Ask after the value, not after the payment
The most common mistake is asking when the order ships. The customer has not used anything yet, so the honest response is silence. Wait until the product has been delivered and lived with for a few days — the request then arrives at a moment the customer has something to say.
One ask, one reminder, then stop
A second reminder recovers a meaningful share of reviews. A third mostly recovers unsubscribes. Decide the limit in advance, because there is always a reason to send one more and it is always the wrong call.
Ask on the channel they already replied on
If a customer has been messaging you on WhatsApp about their order, an email request is a channel switch that costs you responses. Ask where the conversation already is.
Make the first step tiny
A rating is a tap; a written review is a task. Ask for the rating first and invite the words afterwards. You will collect more of both than if you demand a paragraph up front.
Do not buy, incentivise carelessly, or filter
Offering a discount for any honest review is generally acceptable; offering one for a positive review is not, and platforms treat it as manipulation. Filtering negatives before publication is the same problem wearing a nicer name. A four-point-something average with visible criticism outsells a suspicious five.
Answer the bad ones in public
A negative review with a calm, specific reply from the shop does more for a hesitant buyer than another five-star line. It is the only proof available that something going wrong is survivable.
Explore this workflow in Dejor.
See how shopify product reviews fits into your store, including setup steps and common questions.