Customer testimonials are a powerful social proof tool for sales and marketing.
They offer potential customers a real-world perspective on your product or service, going beyond the standard marketing narrative.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the process of crafting effective testimonial questions tailored specifically to various industries.
We’ll show you how these questions can help you gather positive customer feedback, which your sales and marketing teams can then leverage to attract more prospective customers.
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What are Testimonial Questions?
Testimonial questions are questions asked to customers or clients to gather positive feedback or reviews about a product, service, or experience, which can then be used for marketing or promotional purposes.
Importance of Asking Testimonial Questions
Here are some of the key benefits of incorporating testimonial questions into your business strategy:
- Builds Trust and Credibility: Testimonials provide real-life experiences and opinions, which can help build trust and credibility with potential customers.
- Enhances Brand Image: Positive client testimonials can enhance the brand image by showcasing a product’s or service’s strengths and unique features.
- Boosts SEO: User-generated content through testimonials can help improve the website’s SEO, potentially leading to higher rankings in search engine results.
- Facilitates Decision Making: Testimonial collections can help potential customers in their decision-making process by providing insights into the experiences of others with the product or service.
- Encourages Word-of-mouth Marketing: Satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences through testimonials can encourage word-of-mouth marketing, expanding the customer base organically.
How to ask your customers for testimonials?
As a business owner, whether you’re collecting testimonials through surveys or video interviews, the right questions can make all the difference.
Asking for a testimonial is a delicate process that requires a thoughtful approach. It’s not just about what you ask but also when and how you ask it. Here are some key points to consider:
- Be direct but polite: It’s important to be straightforward when asking for a testimonial. However, ensure your request is polite and respectful. Explain why you’re asking for a testimonial and how it could help other customers.
- Personalize your request: Tailor your email review request to each customer. A personalized approach shows that you value their opinion and are not just sending a generic request.
- Make it easy: Simplify the process for your customers. Provide a clear structure or guideline for the testimonial. If it’s a video testimonial, provide a relaxed and comfortable setting.
- Offer an incentive: While not always necessary, offering a small incentive can be a good way to show appreciation for their time and effort.
The importance of timing and context in asking for testimonials
- Right after a positive experience: The best time to ask for a testimonial is shortly after a customer has had a positive experience with your product or service. They are likely to be more enthusiastic and willing to share their experiences.
- During a follow-up: Another good time to ask is during a follow-up interaction. This could be a follow-up email after a purchase or a service call.
- Context matters: The context in which you ask for a testimonial can significantly impact the response. For instance, asking for a testimonial during a customer appreciation event can yield a more positive response than asking at random.
Remember, the art of asking for a testimonial and personal recommendations lies in the approach, timing, and context. With a thoughtful strategy, you can gather powerful testimonials that boost your brand image and attract more customers.
Learn more: Testimonial examples for website
How to Craft Effective Customer Testimonial Questions?
Creating effective customer feedback questions is crucial to gathering valuable customer feedback. The goal is to formulate questions that encourage detailed and beneficial responses. Here are the steps for writing effective customer testimonial questions:
- Identify purpose: The first step in creating questions for testimonials is to identify the purpose of the testimonial. What do you want to achieve with it? This could be to highlight a specific product feature, demonstrate your service’s value, or show your work’s impact on a particular client.
- Formulate questions: Once you’ve identified the purpose, you can start formulating questions that will help you achieve this goal. These questions should be open-ended to encourage detailed responses. For example, instead of asking, “Did you like our service?”, you could ask, “What did you like most about our service?”.
- Test questions: After formulating your questions, test them out. This could be in a mock interview situation or by asking a colleague for feedback. The goal is to ensure that the questions make sense, are easy to understand, and elicit the responses you want.
- Refine questions: Based on the feedback from your test, refine your questions. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure they are clear and effective.
- Finalize questions: Once you’re happy with your questions, finalize them. These are now ready to be used in your online testimonials.
- Use questions: The final step is to use your questions. This could be in an interview with a client, a survey, or any other format where you collect testimonials. And finally, use testimonial widgets to embed testimonials on your website.
How to formulate questions that elicit detailed and beneficial Responses
- Focus on Experience: Ask questions encouraging customers to delve into their experiences with your product or service. This could include questions about how they use the product, what problems it solves, and how it has impacted their life or work.
