Surveys are a meaningful way to gather insights from your customers and respondents. In this blog, we will discuss the 10 mistakes of writing a good survey. We will share tips to avoid these errors. 

What Is A Customer Feedback Survey?

A customer feedback survey is a tool used by businesses to gather opinions, comments, and suggestions from their customers on products, services, or overall customer experience. These surveys typically include a series of questions designed to measure customer satisfaction metrics. The responses can identify areas for improvement, and understand customer needs and preferences.

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Common Survey Errors

1. Biased questions, double barreled, double negative questions

Good questions are the building blocks of a good questionnaire. The question wording can make or break a questionnaire. 

• Avoid leading questions or those that suggest a particular answer. Leading questions biases the responses and may not provide an accurate view of the respondent’s opinion. Similarly, avoid using jargon or technical terms that are difficult to understand for the average respondent. A few examples of leading questions include:

“Don’t you agree that our product is the best on the market?” or  “Do you think our competitor’s product is inferior to ours?”

• Avoid phrasing questions with a lot of jargon or technical terms. They affect the comprehension of the question and hence the response to it. Even when these terms are often used in your industry, what it means to different people may vary.
• Double-barreled questions are those that ask about two things at once. Including both in the same question can push the respondent to either evaluate one or to skip the question altogether. For example,

“How satisfied are you with the quality of our products and customer service?” Instead, split up the question into two separate ones.

“Did you like the product when you used it today? Yes/ NO” Instead, ask if the product was used today and follow up on the product experience.

• Double negative questions are those that use negative phrasing and can be confusing for respondents. For example,

“Do you not agree that our customer service is poor?” Instead, rephrase the question as a positive statement like, “How satisfied are you with our customer service?”

2. Writing unclear or many open-ended questions

Open-ended questions can be valuable for gathering detailed feedback, too many of them can overwhelm respondents and lead to incomplete surveys. Closed-ended questions, such as multiple-choice or Likert scale questions, may be more appropriate for certain types of surveys.

But, don’t drop all open-ended questions from your surveys. It can obtain insights that you cannot determine through closed-ended questions. When writing open-ended questions, make sure they are clear and focused on a specific topic or aspect of the product or service being surveyed. Limit the number of open-ended questions and balance them out with closed-ended questions.

3. Focusing on too many irrelevant or sensitive topics

Not every respondent will be inclined to respond to sensitive topics. There is always a time and place to do this. Sensitive topics include subjects on personal wellbeing, medical history, sexual wellness, religious practices and political opinions etc. When dealing with personal topics, stay mindful of your demographic. This will encourage future participation. Keep the questionnaire reasonably short by prioritizing the most important questions. This approach will improve the quality and accuracy of your survey results.

4. Not considering response bias

Response bias can occur in a survey. This happens when questions are worded in a leading or confusing manner, which can skew the responses. To avoid this, it’s important to use clear and concise language that is easily understood by respondents. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to everyone. Add open-ended questions alongside closed-ended questions for more detailed feedback from respondents.

5. Leading questions that steer responses in a certain direction

Leading questions can influence participants’ responses and skew the results of your survey. Use neutral language and avoid making assumptions. Additionally, make sure the wording of each question is clear and easy to understand.

Another way to avoid leading questions is by using multiple-choice questions or rating scales, which eliminate ambiguity. However, it’s also important to allow for open-ended questions that give participants the opportunity to share their thoughts in their own words. 

6. Not organizing questions in a logical way

Group questions in a logical order such that respondents can relate one question with the last. Most often, people have survey fatigue. People might skew the responses. Keep the questions short, to the point and maintain a logical flow in the questionnaire.

7. Not providing clear instructions on how to answer

One common mistake is not providing clear instructions on how to answer the questions. Make sure that respondents understand what is being asked of them and how to provide an appropriate response. Clear and concise instructions can help with this. Share guidelines to get accurate responses. Standardized response options, such as multiple-choice or Likert scales. Offer stable guidelines and rules to minimize confusion and get the best of your data. 

8. Neglecting pilot testing surveys before publishing

Pilot test your questionnaire before sharing it to a large audience. Batch testing customer feedback surveys can detect minor errors. You get more room to improve. You can launch your final survey via omnichannel survey channels like WhatsApp form surveys, Facebook messenger surveys and dynamic emails. You can test your surveys using Merren CX. 

9. Providing too few or too many answer options

When it comes to creating a good survey, the answer options and scales you provide can greatly impact the quality of responses you receive. Providing too few answer options can limit the respondent’s ability to express their true opinion, while providing too many options can be confusing and overwhelming. It’s important to strike a balance between providing enough options while also keeping it simple and easy to understand.

One way to provide more nuanced responses is by using a scale or rating system. This allows respondents to provide more detailed feedback without being overwhelmed with too many choices. Additionally, pre-testing your survey with a small sample group can help identify any issues with answer options and scales before sending it out to your full audience. By taking the time to carefully consider your answer options and scales, you can ensure that your survey provides valuable insights and data for your business or organization.

10. Making the survey too tiring

Survey fatigue is a real issue that can negatively impact the quality of your data. It occurs when respondents feel overwhelmed by lengthy or tedious surveys. They tend to rush through questions or abandon the survey altogether. This brings inaccurate responses. To prevent survey fatigue, keep your surveys concise and focused on a specific topic. Limit the number of questions and answer options to what’s necessary for meaningful insights. 

Certain types of questions, like too many open-ended or matrix questions, can be particularly draining. Minimize their use to make the survey experience smoother. Instead, opt for simple, clear, and direct questions that are easy to answer. 

Conclusion

A good survey has uncomplicated language, is informative and useful, and also easy to answer. Follow these simple tips to ensure a high-quality survey and reduce the chances of survey errors. By following these guidelines, you can avoid common mistakes that can impact the data collected and lower the overall response rate.

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