How-To In Customer Feedback

When you think about measuring customer experience and satisfaction, three questions immediately come to mind, “what do I ask my customers”, “when do I ask”, and “how do I present my questions”. 

Let’s talk about these separately:

What do I ask?

• If you want to measure your relationship with the customer and the long-term customer loyalty to your brand, you can ask a standard NPS (net promoter score) question: 
  • “How likely are you to recommend us to your friends?”
  • “How would you recommend us to your friends?”
  • “How would you describe us to your friends?”
• If you want to measure general customer satisfaction at the moment, you can ask a CSAT (customer satisfaction) type question: 
  • “How happy are you with our services?”
  • “How did we do today?”
  • “How do you feel about our services?”
  • “How was your experience with us today?”

This type of questions measures customer satisfaction, and not necessarily a relationship. In other words, someone may be satisfied with your services today, but they might not recommend you to a friend. Or vice versa…

• If you want to get specific feedback about specific service at a particular area, your best bet would be to ask a straightforward pointed question. It is close to a popular CES (customer effort score) metric which measures the customer satisfaction on a spot: how easy or convenient is your product or service. Here are a few examples:
  • “How clean is this restroom?” (in a restroom stall)
  • “Machine working OK? Any products out?” (vending or field equipment)
  • “How happy are you with our food and service today?” (restaurant)
  • ”How do you like my habitat?” (zoo)

No matter what kind of question you ask, you have to be sure that you can do something about it in response to customer feedback. We have hundreds of examples where the same feedback is given over and over at the same location.  If there is anything that strongly turns away a loyal customer, it is knowing that they continue giving feedback and nothing changes.

When do I ask for feedback?

The best time for the relationship or general satisfaction questions would be after the customer has fully experienced your service. Think about the moment or the location when the customer is on the way out. Don’t expect a high rate of responses: most people at that point are already thinking of the next thing they want to do and would not reflect on their experience. No matter how many responses you get though, this should be the most accurate representation of your customers’ vibes about your service or brand long-term. 

For the pointed (CES) feedback questions, it is best to ask them in real-time and at the location of the service.

How do I present the questions?

For most customers it is about effort and comfort. Think about this: when was the last time you were excited to receive a survey email or a link in a text message? Or a QR code which leads you to a long list of questions…  Likely, never! On the other hand, here is a scenario: you are sitting in a public restroom and a question faces you on the inside of the stall door, “How clean is this place?”, with three QR smileys underneath the question. Would you be more likely to scan a smiley knowing that it is (1) an easy one-tap response without dragging you into answering additional questions, and (2) comfortable and anonymous: no confrontation or back-and-forth with the staff. 

Corporate world has already figured this out years ago. Long employee annual surveys are dead and replaced by one-liner specific pointed questions.

AirVote QR smileys allow to ask both relationship (NPS), satisfaction (CSAT), and pointed (CES) questions, in a format which is easy and comfortable for customers to answer.

A few suggestions how to implement AirVote in your business:

Most brick-and-mortar businesses will benefit from a question posted inside each stall in their business restrooms. In each stall, and not in a handwash or exit area where people either have wet hands or on the way out. Some of the question options which proved useful:

• “How clean is this restroom (bathroom/toilet/loo/WC)?”
• “How clean is this place?”
• “What’s your experience at this restroom and why?”
• “How happy are you with this restroom?”

At a restaurant/café: 

On tables:

• “How did you enjoy your coffee?”
• “How happy are you with food and service?”

The stickers in restrooms

• “How clean is this restroom (bathroom/toilet/loo/WC)?”
• “How clean is this place?”

At the exit:

• “How would you recommend us to your friends?”
• “How would you describe us to your friends?”
• “How happy are you with our services?”
• “How did we do today?”
• “How do you feel about our services?”
• “How was your experience with us today?”

At a laundromat, vending machines, or any rental office equipment or appliances such as coffee machines:

In the general area or on the equipment:

• “Machine working OK? Need more product (supplies)?”
• “How would you recommend us to your friends?”
• “How orderly is this place?”
• “How was your experience using our services today?”

Mail orders, such as Amazon, Ebay, Etsy sellers:

As insert with their order will route happy customers to leave positive review, and critical feedback privately to you. Question options might be:

• “How do you feel about this product and delivery?”
• “How likely are you to recommend us to your friends?”

Remember, there is no limit to the question creativity with AirVote. With our “free forever” commitment for up to 50 responses per month, you can experience full power of QR smileys with no risk or surprise bills.

Get your own set of questions and see what AirVote can do for your business!