This strikes me more as a case of misaligned WIFM (what’s in it for me?) than a technology question. We are all busy. For most of us to take any time to answer a retailer or brand survey, we need to know there is something in it for us — a discount, an “insider/VIP” badge, influence on product development … something. Smartphone technology and UI is not a barrier.

I think the folks at ‘Happy or Not’ have it right — a quick satisfaction survey that a six-year-old kid could answer. This type of quick surveying could very easily be done via smartphone. Of course the trick is getting shoppers to download an app or agree to being surveyed, but I think it’s doable. Soliciting customer feedback has never been more important but, as we’ve discussed on past posts, the methods and intent in the way it’s largely being conducted today are problematic — producing more marketing fodder than true customer insights.

Too invasive, too long, too complicated, too many and — as pointed out — shopping is a personal and private journey. Frankly, it’s not the retailer’s business. If you want and value shoppers’ opinions then they become consultants that you need pay for their opinions. All too often these surveys are invasive and masked as retailers seeking to improve their service when it is nothing more than adding more data to an even bigger data pile. All of which leads to nothing of value at all! Certainly not for the shopper. The survey process simply opens the door to Google and Doubleclick’s creepy ad serving and unwelcome SPAM.

Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it clean-looking and people will answer on their smartphones. Make them work at it and they’re gone.

The issue for shoppers is one of time and convenience. No one wants to consume a large amount of time responding to survey whether on their mobile device or in another medium! Isn’t the reason we all love our mobile devices partly because they save us time? Why would we then take away time from our day on a mobile device answering a survey? I think the future of surveys lies with AI and machine learning techniques to analyze unstructured data from sources like social media where the retailer is talked about by consumers. Those analyses will tell the retailer more about how they are perceived by shoppers than any directly initiated survey.

The retailers that are actively communicating with their shoppers via mobile are currently collecting feedback via mobile. Full disclosure: we make line-free mobile checkout applications for retailers. One of the most popular features for both shopper and retailer is the ability to leave instant feedback directly at the end of their trip. We see this as a trend that will continue to grow. The more retailers are comfortable with their mobile platforms and the more shoppers are using their smartphones to engage with the retailers, the more we will see shoppers using mobile to provide direct feedback.

Mobile surveys can be a great tool to get customers’ feedback if done right. In many cases surveys are too long, the UI is unfriendly, they are done too early in the relationship with the shopper, they are boring and there is no reward for participating. More effective ways to do surveys are by gamification, with a twist of humor or with nice creative that can engage shoppers. Playbuzz is a good example (to be clear, I have no business connection to this company and it is a pure objective recommendation).

In research practice we learn that the validity of consumer answers depends on whether they believe the line of questioning and the research itself is productive. (Consumers have a BS meter that detects frivolous lines of questioning.)

Given the incredible overuse and abuse of customer surveys, it’s smart NOT to move them mobile. Consumers do not believe these surveys are valuable and the data gathered in them is generally worthless (when it comes to truth). Unfortunately, managers are hooked on these surveys to justify their decisions.

My advice: we must stop believing that cheap research like these surveys is worthwhile. Instead, take the time and money to do serious, in person research work. What retailers will discover is that research will find incredible strengths that they can leverage for profit.

Customers are surveyed to death. What was once a way to let retailers and others know you thoughts have become ubiquitous. I have actually been asked to complete a survey about their survey! Enough is enough. It’s like a retailer who plasters their windows with signs. There are so many people don’t read them.

I have no problem responding to surveys as long as they are meaningful. Yes, ask me about my experience in the store and I will respond almost every time; but only if I had a good or bad experience. I want them to know if my experience was on either end of the spectrum so they are aware of it. If my experience was more nondescript, I tend not to respond.

The OpinionLab study is now more than two years old, which is ancient history in this biz. I am seeing even more dramatic shopper sentiment today. I have talked with retailers about in-process feedback mechanisms, like asking a question about what the shopper would like to see differently on a particular page of the online shopping journey, or kiosks in a store strategically placed to ask about a particular aspect of the store’s shopping flow. These in-process surveys limited to one or two questions during the shopping trip can provide far more insights with better response rates than post-journey surveys.

Sometimes a survey on a phone can be considered an intrusion. The phone is “high priced real estate.” If you can find your way onto a consumer’s phone you are just beginning to play the game. Honoring the relationship by offering a good app, easy to use, no friction, no hassle, etc. is the next step. It should be seen as a privilege to have a place on their phone, so don’t abuse it. If you’re going to ask something of the consumer through their mobile device, it better be important … to both of you. If there is no value to the consumer, you will lose them.