Introduction
Let’s face it – traditional surveys are rarely anyone’s idea of fun. Most people click through bland questions with minimal engagement, resulting in poor data quality and high abandonment rates.
The Problem with Traditional Surveys:
- Average completion rates hover around a dismal 30%
- Abandonment rates exceed 70%
- Respondents describe surveys as “boring” or “tedious”
- Generic formatting fails to capture attention
Yet in today’s data-driven world, gathering quality feedback is crucial. The paradox? The more desperately businesses need quality data, the less willing people are to provide it.
Research shows that surveys incorporating creative, funny, and engaging questions see completion rates jump by as much as 40%. More importantly, they elicit more thoughtful, honest responses – the authentic feedback that drives real improvement.
Why Traditional Surveys Fail
Most surveys suffer from fundamental design flaws that actively work against gathering quality data:
The Engagement Crisis
Common Survey Pitfalls:
- Length overload: 45% of respondents abandon surveys taking longer than 5 minutes
- Question fatigue: Repetitive questions cause mental disengagement
- Corporate-speak: Formal language creates emotional distance
- Minimal incentive: Little motivation to provide thoughtful answers
The Psychology of Survey Fatigue
Survey fatigue isn’t just annoying—it’s a neurological reality. Research shows that respondent attention drops by approximately 30% after the first minute of survey-taking.
This cognitive burden leads to:
- Straight-lining: Selecting the same answer for multiple questions
- Satisficing: Choosing acceptable rather than optimal answers
- Speeding: Racing through questions without consideration
The Industry Problem
Survey abandonment rates reveal a troubling pattern across sectors:
- E-commerce: 68% abandonment
- Healthcare: 72% abandonment
- B2B services: 65% abandonment
- Education: 59% abandonment
Poor survey design doesn’t just waste time—it actively harms your decision-making by providing incomplete data sets and creating a false sense of understanding.
Benefits of Adding Humor and Engagement
Transforming your surveys from dull forms into engaging experiences delivers measurable benefits that directly impact your bottom line.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Studies consistently show that engaging surveys outperform traditional ones:
| Metric | Traditional Surveys | Engaging Surveys | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completion Rate | 30% | 70-85% | +40-55% |
| Time Per Question | 4 seconds | 9 seconds | +125% |
| Data Quality Score | 6.4/10 | 8.7/10 | +36% |
| NPS Impact | Neutral | +12 points | Significant |
Higher Completion Rates
When respondents enjoy themselves, they stick around:
- Engaging surveys see 42% fewer drop-offs
- Users willingly spend more time on well-crafted questions
- Higher percentage of respondents complete all questions
Real-World Example: When Airbnb redesigned their post-stay survey to include more casual, conversational questions with occasional humor, completion rates jumped from 36% to 76% in just three months.
More Authentic Responses
Humor and creative questioning bypass our tendency to give “safe” answers:
- Respondents are 27% more likely to give honest feedback
- Engaging questions prompt deeper consideration
- Open-ended responses average 3x longer in engaging surveys
Improved Brand Perception
Your survey is a brand touchpoint—make it count:
- 64% of respondents report improved brand perception after an engaging survey
- 41% are more likely to engage with future communications
- 38% increase in social sharing of positive experiences
Types of Engaging Questions to Include
Not all engaging questions are created equal. Here’s a breakdown of question types that can transform your surveys from mundane to memorable.
1. Humorous Hypothetical Scenarios
These questions place respondents in imaginative situations that reveal preferences and personality traits.
Examples:
- “If our product were a character in a movie, which one would it be and why?”
- “You’re stranded on a desert island with only our app and spotty Wi-Fi. Which feature would you use the most?”
- “If you could give our customer service team a superpower, what would it be?”
Pro Tip: Keep hypotheticals relevant to your brand or product. Random scenarios can feel disconnected from your survey’s purpose.
2. Would-You-Rather Questions
These binary choices force interesting decisions that reveal priorities:
| Traditional Question | Engaging Alternative |
|---|---|
| ”How important is price when making decisions?" | "Would you rather have our product be 20% cheaper or have 3 new features?" |
| "Rate the importance of speed vs accuracy" | "Would you rather have results in 10 seconds with 90% accuracy or in 1 minute with 99% accuracy?" |
| "How satisfied are you with our mobile app?" | "Would you rather give up coffee for a week or give up our app for a week?“ |
3. Pop Culture References
Leverage shared cultural touchpoints to make questions more relatable:
- Themed rating scales: “On a scale from ‘Game of Thrones Season 1’ to ‘Game of Thrones Season 8,’ how would you rate our recent updates?”
