Want to know what your clients really think? Not just the polite stuff—they think you’re great, but what about the things that aren’t working? That’s where a good feedback survey comes in. But let’s be honest: most surveys are a chore to fill out and a pain to read through. This guide is for anyone who needs actual insights, not just a pile of “Everything’s fine!” responses. If you’re using Paperform (or thinking about it), here’s how to get feedback that helps you improve, not just decorate a dashboard.
1. Know What You Actually Want to Learn
Before you even touch Paperform, get clear about what you want to know. “Getting feedback” is too vague. Do you want to know if your onboarding is confusing? If your pricing feels fair? Or just whether your support team is helpful?
What works:
- Make a short list of specific questions you need answers to.
- Prioritize what you must know vs. what’s just “nice to have.”
- Keep it relevant to your business decisions—don’t ask about stuff you can’t or won’t change.
What doesn’t:
- Asking everything under the sun (“How do you feel about our logo? And our font? And our website speed?”)
- Copying someone else’s survey because it “looks professional.”
Pro tip: Think about the last time you ignored a survey. Why? Don’t make those mistakes.
2. Keep It Short (But Not Pointless)
Long surveys get ignored or rushed through. Stick to the essentials. Aim for 5-7 questions—enough to get real insights, but not so much you trigger survey fatigue.
Tips for brevity: - Combine related questions (e.g., “What did you like, and what would you improve?” in one box). - Avoid questions you already know the answer to (like the client’s email if you’re sending personalized links—Paperform can pre-fill that for you). - Ditch “nice-to-know” questions that won’t change what you do.
What to ignore:
- Fancy NPS scoring unless you genuinely plan to track it over time.
- Weirdly specific questions like “Would you recommend us to a friend who owns a dog grooming business?” unless that’s your actual market.
3. Choose the Right Question Types
Paperform gives you choices: multiple choice, open-ended, rating scales, and more. Use them wisely.
What works: - Multiple choice/checkboxes for quick, easy analysis. - Short text for “anything else you want to tell us?” questions. - Rating scales (1-5 or smiley faces) for satisfaction or likelihood-to-recommend—just don’t overdo it.
What doesn’t:
- Too many open-ended questions (it’s a pain to read through, and most people skip them).
- Required questions that are too personal or irrelevant.
Pro tip: One open-ended question at the end (“Is there anything else you want us to know?”) often surfaces the best feedback.
4. Make It Easy (and Maybe Even Pleasant) to Answer
The best survey is the one someone actually completes. Make yours painless.
Best practices: - Use plain language, not jargon. (“How was your experience?” beats “Please rate your satisfaction with our end-to-end solution.”) - Set expectations: tell people up front how long it’ll take (“2 minutes, tops”). - Use Paperform’s design options to keep it clean—don’t overdecorate. - Skip mandatory questions unless you absolutely need them.
What to skip:
- Guilt trips (“Your feedback is vital to our success!”)
- Silly “progress bars” if your survey is only five questions.
Pro tip: Test the survey yourself. If you get bored or annoyed, your clients will too.
5. Get the Timing Right
When you ask matters as much as what you ask.
When to send: - Right after a key interaction (project delivery, support call, purchase). - Not months later—memories fade and feedback gets vague.
What works: - Automated triggers in Paperform can send the survey at the exact right moment. - Personalized links (so you don’t have to ask for names).
What doesn’t:
- Blasting everyone on your list every quarter, hoping for magic.
- Sending surveys during holidays or at weird hours.
6. Make It (Genuinely) Anonymous… or Be Clear If It Isn’t
People give more honest feedback if they know it won’t come back to haunt them. But sometimes you want to be able to follow up.
Honest take: - If you promise anonymity, make sure you’re not collecting identifying info. - If you need to know who said what, be upfront about it—don’t hide it in fine print.
What to ignore:
- Half-hearted “Your feedback is confidential” claims when you’re collecting email addresses.
Pro tip: You can set Paperform to skip collecting emails, or use custom fields if you want to give people the option.
7. Close the Loop—Show Clients Their Feedback Matters
Nothing turns clients off faster than surveys that vanish into a black hole. If you want people to keep sharing honest thoughts, let them know you heard them.
How to do it: - Share a summary of what you heard (“You told us X, so we’re doing Y”). - Thank people for their time—genuinely, not just with a canned “thanks.”
What doesn’t work:
- Promising big changes you can’t deliver.
- Ignoring negative feedback (it hurts, but that’s where the gold is).
Pro tip: Even an automated “Thank you, here’s what happens next” message in Paperform beats radio silence.
8. Actually Use the Feedback
This one sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised. Don’t just collect feedback—act on it.
What works: - Regularly review responses (Paperform exports to Google Sheets or CSV if you like old-school spreadsheets). - Look for patterns, not just one-off gripes. - Share insights with your team, not just the boss.
What doesn’t:
- Collecting feedback because “everyone else does.”
- Letting it pile up unread in your inbox.
Pro tip: Make a habit of reviewing feedback monthly, even if it’s just a 10-minute scan.
What to Avoid: Common Survey Traps
A few things that sound good on a sales page but won’t help you much:
- Bribing people for feedback. You’ll get more responses, but not always honest ones. If you do offer an incentive, keep it small and don’t make it the main reason to reply.
- Survey “gamification.” Flashy sliders and animations look cool, but usually just annoy busy clients.
- Making it all about you. “How did our team perform?” is fine, but “How amazing are we on a scale of 1-10?” isn’t going to get you the truth.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
The best client feedback surveys are simple, honest, and genuinely useful. Don’t get lost chasing fancy features or perfect response rates. Use Paperform to keep things organized and easy, but remember: what matters is what you do with the feedback, not how slick your form looks.
Start small, tweak as you go, and treat every bit of feedback as a chance to get better—not just a box to tick.