Ask in person or by phone first, then confirm by email with three things: how long it takes (about an hour on camera), what you will ask (three or four questions, no script) and that they approve the cut before it goes anywhere. Keep it under 120 words and send it to one named person, not “the team”.
Foothills Academy‘s gala film worked because parents and students told their own stories; none were marketers. If you want the interview, paperwork and edit handled, see our testimonial video production in Calgary. Below: the templates, what to do when they say no, when to ask, and how we prepare your customer.
How do you ask a customer for a video testimonial? (email and text templates)
Pick one customer with a visible result, call them, say why you are asking them specifically, and tell them exactly what it involves. The email that follows is a confirmation of a conversation, not a cold request, and that is why it gets a yes. For a contractor, the right customer is the owner whose project you would put on the first page of your next bid package.
The six parts of an ask that works:
- Why them. Name the project and the result you saw. “The [project] came in on the date we promised, and you told the inspector so.”
- What it involves. Time (about an hour, including setup), place (their office or the finished site) and format (an interview, no script, no lines to learn).
- What they get. The finished video for their own website and social channels, and approval of the cut before it is published.
- Two dates. Not “whenever works for you”. Two options, both within three weeks.
- The questions in advance. Send them with the calendar invite. Our testimonial interview questions list is a good starting set.
- The release, later. The consent form goes with the calendar invite, not in the first email. The video testimonial release form guide explains what Alberta requires in it.
The email, after the phone call:
Subject: Thanks for the call: the testimonial details
Hi [name], good talking just now. As promised, here is what the testimonial involves. We’d film at [your office / the finished site] on [date 1] or [date 2]. It takes about an hour including setup. Jared asks three or four questions about the [project]: what you needed, how the work went, what changed. No script. You see the finished cut before it goes anywhere, and you get a copy for your own website and social channels. Which date works? Thanks again, [your name].
The text message version, for a customer you talk to by text:
Hi [name], quick one. Would you be open to a short video interview about the [project]? About an hour at your site, no script, you approve the cut, and you get the video for your own channels. [Date 1] or [date 2] work on our side. Happy to call and explain.
Asking by channel, and what each one is good for:
| Channel | Best for | What to include | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone or in person | The first ask, every time | Why them, what it involves, what they get | Email the same day |
| Confirming details and dates | Two dates, time on camera, the questions, the approval step | One nudge after five business days | |
| Text message | Customers you already text | One line on time, no script, their approval | A call if no reply in three days |
| Self-record link | Collecting many short clips from a customer base | Three questions, a 60-second limit, where it will be used | Automated reminder once, then stop |
People are more willing than most contractors assume. BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey found that 94% of consumers are open to writing a review, 78% were asked to leave one in the past year, and 28% say they will always write one when asked, up from 16% the year before. Those figures cover written reviews, not video, but the pattern holds: the ask is the bottleneck, not the willingness.
To collect video testimonials from many customers at once, a self-record link with the same three questions works for short social clips; the one video that goes in a bid package still needs a filmed interview.
What if the customer says no to a video testimonial?
A “no” is usually a no to being on camera unprepared, not a no to helping you. Ask what is behind it, then offer a smaller version: an audio interview over footage of the project, a quote card with their photo, a company-name-only cut, or a joint interview with a colleague who is comfortable on camera. Never trade a discount for a testimonial without disclosing it on screen.
The objections we hear on Calgary job sites, and the answer to each:
| Objection | What it usually means | Offer instead |
|---|---|---|
| “I’m not good on camera” | They picture reading lines | No script; they answer questions and the edit removes the pauses |
| “Legal has to approve” | They need the paperwork first | Send the release and the approval step before the date |
| “No time” | They picture a half-day | About an hour at their site, you bring everything |
| “We don’t want the project public” | They worry about address, numbers, the client’s client | First name and company only, no address, no figures, or an internal-only cut |
| “What’s in it for us?” | A fair question | The finished video for their channels, and a link from your site |
| A flat no | Timing or politics you cannot see | Thank them, ask for two written sentences, ask again after the next project |
Two rules protect you when you negotiate. Under Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act, consent may be given “subject to any reasonable terms, conditions or qualifications” (section 7(3)), so “yes, but no paid ads” is a valid yes. Under section 9(1) they can withdraw or vary consent later on reasonable notice, so the release should say what happens to material already published.
