You know reviews matter. So why is getting them consistently still so hard?
If you're like most business owners, you've experienced this frustration: You deliver great work. Your customers are happy. But when it comes to actually collecting reviews? Crickets.
You're not alone. This is the challenge I hear about constantly from the small business owners I work with at EDGE. You know reviews drive growth. You know potential customers read them before making decisions. But somehow, building a consistent review collection system always falls to the bottom of the to-do list.
That's exactly why I wanted to share what I learned from Kurtis Hewson.
Kurtis runs Jigsaw Learning, a company that's been serving schools across Canada, the US, Australia, and Iceland for nearly 20 years. When he joined me on our Marketing Minute podcast, I expected a good conversation about his business. What I got instead was a masterclass on something every business owner struggles with: turning customer satisfaction into a steady stream of powerful reviews.
Kurtis has built a proven system that transforms reviews into marketing assets that consistently drive real business growth, without the usual struggles that arise when a system isn't in place.
Here's the approach that could change how you think about reviews entirely.
The Biggest Hurdle: Getting Over the Fear of Asking
The biggest hurdle to get over is knowing that it's okay to ask for reviews. Kurtis explained during our conversation not a single person has opted out of a review when asked.
This really struck me because it's exactly what I see with our clients at EDGE. Most business owners avoid asking for reviews because they assume it's pushy or annoying. But here's what Kurtis's experience—and mine—has shown: your satisfied customers actually want to help you succeed. The key is making the ask feel natural and expected, not desperate.
Set Expectations From Day One
Start the review conversation before completing the work. During your initial client conversation, mention that reviews are important to your business and let them know you will be sending them a request after the project wraps up.
This simple step removes the awkwardness later because your client already knows it's coming. Now, instead of springing a surprise request on them, you're following through on something you discussed upfront.
Create a System That Works on Autopilot
Make your review process as painless as you can, so that when you ask for a review, it's not a whole morning task. It should be a matter of adjusting the template and firing away.
This resonated deeply with my approach to marketing strategy. The difference between businesses that consistently collect reviews and those that don't comes down to systems. Here are the three pillars of an effective review collection system:
Template Everything
The Problem: Spending too much time crafting review requests
The Solution: Create email templates with direct links to your preferred review platforms
Pro Tip: Include specific instructions about where to leave the review and what information would be most helpful. And thank them ahead of time — they’re doing you a favour
Result: The easier you make it for customers, the more likely they'll follow through
Time It Right
The Problem: Waiting too long when the positive experience has faded
The Solution: Ask during the "honeymoon period": immediately after project completion
Pro Tip: Strike while satisfaction is highest and the experience is fresh in their mind
Result: Higher response rates and more detailed, enthusiastic reviews
Automate When Possible
The Problem: Forgetting to ask satisfied customers for reviews
The Solution: Set up automated review requests triggered by project completion or invoice sending
Pro Tip: Use your CRM system to create automatic workflows
Result: No satisfied customer slips through the cracks
Use AI to Transform Feedback Into Marketing Gold
Here's where requesting reviews gets really interesting: take your client’s feedback or a conversation you had with them, throw it through AI and have it write the testimonial. Then, send it back to them to see if they’d feel comfortable with you posting it on your website or for them to post it on your Google Business Profile.
As someone who's been exploring AI tools for our processes at EDGE, this technique solves two problems. First, it creates polished testimonials from raw feedback. Second, it makes the process easier for your customers because they don't have to craft the perfect review from scratch.
The key is always getting approval before using AI-generated content. Your customers need to feel comfortable with how their words are represented.
Make Every Review Work Harder
Getting the review is just the beginning. Smart businesses repurpose that content across multiple channels:
Extract Key Phrases
Pepurpose the testimonials. Take a single powerful quote and use it on your website, email signatures, and marketing materials. A single review can provide content for weeks.
Create FAQ Content
Use common pain points from reviews to build FAQ sections that work well with AI search. This helps potential customers find answers while showcasing real client experiences.
Build Social Proof
Feature reviews prominently on your website and in your marketing materials, like social media. Social proof from real customers carries more weight than any sales copy you could write.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
While it might seem like more reviews are always better, targeting 30-50 reviews on your Google Business Profile is the sweet spot — though this depends on your industry. This range helps build trust without triggering Google's suspicion of fake reviews.
No matter the number of reviews you have, you should respond to every one—positive or negative—with personalized messages. This shows potential customers that you value feedback and maintain strong client relationships. Even when responding to negative reviews and you request to take the conversation offline, it shows that you take initiative and want to make things right.
Shift Your Marketing Mindset
The review collection process revealed something important that aligns perfectly with what we teach at EDGE: talk less about yourself and more about the problem your customers are experiencing, what’s nagging at them. How can you help respond to that? Flipping that narrative is a big step towards review success.
Building a review collection system doesn't require expensive software or complex processes. Look at your current review strategy and ask: Are you capturing feedback from every satisfied customer? Are you repurposing that content across multiple channels? If not, it's time to reevaluate.
Start with these three foundational steps:
- Set expectations with your next new client about requesting a review
- Create a simple email template with direct links to your preferred review platforms
- Schedule the ask for immediately after project completion
The businesses that consistently collect and leverage customer reviews build systems that make success inevitable. Your satisfied customers are already out there. The question is whether you have a system in place to capture their enthusiasm and put it to work for your business growth.
Need help building a review collection system that actually drives business results? Give us a call at EDGE Marketing & Design. We'll help you create the processes and systems that turn your customer satisfaction into sustainable marketing assets.
Check out the Marketing Minute Podcast to find out more about customer reviews.
October 28, 2025
Posted By Peter DeWit
Owner & Account Manager
With over 25 years of business experience, Peter’s focus is to deliver strategic marketing solutions to a wide range of businesses and not-for-profit organizations. He has worked in the Information Technology sector and in a variety of marketing roles, largely with Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s). His extensive knowledge of business and marketing allows him to oversee projects from a strategic perspective while being pragmatic about the most effective solutions for clients.
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