Asking a customer for “a few nice words” often produces a few nice words and very little information. The customer may be willing to help but unsure which part of the experience matters. A thoughtful question gives them somewhere concrete to start.
Good testimonial questions invite people to describe what happened in their own language. They do not write the recommendation in advance or make praise a condition of replying. For a short written testimonial, a small number of focused prompts is usually more manageable than a long interview form.
Start with the situation the customer remembers
Ask what the customer was trying to do when they approached your business. “What did you need help with?” is easier to answer honestly than “How did our amazing service transform your business?” The first question leaves room for a useful account; the second tells the respondent what the business wants to hear.
HubSpot's testimonial question guide includes prompts about the problem and the customer's experience. Use that kind of sequence to establish context before asking for an overall opinion.
For a written request, you might offer three questions: What were you trying to achieve? Which part of working with us was most useful? What would another customer want to know before choosing us? Explain that the customer can answer only the questions they find relevant.
Ask about actions and observations
A general compliment is a starting point for a follow-up, rather than the finished testimonial. Try questions such as:
- “You mentioned that communication was clear. Can you remember an update that helped?”
- “What did you have to do before the appointment or project could start?”
- “Was there a moment when you needed help, and what happened next?”
- “What would another customer need to know before choosing this service?”
Pick the question that fits the answer you have just heard. Sending the whole list to someone who offered a two-sentence reply can turn a reasonable request into unexpected homework.
The GOV.UK guidance on in-depth interviews recommends exploring people's actual experiences and using follow-up questions. A testimonial request is not a formal research interview, but the same attention to what happened can improve the answer.
Avoid stacking several questions into one sentence. “Was onboarding fast, easy and valuable?” asks about different things while inviting a yes. Give the customer a chance to distinguish them: something may have been easy to learn but slower to organise than expected.
Keep the wording neutral
Questions affect answers. Pew Research Center's guidance on writing survey questions explains how wording, order and response choices can shape what people report. That is a useful reminder when a marketing request begins to sound like a script.
Do not ask customers to endorse a result they did not measure. If someone mentions saved time, ask how they noticed the change rather than suggesting a percentage. Their answer may be qualitative, and that can still be valuable when presented accurately.
Give people an easy way to mention a qualification. A customer who explains that a service suited their small team offers useful context. Removing that detail to make the quote sound universal weakens the evidence.
Agree the final quote before using it
Once the answer arrives, identify the strongest point and propose an excerpt if needed. Confirm the final text, attribution and intended channels separately. Replying to a question is not the same as approving every future advertising use.
An approved response can become a manually added testimonial in Mirror App's Reviews Widget. Keep a record of the customer's approval alongside the original wording, so the published quote remains traceable when your team revisits it later.
