The Best Surveys Are Effortless: Why Companies Need to Rethink Feedback Collection
Nora Osman
CEO | Customer Experience Expert | Chief Experience Officer | VP Information Technology | Organizational & Digital Transformation Leader | Leadership Builder |
Ever walked out of a public restroom and seen those red, yellow, and green smiley face buttons? One tap, instant feedback. Simple, fast, and effective. But the last time I saw one, I had a thought: What if, after tapping the red button, I could record a quick voice memo? What if I could select from a few pre-set reasons—“no paper towels,” “dirty floors,” “bad smell”—instead of my complaint disappearing into the void of an ambiguous “unhappy” button?
This got me thinking about the surveys we get hit with every day. I recently filled out five—one from an airline, one from a cruise line, one from Airbnb, one from my bank, and one from Amazon. And wow, the differences were staggering.
Some surveys felt intuitive and easy. Others? Clunky, frustrating, and almost insulting to my intelligence.
Let’s talk about what’s broken and how companies can fix it.
Surveys Are Supposed to Capture the "Voice of the Customer"—But Do They?
Let’s start with the cruise ship survey I received at the end of my trip. A single question on a piece of paper:
"Would you recommend this cruise experience to a family member or friend?"
Rate 1-10:
That was it. No space for details. No way to explain why I picked my number. No place to highlight the amazing crew members or the minor but fixable annoyances. It was data without context, and data without context is useless.
Meanwhile, my husband did something different. Instead of filling out the survey, he recorded a voice memo with mini videos detailing the good, the bad, and the ugly and sent it directly to management. The response? Immediate action. The ship’s manager got involved, addressed concerns, and showed a genuine interest in what he had to say.
Seeing the impact, I took it a step further. Instead of filling out a box-checking exercise, I sat down with the manager in person, face to face, and we talked through everything—not to complain, but to help them improve. The little details that went unnoticed, the things that passengers grumbled about under their breath but never formally reported, the small tweaks that would make a huge difference.
That experience reinforced something no survey could ever replicate: the power of direct human connection.
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The Best Feedback Methods Remove Friction
Surveys are supposed to be a bridge between customer experience and company improvement, but most of them feel like obligatory data collection exercises.
If companies actually want better feedback, they need to make the process frictionless. Here are three ways they can do it:
? Tap-and-Go Feedback – Like the smiley face buttons in bathrooms, but smarter. After tapping red, you should get an option to select a reason or record a quick comment.
? Voice-Recorded Surveys – Typing is tedious. Speaking is natural. Instead of forcing customers to cram thoughts into a 300-character box, why not offer a voice memo option? Imagine how much richer and more actionable that feedback would be.
? QR Code Instant Response – Place QR codes in key locations (hotel rooms, restaurant tables, store exits) that link to a one-question survey with an option to add a voice note or photo.
It’s not about making surveys longer—it’s about making them smarter.
Stop Asking for Feedback If You Won’t Use It
One of my biggest pet peeves? When surveys ask “Would you like to be contacted?” and I check yes…and never hear a word.
If companies aren’t going to act on feedback, they shouldn’t ask for it in the first place. Otherwise, it’s just a hollow ritual—and customers will stop wasting their time responding.
The businesses that actually get better at what they do aren’t the ones sending out generic surveys. They’re the ones listening, engaging, and taking action.
Let’s Make Surveys Better
Surveys shouldn’t feel like a task for the customer—they should feel like an opportunity to be heard.
The best surveys are effortless, intuitive, and actually used to make things better. And if companies aren’t willing to evolve how they collect feedback, maybe they should stop asking for it altogether.
What’s the best (or worst) survey you’ve ever seen? Would you record a voice memo instead of typing? Let’s talk—I actually want to hear your thoughts. ??
Founder and President of Oberon3 - virtual comment card via the mobile phone
6 天前Nora. Thanks for this. We echo your concerns BUT want to raise a couple more that we frequently see: a) Smiley Face is Problematic because of hygiene concerns, lack of detail and of course the subjectivity leading to not actionable status b) Other Concerns we see We believe that surveys must be both on-location atthe point of consumption and tracked. Here’s why: i) On-Location Feedback: Ensures that comments are fresh and contextual. When customers provide insights immediately after their experience, the details are richer and more accurate. ii) Tracked Responses Until Completion: It’s not enough to simply gather feedback. Every comment needs to be monitored until resolution. This approach not only shows customers that their voice is heard but also ensures that businesses can act on every single issue—from a missing amenity to a cleanliness problem—until it’s fully resolved. It also drives business accountability Evolving our feedback systems to capture real, actionable insights on-location—and following through on them—is key to driving genuine improvements in customer experience.
CEO & Founder of Thrive Inclusively | Speaker | Transformative Thought Leader | Leadership Coach & Consultant | Cultural Engagement Expert | Healthcare Innovator | Health Equity Champion
2 周This is excellent Nora! When I was a #patientexperience leader we relied heavily on feedback and patients were more inclined to complete the survey if they felt we were going to leverage their feedback!! In the end people want to be heard!!
Keynote Speaker | Author | Executive Coach (ICF PCC) | AI Prompt Coach & Enthusiast
3 周HAHAH. I was just asked about my United flight and had similar thoughts to this. It should be much more intuitive and they all know that users really only want to answer 1-4 questions max. Great share!
Helping C-Suite Executives, Business Owners, & Sales Professionals Unlock Success with The T-NOW Method ? Self-Sabotage Expert ? Leadership & Performance Coach
3 周Nora Osman, you’ve highlighted a crucial gap—when feedback tools are overly complicated, they risk alienating the very voices they aim to capture. Simplicity and context are key to gathering meaningful insights. What’s one innovation you’ve seen truly enhance the “Voice of the Customer” without overwhelming them?
Global Executive Technology Leader | Vice President of Technology | IT Operations | IT Enterprise Architecture | Digital Transformations | IT Service Management Expert
3 周Nora, great job on this! I totally agree—at Newark Airport Terminal C, I’m often the guy tapping the button. There's a gap in feedback collection: when things go wrong, like "no paper towels," or right, like "wonderfully clean," we miss the chance to capture both. Your ideas for smarter, more actionable surveys—like voice feedback or tap-and-go options—are exactly what we need. Surveys should make it easy to be heard and drive real change!