[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/07\/23\/bad-customer-surveys\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/07\/23\/bad-customer-surveys\/","headline":"Bad customer surveys: A cringeworthy story told through GIFs","name":"Bad customer surveys: A cringeworthy story told through GIFs","description":"Great customer surveys can propel your business to new heights, boosting CX and loyalty. Bad customer surveys have the opposite effect. ","datePublished":"2020-07-23","dateModified":"2022-03-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/stephanie-thum\/#Person","name":"Stephanie Thum","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/stephanie-thum\/","identifier":334,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/05bbc9017e3f89b9d6d4846c0cf0828093f534181adceca83e1773c2378f6385?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/05bbc9017e3f89b9d6d4846c0cf0828093f534181adceca83e1773c2378f6385?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bad-customer-surveys.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bad-customer-surveys.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/07\/23\/bad-customer-surveys\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/customer-engagement-marketing\/","name":"Customer Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5196451"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/","name":"Marketing","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marketing","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q39809"]}],"wordCount":629,"keywords":["Customer Engagement","Customer Feedback","Customer Surveys"],"articleBody":"It sends a message to customers when you send a survey to ask for feedback. It sends a completely different message to customers if you send bad customer surveys.Ideally, the message should be about the customer\u2014that they are appreciated, and that you recognize their experiences play a role in the success of your business.Good surveys can really help you out with customers. But bad surveys can also be where businesses really blow it.I recently asked Twitter\u2019s customer experience crowd to tell me about it as part of a hilarious CX GIF challenge. Here are some highlights.A tale for modern times:\u00a0 How customers feel about bad feedback surveys, told in GIFsThe \u201cquick survey\u201d that actually isn\u2019t.This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThis says to the customer, \u201cWe didn\u2019t really test how long this survey would actually take, but you\u2019re not that busy, are you?\u201dDo not hide the length of the survey from the customer. For electronic surveys, use a progress bar to show how much longer it will take the customer to finish.Score begging.This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThis says to the customer, \u201cWe don\u2019t really care about your actual experience. We just need a 10 so we can splash it on our website.\u201dWhen you ask for a specific score or incentivize scores through compensation, then the results are no longer about the customer\u2019s experience. They\u2019re about your marketing.Not saying what you\u2019re going to do with the feedback.This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThis says to the customer, \u201cWe\u2019re sending a survey because it\u2019s the sexy thing to do, but we will never look at your response.\u201dProvide a very brief, written preamble to your survey that says why you\u2019re asking for feedback and what you intend to do with it.Going radio silent on the follow-up.This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThis says to the customer, \u201cWe asked for your feedback but we\u2019re too busy (or don\u2019t care) to acknowledge it or follow-up.\u201dYou’re always communicating. In CX that means if you\u2019re not responding to customers, that\u2019s not not communicating.Silence sends a message, too. Do the follow-up work.If you found yourself chuckling at all of these responses to my GIF challenge, then you know:This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowHow to avoid bad customer surveysGathering customer feedback through surveys requires skill and planning.What starts as a well-intentioned effort can quickly turn sour with customers, taking you from \u201chero to zero\u201d in their eyes.How you write questions matters.When you send the survey matters.What you do after the survey matters.So, if the customer gives you a chance and is willing to spend their valuable time giving you feedback, be sure to honor it.  Customers want excellent service.Brands know they need to deliver it, but often fall short.Take a product tour to see how modern CRM powers great customer service HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"07","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/07\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"23","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/07\/\/23\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Bad customer surveys: A cringeworthy story told through GIFs","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/07\/23\/bad-customer-surveys\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]