Customer Testimonial Collection Process
This policy establishes the mandatory standardized workflow for soliciting, reviewing, approving, and archiving customer testimonials across all departments, ensuring brand consistency, legal compliance, and data integrity.
This document outlines the end-to-end process for collecting customer testimonials used in marketing materials, sales enablement, and public-facing communications. The policy ensures all testimonials are obtained with explicit consent, accurately represent the customer experience, comply with privacy regulations (PIPEDA, GDPR where applicable), and are stored in a centralized repository. Every department that interacts with customers — including Sales, Customer Success, and Support — must follow this protocol before any testimonial is published internally or externally.
This policy applies to all permanent, contract, and temporary employees of the organization who interact with customers, as well as third-party agencies engaged in marketing or content creation. It covers any written, audio, or video statement made by a customer (past or present) that is used for promotional purposes. Exceptions require written approval from the Director of Marketing.
- Every testimonial must be accompanied by a digitally signed release form explicitly granting permission for use in marketing, including specific channels (website, social media, email, print). Template release forms are maintained by Legal.
- Testimonials must be verifiable. Claims regarding specific results (e.g., “increased productivity by 30%”) require documented evidence and approval from Product Marketing. Generic statements of satisfaction are exempt.
- Testimonials older than 18 months must be re-validated with the customer or removed from active use. A quarterly review of the testimonial library is the responsibility of the Content Manager.
- All testimonials must align with the organization's tone and visual identity guidelines. Video testimonials must be professionally edited per the media style guide (see Appendix B).
- Customer Success Manager (CSM) – Primary point of contact for soliciting testimonials; responsible for obtaining initial interest and forwarding customer contact to Marketing.
- Content Manager – Owns the testimonial pipeline, coordinates release forms, conducts editorial review, and manages the central testimonial repository.
- Legal / Privacy Officer – Approves release form templates and provides guidance on regulatory compliance (PIPEDA, GDPR, CCPA).
- Director of Marketing – Final approval for any testimonial published on high-traffic channels (homepage, paid ads, major campaigns).
- All Employees – Must immediately report any unsolicited customer praise to their manager or Content Manager for proper capture and consent processing.