Why Hotline Asks Every Customer for a Review, and What We Do With Them
How Hotline asks every customer for a review when they order, why its own rating and its Trustpilot rating are separate figures, why most of its reviews talk about ordering, and what Hotline does with the feedback.
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View allHotline Promotional Products asks every customer for a review and a star rating when they place an order, so its reviews come from all kinds of orders. Our Reviews page shows the results: as at October 2026, customers rate Hotline 4.9 out of 5 from more than 6,000 verified customer reviews, with 94% at five stars.
Hotline is also reviewed on Trustpilot, the independent review website, where it's rated 4.8 out of 5 from more than 3,000 reviews, as at October 2026. The two sets of reviews are collected separately, which is why the two ratings are different.
How does Hotline collect its reviews?
We ask every customer for a star rating and a review when they place an order, through our own review system. Each review appears on our Reviews page with a verified customer mark and the date, and most also list the products in that order, linked to their product pages.
Why does Hotline ask every customer for a review?
We ask everyone at the same point in their order so that our reviews give a fair picture of what ordering from Hotline is like. If only some customers were asked, the rating would say as much about who was chosen as about the service.
Trustpilot makes the same point. As at October 2026, Trustpilot's page for Hotline says that asking for reviews selectively can bias a company's overall Trustpilot rating, and that this goes against Trustpilot's guidelines.
See Why Customers Choose Hotline
Read our customer reviews, then explore our range of branded merchandise and request a free Visual Proof™ before you order.
Why do most of Hotline's reviews talk about ordering?
Most of our reviews are written when the order is placed, so they describe the steps the reviewer has just been through: choosing a product, uploading a logo, approving a Visual Proof™ of the logo on the product, and checking out. That's why they say most about our website, the proofs and how quickly our designers turn changes round.
Some reviewers say as much themselves.
"So far so good, will have more to say once we get the bags." (verified customer, September 2026)
"My experience to date with this company has been excellent. From sending visual proofs, to responding to emails, really pleased!" (verified customer, September 2026)
Reviews from returning customers say more about how the products turned out, and so do our reviews on Trustpilot, where many reviewers write after their delivery has arrived. One Trustpilot reviewer wrote: "Sent across some proofs, viewed and selected the one I wanted. Placed the order which in fact came a day earlier. Item looks good. Thanks" (Trustpilot review, September 2026).
Our article on what customers say about our tote bags, pens and mugs brings together customers' comments on the finished products.
Why does Hotline have two different ratings?
Hotline has two ratings because it has two separate sets of reviews, collected in different ways. Our own reviews come from customers we ask when they place an order, while anyone can write a review on Trustpilot.
As at October 2026, the two sets compare like this.
| Our Reviews page | Trustpilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Hotline | Trustpilot, an independent review website |
| Who writes the reviews | Hotline customers, asked when they place an order | Anyone can write one |
| What each review shows | A verified customer mark, the date and usually the products ordered | A star rating, the date of the experience and, where Trustpilot can confirm a business interaction took place, a Verified label |
| Rating | 4.9 out of 5, from more than 6,000 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from more than 3,000 reviews |
| Rated five stars | 94% | 92% |
Because the two sets of reviews are collected and counted separately, each figure belongs to its own set. The 94% five-star figure is from our Reviews page, and on Trustpilot it's 92%.
Trustpilot runs its own checks on the reviews it publishes. As at October 2026, it says it screens every review with automated software designed to remove reviews that aren't based on a genuine experience, and that companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews.
What does Hotline do with its reviews?
We reply to our reviews, especially the ones that raise a problem. As at October 2026, Trustpilot shows that Hotline has replied to 100% of its negative reviews there, typically within 48 hours, and our customer support team replies to reviews on our own Reviews page too.
Some reviews tell us what we could do better. When a five-star reviewer on Trustpilot mentioned that the items in their order had arrived at different times, our reply said: "We appreciate your feedback about the items arriving at different times, and we'll certainly take this on board."
Products in one order can arrive separately, because each product has its own delivery date and may be printed in a different place. Our article on what 6,000 customer reviews say about Hotline explains this, and what it means for delivery charges.
Our Reviews page shows reviews newest first, and a selection also appears on our About page and product pages.
How can you check Hotline's reviews for yourself?
Start with the reviews of the product you're thinking of ordering. On our Reviews page, most reviews list the products in that order with their item code, the same code that's shown on the product page, such as A1557 for our Express Cotton Tote Bags.
On Trustpilot, read the lower ratings as well as the five-star ones, to see what went wrong and how we replied. Each Trustpilot review also shows the date of the experience, so you can see how recent it is.
How can you leave a review for Hotline?
We'll ask you for a star rating and a review when you place an order. You can also leave one on our Reviews page, with a photo of your merchandise if you'd like, and anyone can review Hotline on Trustpilot.
To find out who we are and how Hotline started, read the Hotline story. When you're ready to order, browse our full product range and request a free Visual Proof™ on any product.