The way in which you ask your customers for feedback—the questions you ask, the timing, the channel, and even the tone—can make or break your customer experience strategy. It’s not just about sending a survey and hoping for the best. It’s about creating an interaction that feels relevant, respectful, and easy to respond to.
Ask the wrong question, or ask it at the wrong time, and you risk getting silence, or worse, feedback that doesn’t help you move forward.
But when you get it right (which we'll show you how to do in this guide), you unlock insights that can drive real change, boost loyalty, and help your team deliver consistently great experiences.
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for collecting feedback that drives real improvement. But there is a simple process that works: set your goals, choose the right channel, and ask the right questions. Here's how to do it.
Before sending out a single question, get clear on why you're asking for feedback. Do you want to measure satisfaction after a service interaction? Understand how easy it is to use your product? Identify areas for long-term improvement?
Being specific about your objective helps you ask better questions, and get better answers.
Here are a few common goals and the customer experience (CX) metrics that match:
Here are a few common goals and the customer experience (CX) metrics that match:
Get started with our free CSAT survey template below:
Download our CSAT survey template for free.
Want to dive deeper? Check out: 12 essential CX metrics: Track, measure & take action
Once your goals and channels are clear, it’s time to craft your questions. Great questions are clear, focused, and aligned with your objectives.
Tips to keep in mind:
Question types and examples:
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Want help getting started? Download our free survey templates to build surveys that work.
Even the best questions won’t matter if no one answers. To encourage participation, give customers a reason to engage.
Ideas that work:
Real-life examples:
Feedback is a two-way street. Once customers take the time to share their thoughts, show them it mattered.
For more on this, read: Customer feedback loop: Definition, examples, tips
Feedback isn’t the finish line, it’s the starting point for change. Make sure you’re turning input into action and letting customers know about the results.
How to do it well:
Keep customers in the loop:
When you pair the right goal with the right channel and clear, thoughtful questions, you create a feedback loop that actually works, one that gives you the insight you need and makes your customers feel heard.
Once you’ve started collecting feedback, it’s time to focus on getting more people to respond. A higher response rate means more reliable data and better insights to guide improvements. Here are five proven ways to boost your customer feedback response rates:
Why it works: The longer your survey, the more likely customers are to abandon it halfway through. People are busy, respect their time.
How to do it: Aim for three to five targeted questions that tie directly to your objective. For example, instead of asking about every aspect of your product, ask what matters most right after a customer interaction.
Pro tip: Completion rates drop with each added question, so keep it snappy!
Why it works: Sending the same survey to everyone might not make sense. Different customer types have different experiences, and different feedback.
How to do it: Break your audience into groups (e.g., first-time buyers, longtime customers, users of specific features) and customize your questions to suit each group. For example, ask new users about onboarding and returning users about ongoing support.
Why it works: Timing your survey right can double your chances of getting a response. Reach out when the experience is fresh in your customer’s mind.
How to do it: Send your survey right after a key moment, like immediately following a purchase, support interaction, or delivery.
Pro tip: Avoid busy times like early mornings or weekends unless your audience prefers those windows.
Why it works: Not every customer responds to email. Some prefer a text, pop-up, or in-app nudge.
How to do it: Try a combination of channels (like email, SMS, website pop-ups, and in-app prompts) and see which ones get better engagement.
Pro tip: Meet customers where they are, not just where it’s convenient for you.
Why it works: People give more honest feedback when they feel safe. Let them know you’re not tracking personal data unless necessary.
How to do it: Add a quick note explaining how their responses will be used and how their privacy is protected.
For example: “Your feedback is anonymous and will only be used to improve your experience.”
Remember: Start small
You don’t have to implement all of these at once. Pick one or two that feel manageable and build from there. Even small tweaks can lead to better results.
When customers feel seen, respected, and safe, they’re far more likely to tell you what you need to hear.
If you’re not getting as much customer feedback as you'd like, you're not alone. Many businesses struggle with low response rates, but it’s not because customers don’t care. Often, something is getting in their way. To improve your feedback strategy, it helps to understand what those blockers are, and how to respond.
“I’m too busy” or “This is too hard.”
These are some of the most common reasons customers skip feedback requests. Even loyal customers may abandon a survey if it’s too long or clunky.
How to respond:
Keep your surveys short and easy to complete on any device. Make the process feel effortless, ideally no more than a tap or two.
“Is my data safe?”
Some customers hold back because they’re unsure how their information will be used, or whether it’s truly anonymous. Others simply believe their opinion won’t matter.
How to respond:
Clearly state that feedback is confidential and used to improve the experience. Better yet, show proof: “Thanks to your feedback, we’ve shortened wait times by 30%.”
This builds trust and shows customers their voice has power.
“What’s in it for me?”
When customers feel neutral — or even satisfied — they may not feel motivated to respond. If there’s no emotional hook or external nudge, they’ll move on with their day.
How to respond:
Incentives don’t have to be flashy, a small reward or entry into a prize draw can help. Even better, ask a question that sparks reflection: “What did you enjoy most about your visit today?”
Struggling with low response rates, scattered feedback, or insights that go nowhere? AskNicely helps your company fix that, fast.
Used by hundreds of customer-focused brands, AskNicely makes it easy to collect customer feedback, act on it quickly, and drive real improvements in customer relationships and customer experience.
Send short, beautifully branded feedback forms with catchy copywriting via email, web, or SMS, timed perfectly to capture your customer’s attention. AskNicely helps you request feedback at just the right moment to boost participation and attract new customers.
Don’t just collect feedback, understand it. AskNicely’s analytics and AI theme detection surface patterns and priorities across teams, locations, and customer segments, giving you valuable insights into customer needs and product/service performance so you can act with confidence.
Automatically route feedback to the right people and respond in real time. Built-in workflows make follow-up fast, consistent, and personal, helping you retain your best customer and strengthen customer relationships at every touchpoint.
Empower your frontline teams with real-time CSAT scores, recognition, and coaching tools. When employees understand how their actions impact customer outcomes, they show up stronger every day, helping your company deliver the kind of product/service experience people rave about in customer reviews.
Curious?
Don’t just take it from us. See how our customers are using better feedback forms, and real-time insights to improve every step of the customer journey.