- Encourage Storytelling: People love to share customer success stories. Ask questions that allow your customers to share their journey with your product or service. This could include how they discovered your product, their initial impressions, and how their opinions have evolved over time.
- Highlight Benefits: Make sure to ask questions that get at the benefits of your product or service. This could include questions about specific features they find useful or how the product or service has provided a solution to a problem they were facing.
The balance between open-ended and specific questions
Striking a balance between open-ended and specific questions is key to crafting effective testimonial questions for clients.
- Open-Ended Questions: These questions are broad and allow customers to express their thoughts freely. They can provide unexpected insights and allow customers to highlight aspects of your product or service that you may not have considered.
- Specific Questions: These questions are more focused and aim to gather detailed information about particular aspects of your product or service. They can help you gather targeted feedback on areas you’re interested in exploring further.
Remember, testimonial questions aim to gather positive feedback and gain valuable insights that can help you improve your product or service. By crafting effective testimonial questions, you can ensure that you’re gathering detailed and beneficial responses that can help your business grow.
Examples of Testimonial Questions by Industry
One of the first steps in establishing a reviews management process is the ability to understand what is important for the customers in your industry. In this section, we will go through practical questions you can ask your customers in order to collect reviews and testimonials for your specific business.
Testimonial Questions for the Retail Industry
Here are a few quick questions to ask for a testimonial that most businesses in the retail industry can ask and receive great testimonials.
1. How would you describe your shopping experience with us?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the overall customer experience, which includes product selection, ease of shopping, and customer service.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into what’s working well and what needs improvement in the shopping experience.
“Shopping at your store was a breeze. The staff was helpful, and I quickly found what I was looking for.”
Sample response
2. What made our product stand out from other options?
Why use this question: This question helps identify the product’s unique selling points from the customer’s perspective.
What the business will gain: The business can understand what differentiates its product from competitors and emphasize these points in marketing efforts.
“Your product had better features and was more user-friendly compared to other options I considered.”
Sample response
3. How has our product met or exceeded your expectations?
Why use this question: This question helps assess customer satisfaction and the product’s performance.
What the business will gain: The business can identify the strengths of the product and areas for improvement.
“Your product has exceeded my expectations. It’s durable, easy to use, and delivers excellent results.”
Sample response
4. Can you share a specific instance where our product made a difference in your life?
Why use this question: This question helps gather personal stories that can be powerful in marketing materials.
What the business will gain: The business can gain compelling testimonials that resonate with potential customers.
“Yes, I remember when I was preparing for a big presentation, and your product helped me create impressive visuals that wowed my audience.”
Sample response
5. How would you rate our customer service and why?
Why use this question: This question helps evaluate the quality of customer service.
What the business will gain: The business can identify areas of strength and weakness in customer service.
“I would rate your customer service as excellent. Whenever I had queries, your team was quick to respond and very helpful.”
Sample response
Discover more: Survey questions about product quality
Testimonial Questions for the Service Industry
Gathering testimonials is essential to succeed in the service industry, where the positive experience of an existing customer can greatly impact the acquisition of other prospective customers. The following questions can help your marketing team or customer service team to collect high-quality customer testimonials:
1. How has our service improved your day-to-day life?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the practical benefits and value that the service brings to customers.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into the tangible impact of its service, which can be used to highlight benefits in marketing efforts.
Sample response: “Your cleaning service has significantly improved my daily routine. I now have more time to focus on my work and family without worrying about house chores.”
2. Can you describe a situation where our service team exceeded your expectations?
Why use this question: This question helps to identify instances of exceptional service that can be used as examples for training and improvement.
What will the business gain: The business can understand what actions or behaviors customers appreciate and aim to replicate these in future service interactions.
“Yes, there was a time when I needed urgent assistance after hours, and your team was there to help. They went above and beyond to resolve my issue.”
Sample response
3. What do you appreciate most about our service?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand what customers value most about the service.
What will the business gain: The business can identify key strengths to emphasize in marketing and strive to maintain service delivery.
“I appreciate your team’s professionalism and prompt response. They always ensure my issues are resolved in a timely manner.”
Sample response
4. How would you rate our response time and why?
Why use this question: This question helps evaluate the service team’s efficiency.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into its performance regarding response time, which is a critical factor in customer satisfaction.
“I would rate your response time as excellent. Whenever I reach out, I get a response within a few hours, which is impressive.”
