Why Are Consumer Surveys Often Annoying?

A new survey from Shep Hyken, a customer service/CX expert, finds consumers don’t complete surveys because they’re too long, too frequent, or just pointless.

On the positive side, the survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, sponsored by RingCentral, found most people are willing to complete a satisfaction survey under the right circumstances. Only 14% of respondents said they rarely filled out surveys, and just 4% said they never do.

However, the survey also identified several reasons why consumers will opt out from taking surveys:

• Length: Two-thirds flat out said they won’t complete long surveys, with 19% stopping doing business with a company because their survey was too long.
• Frequency: About a quarter (23%) stopped doing business with a company because it kept sending too many surveys.
• Feedback value: The survey implied some consumers are hesitant because 37% believe their feedback is not taken seriously and 71% assume the company won’t make changes based on their feedback. After completing a survey, 72% said they don’t ever hear back from the company.

In a penned Forbes article, Hyken, who is also a RetailWire BrainTrust panelist, highlighted the importance of ensuring consumers know their feedback and opinions are valued.

“As you move forward, consider not only how you ask questions but also how you acknowledge and act on the answers,” wrote Hyken. “Every survey is a chance to show customers how much you value their input and their business. Surveys are more than a way to get feedback. They can promote positive engagement, build better relationships and create customer loyalty.”

Kantar said other factors driving poor survey response rates include repetitive or generic survey questions. Kantar stated, “As respondents get bored completing surveys, their overall engagement starts to drop.”

A Wall Street Journal article from 2020 cited studies suggesting repeated surveys cause customers to delay purchases or make them reluctant to return. Andrea Godfrey Flynn, a marketing professor at the University of San Diego School of Business, told the WSJ, “It’s hard to break the instinct that, like in our interpersonal relationships, the more we can communicate with each other, the better that’s going to be. It’s hard for it to sink in that it can actually drive your customers away.”

In a column for TechCrunch entitled, “I’m So Over Customer Experience Surveys,” Ron Miller, an enterprise reporter, concluded, “The idea that we’ve been sold that customer surveys provide direct communication between customer and company is just a fallacy. When you constantly get pinged for your thoughts and nobody seems to be listening, what exactly is the point?”