Getting customer feedback is crucial for malls to understand visitor satisfaction, improve facilities and offerings, and remain competitive. However, persuading busy mall visitors to take time out of their shopping experience to provide detailed feedback can be challenging. This article explores proven methods and strategies to drive higher participation rates in mall visitor feedback surveys.

Mall feedback management is the process of actively collecting, analyzing, and responding to input and opinions from shoppers about their experiences at a retail shopping mall facility. It involves soliciting visitor feedback across digital channels such as websites and mobile apps as well as physical touchpoints throughout the mall itself. Dedicated staff focus on optimizing participation rates by incentivizing shoppers to share their likes, dislikes, complaints and suggestions through convenient formats including comment cards, interactive kiosks, QR code scans, short conversational interviews and gamified surveys.

Understand Why Shoppers Don't Participate

To motivate higher involvement in surveys, it’s important to understand the reasons visitors shy away from sharing feedback:

• They don’t want to spend time when they’d rather be shopping or socializing
• The survey seems too long or complex
• They don’t expect to benefit personally from completing it
• There are no immediate incentives or rewards offered
• They’re unsure if their feedback will actually lead to positive changes

Offer Engaging Survey Formats

Dry, lengthy written surveys can be dull for time-pressed shoppers. Consider alternative feedback formats that encourage higher participation through novelty and interactivity:

• Tablet kiosks: Install touchscreen kiosks around the mall for easy access and interest through digital interactivity
• Conversational approaches: Have staff or volunteers approach visitors to chat about likes/dislikes instead of answering a list of questions
• Quick response (QR) codes: Print QR codes that visitors can scan with the camera app on their smartphone, linking to an engaging mobile-friendly survey form
• Comment/voting boxes: Fun, creative boxes placed around facilities let people quickly drop a comment card or token voting for simple feedback

Highlight Benefits of Participation

Clearly convey the direct benefits shoppers will gain from sharing opinions so they feel it’s worth their time. Positive outcomes for visitors could include:

• Input shapes future mall offerings like stores, restaurants and facilities
• Having issues addressed - such as broken amenities or problems finding baby changing stations
• Entry into prize draws for completing longer surveys
• Sharing helpful suggestions others may benefit from
• Fulfillment from contributing to positive change

Emphasize their voice matters so feedback won’t disappear into a black hole never to be seen again.

Offer Meaningful Incentives

People love free stuff, competition wins, and giveaways. Offer enticing rewards to sweeten the deal:

• Enter visitors who complete longer surveys into draws to win mall gift certificates, products or services
• Run prize draws for creative improvement ideas or thoughtful feedback
• Give free food/drink vouchers for shorter survey participation at kiosks
• Offer retailer discounts forscan and leave quick QR code feedback

Incentives should have real value. Don’t require excessive effort or overly personal data relative to the reward.

Make it Quick and Convenient

Lengthy, inconvenient surveys often end up in digital trash cans. Follow best practices to remove participation friction:

• Optimized survey length: Keep it short and focused. Allow visitors to opt into more detailed sections.
• Mobile optimization: Ensure forms work seamlessly on smartphones for easy anywhere participation
• Kiosk placement: Locate feedback kiosks near resting spots like food courts, nursing rooms, and rest areas
• Gamification: Apply gaming elements to hold interest e.g. progress bars, scoring, personality quizzes
• Pre-population: Visitors give their name once then it automatically populates any other survey form for fast access

Promote the Survey Smartly

Visibility drives opportunity. Promote survey access across digital and physical touchpoints visitors already engage with:

• App push notifications
• Wifi landing page pop-ups
• Digital signs and announcement screens
• Table tent cards in food courts
• Cashier receipt note/coupon style printouts
• Eye catching survey invitation signage

Foster Excitement Through Change

Cynicism kills participation. Shoppers won’t bother giving input if nothing ever happens. Visibly demonstrate how visitor feedback directly leads to mall improvements:

• Display trend charts of issues raised and how they’re being addressed over time
• Create an “You asked, we acted” section on the mall’s website homepage
• Celebrate and promote visitor-inspired facility upgrades or new stores secured through feedback analysis on digital channels and posters.

Continually Optimize Engagement

Don’t settle for initial participation rates. Run A/B testing of survey questions, incentives and promotion strategies to incrementally boost engagement over time. Assign the process to a dedicated mall feedback manager accountable for increasing response volumes month-to-month. Mine complied data for actionable insights on optimizing involvement for different visitor demographics.

Turn Detractors into Advocates

Negative reviews and complaints often stem from unsatisfactory experiences visitors feel went unheard and unresolved. Empower these detractors by visibly addressing their raised concerns through the feedback process. When criticisms turn into positive change, it builds trust that speaking up matters, helping convert vocal cynics into vocal advocates.

FAQs on Driving Mall Visitor Feedback

Still have questions on getting more shoppers to share their input? Check out these frequently asked questions:

What survey length sees the highest response rates?

Aim for 10 or less questions. Attention spans are short, especially when people are out for enjoyment. Allow those willing to go deeper to self-select additional topics but keep primary feedback tight.

What incentives work to attract participation from teenagers?

Food, experiences and tech accessories have the most appeal. Offer restaurant and cinema vouchers or entries into prize draws to win the latest headphones or video games.

Should staff approach visitors about taking surveys?

This can work extremely well if done right. Have outgoing employees wearing identifiable lanyards walk around at slower times. Train them on inviting participation in a friendly, helpful way without being sales-y or pushy.

What question formats gather the most honest responses?

Consider indirect questioning focused on observation over personal opinion which leads to more truthful answers less skewed by social pressure. For example, ask “What do you notice other visitors complaining about?” versus the direct “What do you dislike?”.

Conclusion

Driving higher participation in mall visitor surveys takes creativity and ongoing optimization of engagement strategies. By understanding key motivators and deterrents for your shopper demographic, promoting input opportunities smartly, making the process fast and rewarding, and closing the feedback loop with positive change, malls can gain the insightful patron opinions needed to satisfy and retain more visitors over the long-term.

The key is committing to continual improvement of the involvement approach rather than relying on a “one and done” survey effort. With an organized mall feedback manager overseeing data gathering, community management upholding visibility of change inspired by voices shared, and executive buy-in empowering outreach resources and response capabilities, that priceless visitor input can transition from untapped potential into an invaluable business success asset.