Sample response
5. Would you recommend our services to others? Why?
Why use this question: This question helps gauge a current customer’s satisfaction and loyalty.
What will the business gain: The business can understand the reasons why customers would or would not recommend their service, providing valuable feedback for improvement.
“Absolutely, I would recommend your services because of your professional team and excellent customer service.”
Sample response
Testimonial questions for the Tech industry
Previous customers’ experiences with a product or service in the Tech industry can highly impact the number of future customers and revenue. This is especially true if the customer perspective shared in a testimonial provides genuine feedback and is close to the potential clients’ needs.
1. How has our technology solution impacted your productivity or efficiency?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the practical benefits of the technology solution.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into how its product improves work processes, which can be used to highlight benefits in marketing efforts.
“Your software has significantly improved our team’s productivity. We can now automate repetitive tasks, which saves us a lot of time.”
Sample response
2. What features of our software do you find most useful and why?
Why use this question: This question helps identify the product’s most valuable features from the user’s perspective.
What the business will gain: The business can understand what features to focus on in development and marketing.
“Your software’s automation and reporting features are incredibly useful. They save time and provide valuable insights into our processes.”
Sample response
3. How would you describe the learning curve for our product?
Why use this question: This question helps to assess the user-friendliness and accessibility of the product or service.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into the user experience, which can guide improvements in user interface and training materials.
“The learning curve was quite smooth. Your comprehensive tutorials and intuitive interface made it easy to get started.”
Sample response
4. Can you share an instance where our tech support team was particularly helpful?
Why use this question: This question helps identify exceptional customer service instances.
What will the business gain: The business can understand what actions or behaviors customers appreciate and aim to replicate these in future service interactions.
“Yes, when we encountered a complex issue, your tech support team was very patient and guided us through each step until the issue was resolved.”
Sample response
5. How has our technology solution helped you overcome previous challenges?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the problem-solving capabilities of the product.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into how its product or service addresses specific pain points, which can be used to attract customers facing similar challenges.
“Your technology solution has helped us overcome challenges with data management. We can now easily store, access, and analyze our data, which was a major challenge before.”
Sample response
Testimonial questions for the Healthcare industry
Testimonial questions are invaluable in the healthcare industry. They allow patients to share their experiences, particularly through Google reviews, testimonial videos, or other online reviews, offering a real-world perspective on care quality. These testimonials inspire trust, influence decisions, and provide unexpected insights for service improvement. These positive stories resonate with the target audience, are engaging marketing content, and enhance brand image.
1. How would you describe your experience with our healthcare services?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the overall patient experience, which includes the quality of care, communication, and facilities.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into what’s working well and what needs improvement in the patient experience.
“My experience with your healthcare services has been very positive. The staff is caring, the facilities are clean, and I’ve always felt well-informed about my treatment options.”
Sample response
2. Can you share a specific instance where our healthcare team made a difference in your health journey?
Why use this question: This question helps to gather personal stories that can be powerful in marketing materials.
What the business will gain: The business can gain compelling testimonials that resonate with potential patients.
“Yes, when I was diagnosed with a chronic condition, your team was incredibly supportive. They helped me understand my condition and guided me through the treatment process, which greatly impacted my health journey.”
Sample response
3. How have our healthcare services improved your quality of life?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the tangible impact of healthcare services on patients’ lives.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into how its services contribute to patients’ well-being, which can be used to highlight benefits in marketing efforts.
“Your healthcare services have significantly improved my quality of life. I’m now able to manage my condition effectively and lead a more active lifestyle.”
Sample response
4. How would you rate the professionalism and empathy of our healthcare team?
Why use this question: This question helps to evaluate the quality of patient care.
What the business will gain: The business can identify areas of strength and weakness in patient care.
“I would rate the professionalism and empathy of your healthcare team as excellent. They always take the time to listen to my concerns and provide thorough explanations.”
Sample response
5. Would you recommend our healthcare services to others? Why?
Why use this question: This question helps to gauge patient satisfaction and loyalty.
What will the business gain: The business can understand the reasons why patients would or would not recommend their services, providing valuable feedback for improvement.
“Absolutely, I would recommend your healthcare services because of your professional team and comprehensive care approach.”
Sample response
Testimonial questions for the Education industry
1. How has our educational institution impacted your learning journey?
Why use this question: This question helps understand the practical benefits and value the institution brings to students.
