How to ask a customer for a testimonial (with examples)

Ask soon after a job went well for that customer, in a short personal message, with two or three specific questions. Then ask separately for permission to publish what they say with their name, and with a photo or business name if you want those. Keep their words exactly as they wrote them. The rest of this page is the detail that makes it feel less awkward.

When to ask

Right after the job, basically. The customer’s still feeling the result and the new kitchen is still gleaming, so you don’t have to remind them who you are.

There’s a knack to it. You’re looking for the moment they’ve said something nice to your face, or sent a cheerful “thanks so much” text, or just seemed properly pleased when you handed over the keys or the invoice. That’s your cue. A testimonial is a quote you ask a particular customer for, which is different from a Google review, where every customer should get the same ask (more on that in how to ask for an honest review).

One thing though. Don’t let the good ones become the only picture you paint of your business. The CMA’s fake reviews guidance (CMA208, published 4 April 2025 under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024) says traders shouldn’t limit the impact of negative reviews by editing, withholding or removing them. It also describes cherry-picking as selecting only favourable reviews, or highlighting positive ones when they don’t reflect what reviewers report overall. A testimonial is one customer’s view, so present it that way.

Keep the ask personal and short. A text or email that sounds like you, not a form letter.

What to ask (questions that get specific answers)

“Could you leave me a testimonial?” gets you “Great service, would recommend.” Which is fine. It’s also the same sentence every business on earth has on its website.

Specific questions get specific answers. So ask two or three things they can answer from their own experience:

• What was the problem or need before you got in touch?
• What was it like working with you, anything that stood out?
• What’s different now?

Notice what’s missing there: no request for a rating, no “please say we were amazing.” Don’t hand them the praise and ask them to sign it. You want their words, not yours with their name on top. Anything that nudges them towards specific wording starts to look like you’ve written it for them, and that’s a problem for you later.

If the customer asks what a good one looks like, point them at how to write a testimonial.

Don’t offer anything in return either. No discount, no voucher, no freebie. CMA208 says concealed incentivised reviews are banned, and that commissioning includes asking in exchange for money, discounts or vouchers, freebies and so on. It also covers a trader asking a member of staff to write a review. So keep it clean: a genuine customer, a genuine opinion.

Getting permission to use their name, photo or business

Separate question, separate message if you can manage it. Someone writing you a lovely paragraph is not the same as someone agreeing to see their face on your flyer.

CAP Code rule 3.50 says marketing must not feature a testimonial without permission (there are exceptions for accurate quotes from a published source). The ASA has upheld complaints where marketers couldn’t prove they held that permission. So you need to be able to show it.

The ICO’s UK GDPR guidance on consent is a useful yardstick here, particularly where a name or photo identifies a person. Consent has to be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, by a statement or a clear affirmative action. Silence, pre-ticked boxes or just not replying don’t count. You need to be able to show they agreed, so keep the record. They also need to be able to withdraw easily at any time, and you should tell them how. And consent has to cover your actual purposes; if those change, you’d need to ask again. Consent is one lawful basis among several, and the ICO’s guidance covers the others.

Here’s the practical version, and this is advice rather than law. Ask in writing. Say exactly where you’ll use it: website, social posts, printed flyers. Say which details: first name and town, full name, photo, business name. Say how to ask you to take it down. Then keep their reply.

What you can and cannot edit

Fixing an obvious typo or trimming a long message down to the best couple of sentences is generally fine, as long as it still says what they meant. The ASA’s advice is that testimonials should not be taken out of context or edited in a way that’s misleading. So don’t chop a sentence so “it was good once we’d sorted the delay” becomes “it was good.” Don’t stitch two separate comments into one. Don’t polish their wording into something they’d never say.

A few other bits from the ASA and CAP. The testimonial has to relate to the product or service you’re advertising (rule 3.48), so a lovely comment about your boiler servicing shouldn’t sit under your bathroom fitting. And factual-sounding claims inside a testimonial, say “saved me a fortune” or “finished a week early”, must not mislead (rule 3.49). If you can’t back it up, leave it out or check it.

