Testimonials can make or break a business. It’s all about how you ask for them, what they say, and where you show them.

So how exactly should you ask them?

Unfortunately, you have no control over what your customers say but you can elicit better responses by using the right questions.

Instead of asking, “Did we do a good job of serving you today?” ask “What did you like best/worst about how we served you today?”

The first question elicits a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, whereas the second question asks for an explanation – and more specifically it encourages negative feedback, which isn’t a bad thing.

As for how the testimonials are worded, ask your questions using the type of language you want them to use.  Don’t ask, “What did we do wrong?” ask “How can we improve how we serve you?”

Once you have your feedback tell your customer how valuable their feedback was, thank them for their time, and if possible, reward them. After all, you want them to return happy don’t you?