One quote, one decision
Using Testimonials From Former Customers
The customer behind your best quote has cancelled, or the person who gave it has moved to another company. The testimonial is still on your homepage. Whether it can stay depends on what it says and what has changed. Answer five questions about that one quote.
- Keep, update, reconfirm or retire one quote
- Covers churned accounts and job changes
- Points to the US endorsement guides it relies on
Decision helper
What should happen to this testimonial?
Answer about one testimonial and the person who gave it. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.
Answers stay in your browser.
The problem, solved
What makes an old testimonial risky, and how StoryProof helps you act
- Problem 1
The quote is on six pages and we do not know where
By the time someone notices the customer left, the quote sits in widgets across the site and in a deck or two.
How StoryProof solves it
You choose which approved testimonials appear in each widget, so removing or swapping one is a change you make per widget, not a hunt through page code.
- Problem 2
Nobody noticed they had left
Churn is tracked by finance, testimonials by marketing, and nobody connects the two.
How StoryProof solves it
Tag testimonials with the account they belong to. Tags are on every plan, so a cancelled account can be matched to its quotes in seconds.
- Problem 3
The job title is out of date
“Head of Marketing at Acme” is no longer true, and a visitor who checks will notice.
How StoryProof solves it
Job title and company are separate fields from the name when testimonials come in by CSV, so the attribution is held apart from the customer’s words.
- Problem 4
We want their blessing to keep it
A quick yes from the former customer turns an awkward question into a settled one.
How StoryProof solves it
Send them a StoryProof link to confirm, or add a fresh line, by video, audio note or text in the browser. The reply waits for your approval like any other.
Common cases at a glance
Starting points. The helper above weighs your specific quote.
In StoryProof
Act on the decision in StoryProof
- 1
Find every widget that shows it
Check each widget’s chosen testimonials and remove or keep the quote according to the decision.
- 2
Ask the person if the decision needs it
Send a collection link with a short note explaining the quote is still live and asking if that is fine.
- 3
Record what you did
Tag the testimonial with its new status, such as “former customer, reconfirmed” or “retired”, and the date.
- 4
Check copies outside the site
Sales decks, social posts and printed material are not updated by a widget change. Replace the quote there by hand.
What happens next: Ask your finance or success team to tell marketing when a featured account cancels, so the next case is caught on the day.
Before you start
What this guide does not settle
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
Not legal advice
The US endorsement guides are referenced for orientation. Other countries have their own rules, and a lawyer should review anything high stakes.
- 02
Your original consent may say more
If the permission the customer gave had an end date or limits, those apply whatever the helper says.
- 03
A logo is a stronger claim than a quote
Showing a former customer’s logo beside current ones suggests they still use you. Treat logos more strictly than quoted words.
- 04
People can withdraw at any time
If a former customer asks you to remove their testimonial, remove it, whatever the decision here.
- 05
Silence is not consent
Writing to ask and getting no answer does not count as a yes. Decide on the quote as if they had not replied.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Can I keep using a testimonial after the customer cancels?
Sometimes. In the US, the FTC’s endorsement guides say an advertiser that states an endorser uses a product needs good reason to believe they still do. If the quote describes a past experience and they had no complaint, it may stay; if it claims current use, it should be updated or removed.
What if the person changed jobs but still likes us?
Keep the words and correct the attribution. Ask how they want to be shown, for example with their role at the time, or with their new company if they still use you there.
Do I need to say the person is a former customer?
If the quote or its placement would make a visitor think they are a current customer, yes, or take it down. If it clearly describes a past experience, an accurate attribution is usually enough.
Should I ask former customers for testimonials at all?
It can work if they left for reasons unrelated to you and the experience was good. Be clear in the request that you know they have moved on.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Know which quotes still stand
Tag testimonials by account, swap a quote out of any widget and ask former customers in one link.
Sources
- 16 CFR 255.1: General considerations (Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 2026-11-05.
Last updated 2026-11-05.