AI & Automation
Personas
Ecommerce
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
Let me tell you about the time I completely ignored every "review automation best practice" and accidentally discovered something that worked 10x better than any app.
I was working on a complete website revamp for a Shopify e-commerce client. The original brief was straightforward: update the abandoned checkout emails to match the new brand guidelines. New colors, new fonts, done. But as I opened the old template—with its product grid, discount codes, and "COMPLETE YOUR ORDER NOW" buttons—something felt off.
This was exactly what every other e-commerce store was sending. Generic. Templated. Robotic.
While everyone else was asking "which app sends automatic Trustpilot invites?" I was asking a different question: what if the secret wasn't finding the perfect automation tool, but making automation feel human?
Here's what you'll learn from my experience:
Why most review automation apps actually hurt your response rates
The cross-industry insight that changed everything about review collection
My exact email template that doubled reply rates
How to implement this strategy across ecommerce and SaaS platforms
The simple psychology principle that turns transactional emails into conversations
Industry Reality
What everyone's doing with review automation apps
Walk into any ecommerce marketing discussion and you'll hear the same advice: "Use Trustpilot integration apps," "Set up automated review requests," "Install Yotpo or Loox for seamless collection." The app stores are flooded with solutions promising to automate your review collection process.
Here's what the conventional wisdom looks like:
Install a review automation app - Trustpilot's official Shopify integration, Yotpo, Reviews.io, or Judge.me
Set up trigger rules - Usually 7-14 days after delivery, send an automated review request
Use pre-written templates - Generic messages like "How was your recent purchase?"
Include star ratings buttons - Make it easy to click and rate
Add incentives - Discount codes for leaving reviews
This approach exists because it's scalable. You set it up once, and it runs forever. Apps like Trustpilot's official integration promise to handle everything automatically—from sending invites to managing responses.
The problem? These automated systems treat customers like data points instead of humans. When everyone uses the same templates and timing, your "personal" review request looks identical to the dozens of others in your customer's inbox.
Most businesses accept low response rates (typically 2-5%) as the cost of automation. But what if the real cost isn't just low responses—what if it's training your customers to ignore you entirely?
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
I was working with a Shopify e-commerce client who was frustrated with their review collection process. They had tried multiple apps—Trustpilot's integration, Yotpo, even custom Zapier workflows—but their review response rates were terrible.
The client came to me for a website revamp, but when I saw their abandoned cart email setup, I couldn't help but notice how impersonal everything felt. Their review requests looked like they came from a robot: product grids, corporate language, obvious automation.
Here's where it gets interesting. I was simultaneously working on an e-commerce project in a completely different industry—and that's where I learned my most valuable lesson about reviews.
In e-commerce, reviews aren't nice-to-have; they're make-or-break. Think about your own Amazon shopping behavior—you probably won't buy anything under 4 stars with less than 50 reviews. E-commerce businesses have been solving the review automation problem for years because their survival depends on it.
After testing multiple tools in the e-commerce space, I landed on Trustpilot. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, their automated emails are a bit aggressive for my personal taste. But here's the thing—their email automation converted like crazy.
So I did what seemed obvious in hindsight but revolutionary at the time: I implemented the same Trustpilot process for my B2B SaaS client.
But instead of just copying the automation, I made one critical change. I rewrote their abandoned cart email to sound like it came from a human being, not a marketing department.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
Instead of asking "which app sends automatic Trustpilot invites?" I started asking "how can I make automated communication feel personal?" Here's exactly what I implemented:
Step 1: Choose Your Platform (But Don't Rely On It)
Yes, I used Trustpilot. Their infrastructure works, their deliverability is solid, and they integrate with everything. But the magic wasn't in the platform—it was in how I used it.
Rather than using their default templates, I built custom email sequences that felt like personal notes from the business owner.
Step 2: Rewrite Everything in First Person
I ditched the traditional e-commerce template completely. Instead of "Rate your recent purchase," I wrote emails as if the business owner was personally reaching out:
Subject line changed from "Review your order" to "You had started your order..."
Body text written in first person: "I noticed you were looking at our products..."
Newsletter-style design instead of product-grid layouts
Step 3: Address Real Problems, Not Just Ask for Reviews
Through conversations with the client, I discovered a critical pain point: customers were struggling with payment validation, especially with double authentication requirements. Rather than ignoring this friction, I addressed it head-on in the email.
I added a simple 3-point troubleshooting list:
Payment authentication timing out? Try again with your bank app already open
Card declined? Double-check your billing ZIP code matches exactly
Still having issues? Just reply to this email—I'll help you personally
Step 4: Make It a Two-Way Conversation
Instead of just asking for reviews, I created opportunities for dialogue. The troubleshooting section naturally led to customers replying with questions, which opened up conversations that often resulted in reviews anyway.
Step 5: Cross-Industry Application
The same approach worked across different business types. For B2B SaaS clients, I adapted the personal, helpful tone to address onboarding confusion. For service businesses, I used it to check in on project satisfaction.
The key insight: Sometimes the best review automation strategy is to stop treating it like automation and start treating it like customer service.
Cross-Industry Insight
Applied successful e-commerce review tactics to B2B, creating unexpected synergies
Personal Touch
Rewrote all automation to sound like personal notes from the business owner, not marketing templates
Problem-Solving Focus
Added troubleshooting help instead of just asking for reviews, addressing real customer pain points
Two-Way Communication
Created opportunities for customers to reply and start conversations, not just rate products
The impact went beyond just recovered carts and review collection:
Customer Engagement Transformed
Customers started replying to the emails asking questions about products, shipping, and technical issues. What was supposed to be a one-way review request became a customer service touchpoint.
Higher Response Quality
Not only did more people respond, but the responses were more detailed and helpful. Instead of just star ratings, we got paragraph-long reviews explaining specific use cases and benefits.
Reduced Support Tickets
By proactively addressing common issues in the email, we actually reduced the number of support tickets about payment problems and shipping questions.
Cross-Platform Success
The approach worked equally well when adapted for different industries. Service businesses used it for project follow-ups, SaaS companies for onboarding check-ins, and e-commerce stores for both reviews and customer support.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
This experience taught me that in a world of automated, templated communications, the most powerful differentiation might just be sounding like an actual person who cares about solving problems—not just completing transactions.
Tools matter less than tone - Any platform can send emails, but few businesses take time to make them feel human
Address problems, don't just ask for favors - Help first, request second
Cross-industry learning is powerful - The best solutions often come from completely different markets
Automation should enable conversation, not replace it - Use technology to start dialogues, not end them
Personal beats perfect - A slightly imperfect but genuine message outperforms polished corporate speak
Timing matters less than value - When you're actually helping, customers don't mind the "interruption"
One strategy, multiple applications - The same human-first approach works across different business models and industries
The biggest lesson? Stop optimizing for metrics and start optimizing for relationships. Reviews will follow naturally when customers feel heard and helped.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS companies looking to implement this approach:
Use onboarding check-ins as review opportunities
Address common setup problems proactively
Write emails from founder's perspective, not marketing team
Focus on user success, then ask for G2 or Capterra reviews
For your Ecommerce store
For e-commerce stores implementing this strategy:
Address shipping and payment issues in follow-up emails
Use personal tone in abandoned cart recovery
Combine customer service with review requests
Create conversation opportunities, not just rating buttons