Collecting Customer Feedback via SMS - Higher Response Rates

Why SMS for Feedback?

Email survey response rates: 5-15% SMS survey response rates: 30-45%

The math is clear. If you want customer feedback, SMS gets more responses.

Types of SMS Feedback

Simple Rating

"How was your experience today? Reply 1-5 (5=excellent)"

Easy for customers, easy to track.

NPS (Net Promoter Score)

"How likely are you to recommend us to a friend? Reply 0-10 (10=extremely likely)"

Industry-standard metric for customer loyalty.

Yes/No Questions

"Did we resolve your issue today? Reply YES or NO"

Quick and actionable.

Open-Ended

"Thanks for your visit! Any feedback for us? Reply with your thoughts."

More insight, but harder to analyze at scale.

Review Requests

"Enjoyed your experience? We'd love a review! [Google/Yelp link]. Thank you!"

Build your online reputation.

Timing Is Everything

Immediately After

Best for transactional feedback:

Right after a purchase

After a support call

Upon delivery

Same Day

Good for experience feedback:

After restaurant visit

After appointment

After event

Next Day

Allows reflection:

After using a product

After a service appointment

After trying something new

Templates by Industry

Retail

"Thanks for shopping at [Store]! Quick question: How was your checkout experience? Reply 1-5"

Restaurant

"Thanks for dining with us! How was your meal? Reply 1-5 (5=delicious!)"

Healthcare

"Thank you for visiting [Practice]. How would you rate your experience? Reply 1-5"

Service Business

"How did [Technician] do today? Reply 1-5 (5=excellent). We share feedback with our team!"

E-commerce

"Your order arrived! How would you rate the product? Reply 1-5"

Multi-Step Surveys

Start simple, go deeper based on response:

Step 1:

"Rate your experience: Reply 1-5"

If 4-5:

"Awesome! Would you share a quick review? [link] It really helps us!"

If 1-3:

"Sorry to hear that. What went wrong? Reply with details and we'll make it right."

Handling Negative Feedback

Immediate Response

Don't ignore low ratings:

"Thank you for the feedback. We're sorry we fell short. A manager will call you within the hour to discuss. Is this number good?"

Recovery Opportunity

Turn detractors into promoters:

Acknowledge the issue

Apologize sincerely

Offer a solution

Follow up after resolution

Internal Escalation

Low ratings should trigger:

Alert to manager

Review of what happened

Process improvement if needed

Maximizing Response Rates

Keep It Short

One question is better than five.

Make It Easy

Reply with a number, not a paragraph.

Explain Why

"Your feedback helps us improve!" increases responses.

Time It Right

Not too soon (feels pushy)

Not too late (they've forgotten)

Mobile-Friendly Links

If including a link, ensure it works on mobile.

What to Do With Feedback

Aggregate and Analyze

Track scores over time

Identify trends

Compare by location/product/service

Close the Loop

Follow up with customers:

Thank high raters

Address issues from low raters

Update those who provided suggestions

Share Internally

Post positive feedback for team morale

Use negative feedback for training

Recognize employees mentioned positively

Public Reviews

Direct happy customers to public platforms:

"We're thrilled you had a great experience! Would you share it on Google? [link]"

Privacy Considerations

Consent

Customers should know they'll receive feedback requests.

Data Security

Store feedback securely, especially if it contains personal information.

Opt-Out

Respect requests to stop receiving surveys.

Measuring Success

Response Rate

What percentage reply to your survey?

Score Trends

Are ratings improving over time?

Actionable Insights

Are you learning things that lead to improvements?

Review Generation

Are feedback requests leading to public reviews?

Sample Feedback Flow

Trigger: Customer completes purchaseImmediately:

"Thanks for your purchase! Your order #12345 is confirmed."

After delivery (2-3 days):

"Your order arrived! Quick check: How would you rate it? Reply 1-5"

If 4-5:

"Great to hear! Would you share your experience? [review link] Thanks for supporting [Business]!"

If 1-3:

"We're sorry to hear that. What happened? Reply with details - we want to make it right."

Conclusion

SMS feedback is fast, easy, and effective. Customers respond at higher rates, giving you more data to improve your business.

Start with a simple post-purchase rating. Analyze responses. Follow up appropriately. Watch your customer satisfaction scores rise.