Customer surveys are the best tool if you’re seeking to understand your clients better, improve products or services, and enhance overall satisfaction.
However, the effectiveness of these surveys hinges greatly on the quality of the questions asked. Biased questions can lead to poor results, hindering your ability to make informed decisions. In this blog, we’ll explore common types of biased questions, why they’re problematic, and how to fix them to ensure your surveys yield accurate and actionable insights. Let’s go!
Why biased questions are problematic
Let’s start with the why. In short, if your questions are not oriented in the right way, your data won’t be accurate. As a consequence, your strategy won’t respond to your clients’ needs.
These are 4 key ways in which biased questions impact your business:
- They distort the true sentiments of respondents, leading to inaccurate conclusions.
- They undermine the credibility of the survey and the organization conducting it.
- They impede the ability to identify genuine areas for improvement or innovation.
- They may alienate respondents who perceive the survey as manipulative or insincere.
Types of biased questions to avoid
Biased survey questions are inquiries that inadvertently or deliberately steer respondents towards a specific answer, leading to skewed or inaccurate data. They can take various forms, each presenting its own challenges to the integrity of the survey results:
Leading questions
Leading questions are designed to steer respondents towards a particular response by subtly influencing their perception or opinion. These questions often contain language that presupposes a specific viewpoint or outcome.
For example, “Isn’t it true that our new product is the best on the market?” Such questions not only suggest the desired answer but also create pressure for respondents to agree, regardless of their actual feelings or experiences. Leading questions can introduce bias by nudging respondents towards a predetermined conclusion, thereby compromising the integrity of the survey results.
Loaded questions
Loaded questions are characterized by the inclusion of emotionally charged language or implicit assumptions that may sway respondents’ responses. These questions often contain value judgments or presuppositions that can evoke strong reactions from participants.
For instance, “How satisfied are you with our flawless customer service?” This question assumes the perfection of customer service, potentially eliciting positive responses even if the service has flaws. Loaded questions not only skew the data but also undermine the credibility of the survey by projecting bias and insincerity.
Double-barreled questions
Double-barreled questions combine multiple issues or inquiries into a single question, making it difficult for respondents to provide clear and accurate answers. These questions often lead to confusion or ambiguity because they address more than one concept simultaneously.
For example, “Do you find our website user-friendly and informative?” While respondents may find the website user-friendly, they might have differing opinions about its informativeness. Double-barreled questions hinder the ability to discern specific feedback on each aspect under consideration, resulting in muddled or unreliable data.
Polarizing questions
Polarizing questions present respondents with extreme or polar opposite options, leaving no room for nuanced or moderate responses. These questions oversimplify complex issues and limit respondents’ ability to express diverse viewpoints.
For instance, “Do you support our new policy, or do you oppose it?” Such binary choices fail to capture the spectrum of opinions and may force respondents to choose between options that do not accurately reflect their true stance. Polarizing questions overlook the nuances of customer preferences and fail to comprehensively understand their attitudes or preferences.
Assumptive questions
Assumptive questions make unwarranted assumptions about respondents’ experiences, preferences, or behaviors, leading to biased responses. These questions often rely on stereotypes or generalizations that may not apply to all respondents.
For example, “As a busy professional, how much time do you spend using our service?” This question assumes that all respondents are busy professionals, disregarding the diversity of backgrounds and lifestyles among customers. Assumptive questions alienate respondents who do not fit the assumed profile and distort the accuracy of survey results.
How to fix biased questions
Fixing biased survey questions requires a thoughtful approach to ensure that inquiries are neutral, clear, and conducive to obtaining accurate responses. Here are some strategies to rectify biased questions:
Use neutral language
Reword questions to remove any language that implies a preferred response or presupposes a particular viewpoint. Instead of leading phrases like “Isn’t it true that…” or “Don’t you agree that…,” opt for more neutral language that allows respondents to express their opinions freely.
Clarify intent
Ensure that the intent of the question is unambiguous. If a question addresses multiple issues or concepts, consider splitting it into separate inquiries to avoid confusion. Each question should focus on one specific aspect to facilitate accurate responses.
Offer balanced options
When presenting multiple-choice questions, provide response options that cover a spectrum of possibilities without bias towards any particular outcome. Ensure that all options are relevant and reflective of the diversity of perspectives among respondents.
Avoid loaded language
Remove emotionally charged language from questions to prevent biasing respondents’ perceptions or reactions. Instead, frame questions in a neutral tone that does not suggest a desired response.
Eliminate assumptions
Review questions to identify and eliminate any assumptions about respondents’ experiences, preferences, or characteristics. Questions should be inclusive and applicable to all respondents, irrespective of their backgrounds or circumstances.
Crafting unbiased customer surveys is essential for extracting genuine insights and fostering meaningful engagement with your customers. By avoiding biased questions, employing neutral language, and adhering to best practices, you can harness the full potential of customer feedback to drive informed decision-making and enhance customer experience.
Remember the quality of your survey questions directly impacts the quality of your insights. Prioritize clarity, neutrality, and authenticity in every inquiry to deliver quality in your service and products.
If you’re looking for some inspo, check out our curated list of customer survey questions!
