Request frequency
How Often to Ask for Testimonials
Ask once and most customers never see it. Ask every month and the ones who did reply start ignoring you. The useful rule sits in between: a short burst around one request, then a long quiet stretch until something new has happened for that customer. Pick the date you send the first request to see the whole cycle laid out.
- Enter the date of your first request
- Reminders, a stop point and quiet months
- When a second ask becomes fair
Dated plan
One customer, one request cycle
Choose the day the first request goes out. The plan shows when to nudge, when to stop and when asking again is reasonable.
Day 0
First request
One email, one link, one or two questions. Send it soon after a moment the customer would call a success.
Day +3
First reminder
A short nudge with the same link. Many replies come from the reminder, not the original.
Day +7
Last reminder, then stop
One final, friendly message. After this the cycle is closed whether they replied or not.
Day +8
Quiet period begins
No more testimonial requests to this person for now, even if they buy again next week.
Day +90
Earliest fair re-ask, if they never replied
Only if something new has happened, such as a second purchase or a finished project. Send one fresh request without reminders.
Day +180
Ask a past contributor for something new
If they gave a testimonial last time, ask only for a different thing: a short video after a written quote, or an update after a milestone.
Day +365
Yearly check for long relationships
For customers who stay for years, one request a year about what has changed is plenty.
The dates are calculated in your browser and nothing is stored.
The problem, solved
Over-asking and under-asking, and how StoryProof keeps the rhythm
- Problem 1
Reminders keep going after they replied
A manual reminder schedule sends “just checking in” to someone who submitted yesterday, which reads as careless.
How StoryProof solves it
From Pro, the follow-up automation sends a reminder after three days and a last email four days later, and stops the moment the customer leaves a testimonial.
- Problem 2
Unsubscribed customers still get asked
Someone who opted out of your emails getting a testimonial request is the fastest way to lose their goodwill entirely.
How StoryProof solves it
The follow-up automation skips anyone who has unsubscribed and only sends inside the quiet hours you set.
- Problem 3
We cannot tell who was asked when
Without a record, a repeat buyer gets a fresh request with every order, or a past contributor is asked for the same thing twice.
How StoryProof solves it
Keep customers in contacts and use smart lists to separate those asked recently from those due a request. Contacts and smart lists come with every plan.
- Problem 4
Past contributors get asked for the same thing
A customer who wrote a paragraph last spring is asked to write another, rather than for the video or update you actually lack.
How StoryProof solves it
Tag each testimonial by format and date so the next ask to that person can be for something you do not have yet.
- Problem 5
The cycle ends with silence
A customer who did reply hears nothing back, which makes the next request a year later feel transactional.
How StoryProof solves it
From Pro, a thank-you email with a link to their testimonial can go out two hours after you approve it.
Prompts
Triggers that justify asking the same customer again
A later request should be about something new. If none of these has happened, wait.
They bought something different
- What did the new product or service change for you?
- How does it compare with what you had from us before?
Leave out
- Asking them to repeat what they already said about the first purchase
They reached a milestone
- A year in, what difference has it made?
- What would you tell someone starting where you were?
They gave text last time
- Would you record a short video saying the same in your own words?
Leave out
- Sending the full original request again
Your product changed a lot
- You told us about the old version. Has the new one changed anything for you?
In StoryProof
Set a request rhythm in StoryProof
- 1
Send one request per cycle
Email the collection link once. The customer can answer in video, audio or text.
- 2
Let the automation handle reminders
On Pro or above, turn on follow-ups so reminders are capped and stop on reply.
- 3
Mark who is in a quiet period
Use a smart list or a tag for customers asked in the last few months, and leave them out of new sends.
- 4
Close the loop with thanks
Send a thank-you once a testimonial is approved, automatically on a plan with automations.
What happens next: Review the quiet list each quarter and move anyone with a fresh trigger back into the next send.
Before you start
Where the schedule needs your judgement
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
The intervals are a starting point
Three months and a year suit most businesses. A high-frequency store or a once-a-decade purchase may need different gaps.
- 02
Request emails are counted
Each plan includes a monthly allowance of request emails. Fewer repeat asks also spend less of it.
- 03
No automatic quiet period
StoryProof does not block a second request to the same person. Keeping the gap is a list you maintain.
- 04
A no is still a no
If a customer says they would rather not, take them off future requests rather than waiting out the quiet period.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
How many times should I remind a customer about a testimonial request?
Two reminders after the first request is enough for most businesses. After that, stop, and treat the silence as “not now” rather than “never”.
Is asking every repeat customer after every purchase too much?
Usually, yes. Ask after the first success, then only when something genuinely new has happened for them.
Can I ask a customer who already gave a testimonial for another?
Yes, if you are asking for something different, such as a video after a written quote or an update after a year. Asking for the same thing again wastes the favour.
What if a customer ignored my request three months ago?
Wait for a new reason to ask, such as another purchase or a finished project, then send one fresh request without a reminder chain.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Ask at the right rhythm
Send one request, let capped reminders follow, and keep a list of who is due next.
Last updated 2026-11-05.