This page is part of a global project to create a better online reviews system. If you want to know more or give your feedback, write at [email protected] and we’ll grab a beer ;)
You probably share this experience: every time you buy something, subscribe to a new service, or use customer support, you get a notification within minutes or the next day asking for a review. We’re constantly asked to rate everything. I checked my inbox and found no less than 19 feedback or review requests in the past seven days.
These requests are invasive, flooding the user’s inbox or spamming them with pop-up windows. People have become so accustomed to this that they often ignore the emails and close the pop-ups without a second thought.
It's not just about lacking time anymore—most users ignore requests almost reflexively.
This leads to massive user fatigue: the more businesses ask for reviews, the more likely users are to ignore future requests. As a result, the entire system suffers.
Businesses continue to send these requests and reminders precisely because the response rate is low (around 5% in the best cases). Despite this, companies persist because it’s crucial for them to get as many reviews as possible (see “Why Do Businesses Need Online Reviews” and “Number of Reviews”). They prefer to inundate customers rather than rethink their approach.
- Do we really need this review? Businesses should ask themselves this question to avoid over-surveying customers. Most of the time, the answer is no. Companies should learn to be more selective.
- Integrate within other communications. Instead of sending a separate email to request a review, include the invitation within an existing email that provides valuable information, such as “how to use the product.” This approach offers something useful to the customer, who might then be more inclined to leave a review.
- Interactive emails. AMP emails allow interactions directly within the email, making them less invasive than links redirecting to a web browser.
- Only ask if something went wrong. Unsatisfied customers are more likely to want to report issues. While this might miss some positive feedback, you can still ask if anything went particularly well. This approach works best for private feedback—companies are unlikely to ask only about negative experiences in public reviews.
- Unsubscribe option. Customers should be able to tell a business or platform to stop sending review requests.