Suggestion box ideas: questions people actually answer

1. What makes a good question

In short: Short, specific and about one thing.

A good question is short, specific and easy to answer on a phone.

• Specific. "What would make checkout faster?" gets more useful answers than "Any feedback?"
• About one thing. Ask about one moment or topic, not everything at once.
• The right kind. An open question brings ideas. A quick rating is faster for how a moment went.
• In your own voice. Write it the way you would ask in person.

2. Questions for customers

In short: Ask about the moment they just had.

Ask where and when the experience happens.

• Anything. "What could we do better?"
• After a visit. "How was your visit today?"
• After an order. "How was your order?" or "Did it arrive as described?"
• Finding things. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
• Waiting. "How was the wait today?"
• What comes next. "What should we add next?"

3. Questions for employees

In short: Ask about the work, and keep manager feedback private.

Staff answer honestly when no name is needed and someone answers back.

• Everyday work. "What would make work better here?"
• Processes. "What is one process we should fix?"
• Tools. "What would help you do your job better?"
• A weekly check-in. "How was your week at work?"
• Safety. "What would make your work safer?"
• Managers, privately. "Anything about how your team is managed?" Send these only to the owner or HR.

4. Questions for students and members

In short: Members notice what staff miss. Ask them.

Schools, clubs, churches, gyms and libraries have members who notice what staff miss.

• In class. "What would make this class better?"
• After a lesson. "How was today's lesson?"
• For members. "How could we serve you better?"
• At a gym. "Which classes should we add?"
• At a library. "Which book or resource could you not find?"
• For a student council. "What should we change at school?"

5. Questions for events and websites

In short: Ask while it is still fresh.

Ask before people leave, or at the moment they get stuck.

• At the end of an event. "How was today?"
• After a session. "How useful was this session?"
• For next time. "What should we cover next time?"
• On a website. "Anything confusing on this page?"
• After a purchase. "How easy was that?"

6. Questions that collect ideas

In short: Let people suggest and vote, then say what you will do.

When you want ideas, let people see and vote on each other's.

• A product. "What should we make next?"
• A place. "What should we change first?"
• A range. "What should we stock next?"
• Events. "Which session should we repeat?"

Mark each idea Planned, Doing or Done, so people can see what happened to it.

7. Questions to avoid

In short: Avoid vague, double, leading and yes-or-no questions.

Some questions get few answers, or poor ones.

• Too vague. "Any feedback?" gives people nothing to start from.
• Two in one. "How were the food and the service?" Ask about each one separately.
• Leading. "How much did you love your visit?" pushes the answer.
• Yes or no. "Was everything OK?" invites a quick yes and nothing more.

8. Keep the question fresh

In short: Change the question when answers slow down.

A question that has been up for months stops getting answers.

• Rotate it. Change the question when answers slow down.
• Follow what is happening. Ask about something current, like a new menu or a busy period.
• Report back first. Tell people what the last question led to before you ask the next one.

Checklist

1. Decide who you want to hear from.
2. Pick the moment to ask.
3. Choose one short, specific question.
4. Use a rating for moments and an open question for ideas.
5. Check it is not vague, double, leading or yes-or-no.
6. Change it when answers slow down.