Getting real, useful feedback from customers is harder than it looks. You want honest opinions, not just a pile of NPS scores or “everything’s fine!” checkboxes. If you’re sick of surveys that go nowhere, and endless reports that never get read, this guide’s for you. We’ll dig into how to collect and actually make sense of customer feedback using Formstack forms and reports—without getting lost in bells, whistles, or marketing fluff.
Step 1: Decide What Feedback Actually Matters
Before you make a form, get clear on what you need to know. Not every question is worth asking, and not every answer is useful. Here’s how to figure it out:
- Start with your goal. Are you trying to fix something broken? Test a new feature? Get testimonials? Your questions should be specific.
- Avoid “just because” questions. If you don’t know what you’ll do with an answer, skip it.
- Keep it short. The longer your form, the junkier your responses.
Pro tip: Ask yourself, “If I get this feedback, will I actually act on it?” If not, don’t ask.
Step 2: Build a No-Nonsense Feedback Form in Formstack
Time to make your form. Here’s how to keep it focused and painless—for you and your customers.
1. Pick the Right Form Type
Formstack gives you templates for everything: contact forms, event signups, payment forms, you name it. For feedback, you’ll want:
- Survey/feedback template: Good starting point, but expect to tweak.
- Blank form: Best if you want full control.
2. Add Only the Questions You Need
A few tried-and-true questions:
- Open-ended: “What’s one thing we could do better?”
(You’ll get gold and garbage. That’s normal.) - Rating scale: “How satisfied are you with your experience?”
(But don’t obsess over the number—look for trends.) - Yes/No: “Did you find what you were looking for?”
- Optional contact info: Only if you actually plan to follow up.
What to skip:
- 20-point NPS scales (nobody cares if your score is 7.5 or 7.8)
- Questions you won’t read (“Any other comments?” is a time-waster unless you’re ready to sort through rants.)
3. Make It Frictionless
- Keep it short: 3-5 questions max.
- Mobile-friendly: Most people fill these out on their phones.
- Skip required fields unless necessary: Forcing answers gets you junk data.
4. Use Logic (But Don’t Overcomplicate)
Formstack lets you show/hide questions based on answers (conditional logic). It’s handy, but don’t go overboard. Use it to:
- Skip irrelevant questions (“If no, skip to end”)
- Drill down only when it matters
Step 3: Get Your Form in Front of Real Customers
Even the best form is useless if nobody sees it. Here’s what works—and what mostly doesn’t.
1. Share Where People Are Already Engaged
- Email: Send to recent customers, not your whole list. Keep it personal.
- In-app popups: Good for SaaS, but don’t nag—one quick ask after a key event is plenty.
- Website banners or footers: Low-key, but can catch people in the right moment.
2. Timing Is Everything
- Ask right after an experience. If you wait, people forget.
- Don’t spam. Once every few months is plenty for most businesses.
3. Incentives: Sometimes Helpful, Sometimes Useless
- Small rewards (discount, gift card) can boost responses, but also attract freebie hunters.
- If you want honest feedback, make it clear you’re listening—not bribing.
What NOT to do:
- Don’t send the same survey to the same customer over and over.
- Don’t bury the link in a newsletter nobody reads.
Step 4: Actually Look at the Results (Don’t Just Collect Dust)
Formstack’s reporting is simple, which is both good and bad. Here’s how to get what you need:
1. Use Built-In Reports for the Basics
- Summary charts: Great for quick trends (e.g., “80% satisfied”).
- Export to CSV: For when you actually want to dig in (Excel or Google Sheets is your friend).
2. Tag or Categorize Open-Ended Feedback
- Group similar comments (e.g., “shipping delays,” “website confusing”).
- Ignore outliers unless you see a pattern.
3. Avoid the Data Swamp
- Don’t get lost in every single comment. Look for recurring themes.
- Skip trying to quantify every word of feedback. Quality over quantity.
4. Share What Matters With Your Team
- Pull out 3-5 key findings.
- Use real quotes (anonymized if needed)—they hit harder than charts.
- Make it actionable (“People hate the billing page. Here’s how we’ll fix it.”)
Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder to review feedback monthly. It’s easy to forget.
Step 5: Close the Loop (Or, Why Most Surveys Go Nowhere)
The best way to show customers you care? Tell them what you did with their feedback.
- Follow up directly: If someone left their email and you fixed their complaint, let them know.
- Share changes publicly: “We updated our app based on your feedback.” Short blog post, email, or in-app message does the trick.
- Skip the hype: Don’t overpromise. If you can’t act on something, be honest.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
You don’t need fancy AI sentiment analysis or a dashboard with 50 widgets. Here’s what actually helps:
Works: - Short, targeted forms that respect people’s time - Reviewing feedback regularly (not just once a year) - Acting on patterns you see
Doesn’t Work: - Long, complicated surveys - Collecting feedback you never use - Chasing tiny changes in your NPS score
Ignore: - Most form “optimization” tips (changing your button color won’t triple responses) - Over-engineered integrations unless you have a real use case
Keep It Simple, Iterate, Repeat
Feedback is only helpful if you do something with it. Start with a simple Formstack form, ask a few smart questions, and watch for patterns. Don’t wait for the “perfect” form or the fanciest report. Just launch, learn, and adjust. Your customers—and your sanity—will thank you.