# Customer Review Strategy > Designs post-purchase review collection strategies with timing, email templates, and incentive programs to build social proof. - Skill: `reaperinvest/customer-review-strategy` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/customer-review-strategy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/customer-review-strategy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/customer-review-strategy --- # 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.