Ask for Reviews at the Right Time: Evidence from Two Field Experiments

For your marketing

Possible founder application

Test the timing of review requests after users experience value. Randomize timing and report both posting and review quality, while avoiding pressure tactics that can undermine trust.

Reported result

What the study found

Immediate reminders reduced review posting relative to a randomized immediate control group without a reminder. The authors interpret this as evidence that reactance to an immediate prompt can outweigh the memory benefit in that setting.

Research question

What the authors investigated

When should firms send prompts asking customers to post an online review?

Design

Two field experiments test review-request timing and compare immediate reminders with later requests in online marketplace settings.

Sample and setting

The publisher and university research summaries describe marketplace customers, including a major South Korean online apparel marketplace; the abstract reviewed does not provide sample sizes.

Scope and transfer

Limitations to keep in view

The evidence concerns particular marketplace transactions and review prompts; it does not show that delaying every customer message improves reviews. Review posting is distinct from review quality or sales impact.

Research sources

Journal of Marketing Research abstract and institutional research summary. No sample sizes are added because they were not available in the abstract reviewed.