A customer story should preserve what actually happened and make its claims traceable. This checklist takes an account from interview to review and publication. For selecting the audience and purpose, see the marketing storytelling planning guide.
Agree the interview and intended use
Explain what you want to publish, which channels may use it and who will review the draft. Confirm appropriate permissions for names, images, quotations and business information. If the customer cannot approve identifiable publication, consider whether an adequately anonymised account can still be useful without misleading readers.
Record payments, discounts, free services or other relevant connections. Do not ask a participant to invent a result or give a positive account as a condition of receiving a benefit.
Ask questions that expose the sequence
- What problem existed before the work, and how did you recognise it?
- What alternatives did you consider?
- What did your team and the provider each do?
- Which constraints or setbacks affected delivery?
- What result did you observe, over what period?
- What would a similar customer need to know before expecting the same result?
Ask for examples and records rather than suggesting answers. “What changed in the reporting process?” is more useful than “How much time did our amazing tool save?”
Create a claim register
| Proposed claim | Required check |
|---|---|
| The monthly task became faster | Define the task and compare equivalent periods |
| The customer was satisfied | Confirm the person’s account and approved wording |
| The change caused higher sales | Check attribution and other changes; qualify uncertainty |
| Anyone can achieve this result | Remove an unsupported generalisation |
Keep interview statements, independently supported facts and editorial interpretation distinct. If there is no reliable measurement, say so instead of adding a precise figure for effect.
Review the draft for meaning and context
Send the factual account and quotations through the agreed approval process. Verify that edits preserve meaning, the chronology is accurate and images do not imply a different person or outcome. Label recreated visuals or illustrative scenarios where readers could otherwise mistake them for evidence.
For campaigns subject to US rules, consult the FTC’s reviews and testimonials guidance and obtain appropriate advice for your circumstances. Requirements in other markets may differ.
Retain a maintenance record
Save the approved version, supporting records, permissions, disclosures and publication locations. Set a review trigger when the service changes or a result is no longer representative. A shortened reuse of the story needs its own check that the claim and qualifications still match.
Use the milestone review guide to manage production tasks, and explore related Marketing resources.
