The 30-second video review: what customers should say (with a script)

Most customers who abandon a video review do so in the first three seconds, staring at the record button thinking "what do I say?" A structure removes that moment. Here is one that fits in 30 seconds and produces reviews people actually watch.

The 30-second structure

Seconds 0 to 5: Who and what. "I'm Priya, I got my kitchen fitted by Oakline last month."

Seconds 5 to 20: The experience. One specific thing that stood out. Not "great service" but "they turned up when they said they would, every single day, and they cleaned up every evening."

Seconds 20 to 30: The verdict. "Would I use them again? Already booked them for the bathroom."

Specific, honest, done. The countdown ring on the Reeltic recording screen shows how much time is left, so there is no need to count.

Why specific beats glowing

Viewers discount superlatives. "Amazing, ten out of ten, best ever" reads as filler even when it is sincere. A single concrete detail ("they found the leak in ten minutes after two other plumbers missed it") is believable because it is checkable in spirit. Ask for one detail, not a grade.

Scripts by industry

Share the relevant one with customers as a prompt. They will not read it word for word, and they should not.

Trades and home services

"I hired [business] for [job]. The thing that stood out was [one specific thing: punctuality, tidiness, price, a problem they solved]. I would [recommend them / use them again] because [reason]."

Restaurants and cafés

"We came to [restaurant] for [occasion]. I had the [dish]. [One thing about the food, the service or the room]. If you like [type of food or vibe], come here."

Salons, barbers and beauty

"This is my [cut/colour/nails] from [salon]. I asked for [what you asked for] and [what you got]. [Stylist name] [one thing they did well]. Booking again for [next visit]."

E-commerce and products

"This is the [product] from [brand]. I have used it for [time]. What I like: [one thing]. What surprised me: [one thing]. Worth it if you [who it suits]."

Agencies, consultants and B2B

"We worked with [agency] on [project]. The result was [one measurable or visible outcome]. What made the difference was [communication, speed, expertise]. I would recommend them to [type of company]."

Fitness, coaching and wellness

"I have been training with [business] for [time]. When I started I [starting point]. Now I [outcome]. The thing that kept me going was [one thing]."

Prompts that do not steer

There is a line between helping a customer speak and telling them what to say. Stay on the right side of it:

• Fine: "Say what you came for, what stood out, and whether you would recommend us."
• Fine: "Feel free to mention the [product] by name."
• Not fine: "Say it was five stars."
• Not fine: "Do not mention the delay."

Reeltic asks reviewers for an honest rating and lets them write their own caption. The business never sees or edits the video before it is processed.

Tips for the customer

Put these on the recording page caption or the card with the QR code:

• Hold the phone upright (portrait).
• Face a window if you can; light on your face, not behind you.
• One take is fine. You can pick the best 30 seconds of a longer clip.
• Tap the blur toggle if you would rather not show your face.
• Talk to a friend, not to a camera.

Tips for the business

• Do not hover. Hand over the code and walk away.
• Do not ask for a re-take unless the audio failed.
• Choose the trim window for them if they went long; never cut a sentence in half.
• Reply to every review publicly, especially the lukewarm ones.

Put it to work

Copy the script for your industry into your review request (see how to ask customers for video reviews), then set up your free profile and watch the first one land.