If in doubt, send the edited version back to them and ask if they’re happy. Takes a minute. Saves a headache.

Example testimonial requests

Here are a few you can borrow. Change the details so they sound like you.

Fictional example

Hi Sam, thanks again for having us in to fit the kitchen. I hope you’re enjoying it! If you’ve got a couple of minutes, I’d really value a few words in your own style: what was the kitchen like before we started, what was it like having us in the house, and what’s the biggest difference now? No pressure at all, and I’ll message separately about whether I can use anything you write.

Fictional example

Hi Priya, it was lovely to see Biscuit looking so smart on Saturday. Would you be happy to tell me, in your own words, what made you look for a groomer, how Biscuit was with us, and how you found the whole visit? If you’re happy for me to quote you on my website, I’ll ask about that in a separate message so you can say yes or no.

Fictional example

Hi Mr Okafor, now the year-end is filed, could you send me a few honest lines about it? What was your bookkeeping like before, what was working with me like, and what’s changed since? Whatever you say is fine, good or mixed. Afterwards I’ll ask whether I can publish it and how you’d like to be credited.

Fictional example

Hi Jo, congratulations again on passing! Would you tell me what made you nervous before lessons, what helped most, and how you felt on the day? Just a few sentences. If you’re okay with me using your words, I’ll check separately what name you’d like shown, or whether you’d rather stay anonymous.

And the follow-up permission message, sent once they’ve replied:

Fictional example

Thanks so much for that, Sam. Would you be happy for me to use your comment on my website, social posts and printed flyers, credited as “Sam, Leeds”? Just reply yes or no. If you ever change your mind, tell me and I’ll take it down.

Turning the answer into something you can use

Once you’ve got their words and their yes, save the lot: the original message, the permission reply, their contact details. CAP Code rule 3.47 says you need documentary evidence that a testimonial is genuine, and contact details for the person who gave it. That has two parts: the quote is from a real person, and it reflects what they said.

Signed and dated paperwork isn’t the only acceptable evidence, by the way. In one case the ASA accepted copies of the emails containing the testimonials together with the customers’ order history. The same advice says emails from unverifiable addresses would not be acceptable on their own, so keep the message alongside the job record.

Then make it look good without changing a word. The testimonial card maker formats a real testimonial into a square or landscape card, with the customer’s name as they’re happy to be credited. It runs in your browser, it never writes endorsements for you, and the stars are off by default, so there’s no rating implied that they never gave.

If what you want is a Google review rather than a quote, the review request message builder builds an honest request for SMS, WhatsApp or email. And for the legal background in more depth, there’s a guide to fake reviews and UK law.

Ask soon, ask specifically, ask permission separately, and leave their words alone.

Questions people ask

Do I need permission to use a customer's testimonial?

For marketing, yes. CAP Code rule 3.50 says ads must not feature a testimonial without permission, with exceptions for accurate quotes from a published source. The ASA has upheld complaints where businesses could not prove they had it. Ask in writing, say where you will use the quote and how they will be credited, and keep their reply.

Can I offer a discount or freebie for a testimonial?

Keep it simple and offer nothing. The CMA's fake reviews guidance treats asking for a review in exchange for money, discounts, vouchers or freebies as commissioning it, and concealed incentivised reviews are banned. A testimonial that is freely given, in the customer's own words, is also the one people are most likely to believe.

Can I fix spelling or shorten a testimonial?

Small tidy-ups are fine if the meaning stays exactly the same. The ASA's advice is that testimonials should not be taken out of context or edited in a way that misleads. Never cut a reservation so a mixed comment reads as glowing, and never merge separate comments. If you are unsure, send the edited version back and ask if they are happy.

What records should I keep for a testimonial?

Keep the customer's original message, their permission reply and their contact details. CAP Code rule 3.47 says marketers must hold documentary evidence that a testimonial is genuine and contact details for the person who gave it. In one case the ASA accepted copies of the emails containing testimonials together with the customers' order history.