4 Tips for customer surveys that people actually want to answer

Surveys are usually an afterthought—dry, robotic, and borderline offensive in how little effort they put into actually engaging the customer.

So, here’s an idea. What if you treat a survey like part of your brand experience? Suddenly, people might actually want to answer it. Wow! Most businesses operate under the assumption that no one wants to take a survey. So they dangle a weak incentive—10% off, a sweepstakes entry, the promise of "helping us serve you better." As if that’s enough to make anyone excited about giving up their time.

It’s not. Just trust me. It is not. Because the problem isn’t that people don’t want to share their thoughts; it’s that most surveys freaking SUCK. They literally feel like manual labour – unpaid, mind you – for the company running them.

The biggest mistake brands make is asking generic, uninspired questions and then being shocked when they get uninspired answers.

• “How satisfied are you with your experience?”

• “How can we improve?”

• “On a scale from 1-10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?”

Snooze. These aren’t questions; they’re corporate filler. They don’t spark real thought. And worse, they don’t actually help businesses uncover anything interesting. Now imagine if, instead of the usual "tell us how we’re doing" drivel, a brand made their survey questions actually engaging. You know, something that feels like part of their brand’s personality, rather than a sad chore.

So, here's how to make your survey as distinctive as your brand:

@eugbrandstrat says a survey should be an extension of your brand voice. Just like you wouldn’t send a bland, lifeless marketing email, you shouldn’t send a bland, lifeless survey. Here’s how to ask better questions:

1. Make it conversational.

Instead of: “Who do you think our brand would be right for?” Ask: “Tell us about the person in your friend group you'd recommend us to—what’s their vibe?” This takes a generic question and makes it relatable. Instead of forcing customers into rigid ‘customer persona’ thinking, you tap into how people naturally categorise their social circles. You’ll get way more textured (and human) answers.

2. Make it unexpected.

Instead of: “How can we improve your experience?” Ask: “If we put our CEO in front of you right now, what would you tell them to fix?” This shifts the dynamic from "polite feedback" to real talk. It encourages honesty and lets people vent in a way that’s actually useful. Plus, it’s more fun to answer. We’ve learned all too well recently what people think of CEO’s.

3. Make it entertaining.

Instead of: “What did you like about our product?” Ask: “If our product was a celebrity, who would it be and why?” This forces people to think metaphorically. And this unlocks insights that traditional surveys never would. A response like "your brand is like Ryan Reynolds—smooth, reliable, but doesn’t take itself too seriously" is far more revealing than "good quality, nice design."

4. Make it about them.

Instead of: “What’s your favourite feature?" Ask: “What’s something you use our product for that we’d never guess?” This taps into real user behaviour. Customers often innovate in ways brands don’t expect. Maybe they’re using your travel bag as a gym duffel, or your skincare serum as a makeup primer. Insights like these can inspire new product ideas or marketing angles.

When you ask better questions, you don’t just get more responses—you get deeper responses.

You learn what actually resonates with your audience, how they talk about your brand in the wild, and what gaps exist between your perception and their reality. This kind of intel is priceless and can inform:

• Brand messaging (speak in the language your customers actually use)

• Product development (turn those unexpected use cases into new features)

• Customer loyalty strategies (fix what’s broken and double down on what’s loved)

• Marketing campaigns (tailor ads based on real customer insights, not just assumptions)

A survey should be a conversation, not a chore.

If your survey feels like a dull corporate form, it’s going straight into the digital trash. But if it feels like an extension of your brand—a fun, engaging, and actually interesting experience—people won’t just answer it; they’ll give you insights you never even thought to ask for. So, let's stop making surveys feel like a dreaded homework assignment. PLEASE.

-Sophie, Writer