If you run a website or an online business, you know real feedback from real customers is gold—if you can actually get it, and if you actually do something with it. This guide is for anyone using live chat (or thinking about it) and wants to make the most of Olark’s survey features. No fluff, no hype—just practical steps to collect better feedback and actually use it.
Why bother with feedback surveys in live chat?
Let’s get something out of the way: most people hate surveys. If you make them long, boring, or irrelevant, customers will bail. But if you do it right—short, well-timed, and with questions you’ll act on—you’ll get insights that help you fix what’s broken and spot what’s working.
Olark makes this easier by letting you ask simple survey questions right in your chat flow. No need for clunky external forms or a million follow-up emails.
Step 1: Decide what you actually want to learn
Before you touch any settings, get clear about what you want to know. This sounds obvious, but it’s where most people mess up.
Common use cases: - Is our support team actually helping people? - What’s confusing on our website? - Why did someone almost bail on their cart? - How did someone hear about us?
What to ignore: - “How satisfied are you, on a scale of 1 to 5?” unless you’ll actually track and discuss the trend. - Any question you’re asking because you feel like you “should,” not because you care.
Pro tip: If you won’t use the answer, don’t ask the question.
Step 2: Set up your Olark survey(s)
Olark offers a couple of built-in survey options: pre-chat and post-chat surveys. Here’s the honest deal with each:
Pre-chat surveys
These pop up before the chat starts. Use them to grab quick info—like name, email, or a simple “What brings you here?”—before you start helping. Don’t get greedy; more fields means fewer people will fill them out.
How to set up: 1. Log in to your Olark account. 2. Go to Settings > Forms and select “Pre-chat survey.” 3. Add your questions. Stick to 1-2 fields, max. (Name and “How can we help?” is enough for most cases.) 4. Save and test it by starting a chat as a visitor.
What works: - Quick, open-ended questions (“What can we help you with today?”). - Just enough info to personalize the chat or prioritize leads.
What doesn’t: - Long forms. People want help, not homework.
Post-chat surveys
These show up after the chat ends. Good for “How did we do?” or “Any feedback?”-type questions.
How to set up: 1. Still in Settings > Forms, pick “Post-chat survey.” 2. Add a satisfaction question (star rating or text box). 3. Consider a single follow-up: “What could we improve?” 4. Save and run through a test chat to see how it flows.
What works: - Star ratings—quick and easy. - One open-ended question for real comments.
What doesn’t: - Multiple-choice questions with too many options. - Anything that feels like an interrogation.
Survey question ideas that don’t suck
- “How helpful was your chat today?” (star rating)
- “What else could we have done better?”
- “Did you find what you were looking for?”
- “Is there anything confusing about our site?”
Step 3: Make surveys a natural part of the conversation
Surveys shouldn’t feel like speed bumps. They should blend in, not annoy.
- Timing matters: Don’t hit people with a survey before they’ve even asked a question. Use pre-chat for basics only.
- Keep it short: One or two questions, tops.
- Be clear: Tell them why you’re asking (“We’re always trying to improve—mind a quick rating?”).
Pro tip: If you get the same complaint more than twice, it’s probably worth fixing.
Step 4: Actually look at the results (don’t let them rot)
This is where a lot of efforts go to die. Collecting feedback is pointless if you never look at it.
How to access survey responses in Olark
- Go to your Olark dashboard.
- Find the Transcripts tab (yep, all chats are logged here).
- Filter or search for chats with survey responses.
- Export your data if you want to analyze it in Excel, Google Sheets, or whatever works for you.
What to watch for
- Patterns: Are people flagging the same problem over and over?
- Outliers: One-off rants may be noise—but if it’s something new, check it out.
- Agent performance: Are certain team members getting lower scores? (Use this for coaching, not finger-pointing.)
What doesn’t work
- Getting lost in the weeds. Don’t obsess over every single comment.
- Ignoring the feedback because “it’s just a few people.” Sometimes a few people are the tip of the iceberg.
Step 5: Take action—small and fast beats big and slow
You don’t need a six-month project plan. Start simple:
- Fix what’s broken (if multiple people complain about the same thing, that’s your to-do list).
- Share feedback with your team. A quick Slack post with “Top 3 things we heard this week” works.
- Close the loop: If someone left feedback and you fixed it, let them know. (People love this.)
Pro tip: If you see a positive comment, share it with your team. Morale matters.
Step 6: Iterate and keep it human
The first version of your survey won’t be perfect. That’s fine.
- If people aren’t answering, try different questions.
- If you’re not getting useful info, change it up.
- Ask your team what they wish they knew after every chat, and add that as a question.
Don’t be afraid to drop questions that aren’t working.
What Olark’s surveys can’t do (and what to use instead)
A reality check: Olark’s built-in surveys are great for simple, fast feedback. They’re not a replacement for in-depth user research or big NPS projects. If you want super-detailed analytics, conditional logic, or custom reports, you’ll want a dedicated survey tool (like Typeform or SurveyMonkey) and maybe a process for follow-up interviews.
But for day-to-day, “Are we helping people?” and “What’s annoying folks?”—Olark’s surveys are just right.
Quick checklist: Don’t overthink it
- [ ] Know what you want to learn
- [ ] Keep it short (1-2 questions)
- [ ] Make it easy to answer
- [ ] Check results regularly
- [ ] Act on what you learn
- [ ] Change questions if they don’t get you what you need
Final thoughts: Keep it simple, keep it moving
You don’t need a complicated setup to get useful feedback. Start with something small, see what comes in, and tweak as you go. The best feedback process is the one you’ll actually use. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done.
And remember: nobody ever said, “I wish that survey was longer.”