Want more customer reviews? Recent research has found that when encouraging customers to leave a review of your product or service, timing is crucial. Sending a reminder too early may backfire and put off customers who were already planning on leaving a review.
⭐ Patience is a Virtue
To maximize the chance of getting a review the study recommends that businesses wait at least 10 days before prompting customers for feedback.
The researchers found that:
- Asking immediately was the worst, reducing reviews by 50%.
- Waiting 5 days reduced reviews by 40%.
- Waiting 9 days increased reviews by 5%.
- Waiting 13 days increased reviews by 70%.
The study also revealed that the timing of review reminders did not impact the content, rating, or length of the reviews.
🧠 Why it Works
According to the researchers, when customers are reminded to leave a review soon after a purchase, their memory of the experience is still fresh, making the reminder unnecessary which can create a negative response. They also suggest that it's because people generally don't like being told what to do, and reminders may trigger a psychological reactance where their freedom of choice feels threatened.
As a result, early reminders may lead to increased resistance in posting reviews, as customers feel pushed rather than willing to share their feedback. Giving customers more time to evaluate their experiences may reduce this reactance and increase review participation.
The study was first published in The Journal of Marketing. It’s called “Ask for Reviews at the Right Time: Evidence from Two Field Experiments.”
Image: Ariyh / Canva