What will gain: Can get insights into how its programs and resources contribute to students’ learning, which can be used to highlight benefits in marketing efforts.
“Your institution has significantly impacted my learning journey. The diverse course offerings and supportive faculty have enriched my understanding and interest in my field of study.”
Sample response
2. Can you share a specific instance where our faculty made a difference in your education?
Why use this question: This question helps to gather personal stories that can be powerful in marketing materials.
What will gain: Can gain compelling testimonials that resonate with potential students.
“Yes, my advisor provided invaluable guidance and support during my thesis project. Their expertise and encouragement made a huge difference in my educational experience.”
Sample response
3. How have our educational resources and facilities supported your learning?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the value of the institution’s resources and facilities from the student’s perspective.
What will gain: Can identify key strengths to emphasize in marketing and strive to maintain in their offerings.
“The institution’s library resources and study spaces have greatly supported my learning. They provide a conducive environment for research and study.”
Sample response
4. How would you describe the learning environment at our institution?
Why use this question: This question helps to assess the overall learning environment, including the culture, diversity, and support systems.
What you will gain: You can get insights into the student experience, which can guide improvements in the learning environment.
“The learning environment at your institution is very supportive and inclusive. I feel comfortable expressing my ideas and learning from others.”
Sample response
5. Would you recommend our institution to other students? Why?
Why use this question: This question helps to gauge student satisfaction and loyalty.
What will gain: The institution can understand the reasons why students would or would not recommend their institution, providing valuable feedback for improvement.
Sample response: “Absolutely, I would recommend your institution because of the quality of education, supportive faculty, and diverse learning opportunities.”
Questions to gain customer testimonials in the Hospitality Industry
Hospitality is a service industry; as with any other, current customers’ experience can impact the business forward. Satisfied customers and their positive testimonials are literally the make or break of a hospitality business. So here are some questions to help you collect testimonials that will bring new customers to your business:
1. How would you describe your experience with our hospitality services?
Why use this question: This question helps to understand the overall guest experience, which includes the quality of service, amenities, and facilities.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into what’s working well and what needs improvement in the guest experience.
“My experience with your hospitality services was outstanding. The staff was attentive, the rooms were comfortable, and the amenities were top-notch.”
Sample response
2. Can you share a specific instance where our staff made your stay memorable?
Why use this question: This question helps to gather personal stories that can be powerful in marketing materials.
What the business will gain: The business can gain compelling testimonials that resonate with potential guests.
“Yes, on my birthday, the staff surprised me with a special dessert and a handwritten note. It was a thoughtful gesture that made my stay memorable.”
Sample response
3. How have our amenities and facilities met your expectations?
Why to use this question: This question helps to understand the value of the establishment’s amenities and facilities from the guest’s perspective.
What will the business gain: The business can identify key strengths to emphasize in marketing and strive to maintain in their offerings.
“Your amenities and facilities exceeded my expectations. The fitness center was well-equipped, and the pool area was clean and relaxing.”
Sample response
4. How would you rate the cleanliness and comfort of our establishment?
Why to use this question: This question helps to assess the quality of the establishment’s cleanliness and comfort, which are critical factors in the guest experience.
What the business will gain: The business can gain insights into its performance in these areas, which can guide improvements.
“I would rate the cleanliness and comfort of your establishment as excellent. The rooms were spotless, and the bed was incredibly comfortable.”
Sample response
5. Would you recommend our establishment to others? Why?
Why use this question: The previous question helps to gauge guest satisfaction and loyalty.
What will the business gain: The business can understand the reasons why guests would or would not recommend their establishment, providing valuable feedback for improvement.
“Absolutely, I would recommend your establishment because of the exceptional service, comfortable rooms, and excellent amenities.”
Sample response
5 Examples of Testimonial Questions for Emails
- Could you describe your experience with our product/service?
- What was the most significant benefit you gained from using our product/service?
- Would you recommend our product/service to others? If so, why?
- What made you choose our product/service over others available in the market?
- Can you share any specific results or improvements you noticed after using our product/service?
5 Examples of Video Testimonial Questions
- Can you tell us about a memorable moment or experience you had while using our product/service?
- How has our product/service impacted your daily life or business operations?
- What would you say to someone who is considering using our product/service?
- Can you showcase how you use our product/service in your daily routine or business?
- What sets our product/service apart from others you have tried in the past?
5 Examples of Interview Testimonial Questions
- Can you describe the initial challenges you were facing before you started using our product/service?
