake reviews also drown out real ones, making it harder to identify real issues and improve. Stick to ethical methods to collect honest feedback, as outlined above.

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