How do you get tenants to actually finish a short feedback form after an inspection?

Question

I work for a small letting agency in Birmingham, and we send a short form to tenants and landlords after a property inspection, to ask how clear the report was and what could be better. The form is only 4 to 5 questions, but most people start it and do not finish it.

I am wondering what actually works in practice. Is it better to send the form on the same day as the inspection, or the next day? Do short multiple-choice questions get more replies than one open question at the end? And does the first question matter more than I think, for getting people to continue?

Any simple tips from people who send forms to customers, not just internal teams, would be really helpful.

Anahi · Accepted Answer

Hi ​@kaceynoms9:)I’m no survey expert, but my instinct would be to send it while the inspection is still fresh, either later that day or the next day. I’d probably try both and see what works better for your tenants and landlords.I’d make the first question easy to answer and directly relevant, like “How clear was your inspection report?” with a simple rating scale. Then maybe use mostly quick multiple-choice or rating questions, with one optional open question at the end for anything specific they’d like to add. I’d also say upfront how long it takes and keep only the questions you’ll actually use.That’s just my take, but it could be interesting to change one thing at a time and compare how many people finish. This Typeform article on writing forms has a few more ideas too, especially on keeping questions clear and conversational.One other idea, if your plan supports it, is to add a Partial Submit Point after the first key question. That way, if someone drops off later, you may still capture their answer to that question. Just keep in mind that partial responses count toward your response limit.Hope this helps!

kaceynoms9 · Answer

Hi Anahi, thank you so much, this is really helpful, and I have already started using some of it.

The Partial Submit Point idea was new to me, and I have added it after the first key question, so even if someone drops off later, I still get their answer to the most important question. I did not realise partial responses count toward the response limit, so I will keep an eye on that.

I am going to send the form on the same day as the inspection, while it is still fresh, and say upfront that it takes 2 minutes. The first question is now a simple rating, How clear was your inspection report?, then mostly multiple-choice and rating questions, with just one optional open question at the end. I will change one thing at a time, like you suggested, so I can see what actually makes more people finish.

What I have learned from working with landlords and tenants in Birmingham is that the report itself matters more than the form. If the report is clear, with dated photos and a short summary of what needs fixing, who is responsible, and by when, then tenants are much more likely to answer the form, because they actually understood what they were given. My inventory clerk in Birmingham, Capital Complete Solutions, does my inspection reports that way, and this is how clear a property inspection report should be.

How do you get tenants to actually finish a short feedback form after an inspection?

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