- What specific features of our product/service have been most beneficial to you?
- Can you share a success story or a positive outcome you experienced as a result of using our product/service?
- How has our product/service helped you save time or increase efficiency?
- Would you say that our product/service offers good value for the price? Please explain why.
27 General Testimonial Questions to Collect Customer Feedback
Most of the questions below can be used online forms or in face-to-face interviews. In case you are doing a testimonial interview, try to ask to listen carefully and ask further questions based on their answers – don’t just reuse them as listed below. Here are face-to-face questions that you can ask, especially when collecting video testimonials:
- Could you please introduce yourself and your professional role?
- What challenges were you hoping to address with our product/service?
- When did you first come across our product/service?
- What has been the most satisfying aspect of partnering with our company?
- Can you pinpoint the most impressive feature of our product/service?
- Why did you prefer our product/service over competitors?
- What outcomes were you anticipating when you opted for our product/service?
- What aspects of our service have gone beyond your expectations?
- Can you share the advantages you’ve experienced from using our product/service?
- Did you have any reservations before purchasing our product/service?
- How does our product/service compare to others you’ve used before?
- Can you describe your situation before you started using our product/service?
- What advice would you give to someone considering our product/service?
- What’s the primary reason you would endorse our product/service?
- Do you believe our product/service provided good value for your investment?
- How has our product/service resolved your initial challenges?
- If you had to pick one, what’s your favorite aspect of our product/service, and how has it simplified your life?
- Was there anything about our product/service that took you by surprise?
- How has our product/service influenced your daily operations if your team is remote?
- Did you encounter any unexpected obstacles when integrating our product? How did our team assist you in overcoming these challenges?
- What was an unforeseen advantage you gained from using our product/service?
- How has your business changed since you started using our product/service?
- Is there any additional feedback or comments you’d like to share about our product or company?
- On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our product to others?
- Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
- If you could describe your experience with our brand in one word, what would it be?
- How did your business fare during the COVID-19 pandemic? Did our product/service contribute to your success during this period? If so, how?
Gather more information: Best testimonial ads
Gettings Started to Ask For Testimonials Via an Online Form
Collecting testimonials via an online form is a simple and efficient process.
Option 1: Use forms builder to build a testimonials form
Here’s a quick guide to get you started with EmbedForms and incorporate some of the above testimonials questions:
- Create your form: Log into EmbedForms and create a new ‘Testimonial Form’. Customize it to suit your needs, including fields for the customer’s name, contact information, and testimonial.
- Incorporate Testimonial Questions: Use some of the above testimonial questions to elicit detailed responses. Balance open-ended and specific questions for comprehensive feedback.
- Share your form: Publish and share the link with your customers via email or social media or embed it on your website.
- Analyze responses: Use the EmbedForms analytics dashboard to view and analyze the responses for valuable insights.
With EmbedForms, you can easily gather powerful testimonials that provide valuable insights and enhance your brand image. Here is an example of a free testimonial form you can use today:
Option 2: Use reviews management software with built-in collect form
This option is more compelling for businesses that need a more streamlined review collection process.
This means that review management tools such as EmbedSocial provide an all-in-one solution that helps aggregate testimonials from various review sites but also uses a built-in form that can be utilized in emails or SMS functionalities provided by the platform itself.
This gives more control of the questions asked and makes them appear more professional. Plus, the dedicated review collection form has functionalities such as:
- Ai review assistant to write longer reviews
- Ability to build multiple forms for multiple use cases
- Options to add multiple links to different platforms or accounts – such as multiple Google locations or links to Facebook reviews.
- Option to add a ‘Leave a review’ button on your testimonial page.
And many more features specialized to help you collect more reviews and testimonials.
Here is an example of the collection form by EmbedSocial:
Conclusion: Increase customer satisfaction with the right testimonial questions
Creating compelling testimonials involves asking the right questions to capture your customer’s story. These stories, whether shared through written testimonials or videos, highlight the positive impact of your product or service. They inspire trust, influence buying decisions, and enhance your brand.
As explored in this post, well-crafted questions can help you uncover these powerful testimonials and provide at least one unexpected benefit to future clients.
So, use these questions as a guide to gather compelling stories that resonate with your audience. Remember, every customer is a potential success story waiting to be told, and tools like EmbedReviews can help you to scale the process and collect as much feedback as possible.