On incentives: the Competition Bureau’s Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest treats an undisclosed material connection between a reviewer and the business as a problem, and says those connections “are relevant, even if the person provides an honest and unbiased review”. A thank-you gift after the fact is fine. A discount offered in exchange for a glowing testimonial, undisclosed, is not. Keep the exchange to the finished video and the credit.
When is the best time to ask for a video testimonial?
Ask within two weeks of the moment the customer felt the result: handover, the inspection pass, the first month in the new building, the call that said their bid won. Ask earlier and they have nothing concrete to say. Ask later and the detail fades, and detail is what makes a testimonial believable. For a construction client, handover day is the best day, because the owner is on site and the site is camera-ready.
The moments that work, by type of work:
- New build or major renovation: handover, or the first walkthrough with the owner’s own staff in the building.
- Service and maintenance contracts: the end of the first season, when the customer can compare it with the previous provider.
- Design-build and tenant improvements: opening day of the tenant’s business.
Relationships have their own timing. We spent seven months documenting Feraform’s Elliston Park parkade, alongside builder Kalamoir, and afterwards Kalamoir hired Storimatic as its own video marketing partner. The moment a customer decides to work with you again is the moment they are most willing to say so on camera.
Work backwards from the date you need the video. A testimonial video takes about 2 weeks (14 days) from interview to delivered cut, so if the bid closes on the 30th, the interview has to be in the diary by the 14th and the ask a week before that.
Filming in Calgary: how the studio prepares your customer for the shoot
Once the customer says yes, Storimatic takes over the logistics: a short pre-interview call, the questions sent in advance, the release handled, and a crew that sets up in their office or on the finished site in under an hour without stopping their day. We work from 118 Waterfront Ct SW in Calgary and film across Alberta, with no travel fee inside Calgary.
What the customer gets from us before the day:
- A pre-interview call with Jared, so the first time they hear the questions is not on camera.
- The questions in writing, with a note that we want stories, not statements, and that they can skip any question.
- The release, written to PIPA, with the channels listed, so there is nothing to sign cold on the day.
- A location choice: their boardroom, their shop floor, or the finished project. Most contractors’ customers look best on site.
- A promise on time: setup, interview and b-roll in about an hour.
At a glance
- Typical length: 1 full-story video of 90–120 seconds, plus a 15–30 second social cut and a 30–60 second sales cut from the same interview
- Shoot: one visit, about an hour with the customer on camera
- Timeline: about 2 weeks (14 days) from interview to delivered video
- Paperwork: PIPA release with channels listed, customer approval before publication
- Review: private link, remote approval before publication
The same hour on camera produces more than one video. How long a testimonial video should be covers the five cuts we take from one interview, and if your own crew is on site that day, an employee testimonial video for recruiting can be filmed in the same setup. For what the finished result should look like, see our testimonial video examples.
Asking for a video testimonial: FAQ
How do you ask for a testimonial without sounding pushy? Ask one person, by voice, with a reason that is about them (“your project is the one we are proudest of this year”) and a clear description of the time involved. Pushy is vague and repeated. Specific and once is not.
Can I offer a discount for a video testimonial? You can thank a customer afterwards, but an undisclosed incentive traded for a positive testimonial runs into the Competition Bureau’s position on material connections. If there is any exchange of value, disclose it on screen or in the caption, or skip it.
What if the customer wants to see the questions first? Send them. We always do. Seeing the questions in advance makes people calmer and more specific; it does not make them scripted, because we ask follow-ups on the day.
Should I record video testimonials myself on a phone? For a quick social clip, yes, with the same three questions and good light. For the video that goes in a bid package or on your home page, a filmed interview with a second camera and clean audio is worth the booking.
How many customers should I ask? Start with two or three whose projects you would show a prospect anyway. One filmed story a quarter builds a library faster than ten half-finished clips.
Plan your shoot
Book a free 15–30 minute call and tell us which customer you have in mind. We will send the email template and the release before the call, so you can make the ask this week. Storimatic Studio is at 118 Waterfront Ct SW, Calgary, and films across Alberta. Start at contact us or read more about testimonial video production in Calgary.