- Character comparisons: “Which fictional character best represents our brand’s personality?”
- Trending topic links: “If our app were a TikTok trend, which one would it be?”
Caution: Keep references broad enough to be recognized across your demographic, and be prepared to update them as trends change.
4. Light-hearted Personal Preferences
Simple preference questions can provide surprising insights while keeping respondents engaged:
- “Coffee or tea?” (followed by) “How does this choice reflect your approach to our product?”
- “Early bird or night owl?” (followed by) “When are you most likely to use our service?”
- “Beach vacation or mountain retreat?” (followed by) “Which of our features would you take with you?“
5. Creative Analogies and Metaphors
These questions help respondents conceptualize abstract qualities in concrete terms:
Examples:
-
“If our checkout process were a vehicle, would it be:
- 🚀 Rocket ship (extremely fast)
- 🚗 Sedan (reliable, gets the job done)
- 🚲 Bicycle (requires some effort)
- 🐢 Tortoise (painfully slow)”
-
“Our app’s user interface is most like:
- A well-organized closet where everything has its place
- A treasure hunt with rewards for exploration
- A Swiss Army knife with tools for every situation
- A maze that eventually gets you where you need to go”
6. The “This or That” Speed Round
A rapid sequence of binary choices creates momentum and keeps energy high:
Quick! This or that?
- Desktop app or mobile app?
- Email notifications or push notifications?
- Automatic updates or manual control?
- Minimalist design or feature-rich interface?
- Text support or phone support?7. The Emoji Reaction
Visual responses can capture emotional reactions more authentically than words:
“Which emoji best represents your feeling when you encountered our checkout process?”
- 😍 - Delightful
- 🤔 - Confusing
- 😴 - Boring
- 🤬 - Frustrating
20+ Ready-to-Use Survey Question Templates
Here’s a collection of ready-to-use questions you can adapt for your specific industry needs:
Customer Satisfaction Templates
-
The Dinner Party Question
”If our company were a guest at your dinner party, would we be:- The life of the party
- A pleasant conversationalist
- Mostly quiet but nice to have around
- Checking watch and leaving early
- Someone you wouldn’t invite again”
-
The Relationship Status
”How would you describe your relationship with our brand?- Just met (still getting to know each other)
- Dating (trying things out)
- Committed relationship (regular customer)
- Married (couldn’t imagine life without us)
- It’s complicated (mixed feelings)
- On a break (considering other options)”
-
The Time Machine
”If you could send our team a message that would arrive before we created our latest product update, what would you tell us?” -
The Superlative Awards
”If you were giving out yearbook-style superlatives to our features, which one would win ‘Most Likely to Make Your Day Better’?” -
The Desert Island Features
”If you could only keep THREE features of our product, which ones would you choose and why?”
User Experience Templates
-
The Emotion Journey
”Choose the emoji that best represents how you felt at each stage of using our website:- When you first arrived: 😀 😐 😕 😬 😡
- While browsing products: 😀 😐 😕 😬 😡
- During checkout: 😀 😐 😕 😬 😡
- After completing your purchase: 😀 😐 😕 😬 😡”
-
The Analogy Completion
”Using our website for the first time was like _____________.”
(open-ended or with multiple-choice options) -
The Movie Rating
”If your experience with our app were a movie, how many stars would you give it, and what would the title be?” -
The Brutally Honest Review
”Pretend you’re writing a brutally honest review of our product for your best friend. What would you say?”
Employee Satisfaction Templates
-
The Work Playlist
”If your current workload were a music playlist, which genre would it be?- Classical (structured and harmonious)
- Jazz (improvisational and creative)
- Heavy Metal (intense and loud)
- Elevator Music (monotonous)
- Dubstep (chaotic but exciting)”
-
The Team Animal
”If your team were an animal, what would it be and why?” -
The Monday Feeling
”On a scale from ‘Found money in an old jacket’ to ‘Stepped in a puddle wearing socks,’ how do you feel about coming to work on Mondays?”
Educational/Training Feedback Templates
-
The Knowledge Translation
”Explain what you learned today as if you were telling it to:- A 5-year-old
- Your grandmother
- An alien visiting Earth”
-
The Learning Superhero
”Which learning superpower did you gain from this course?- X-ray Vision (seeing through complex problems)
- Super Speed (completing tasks more efficiently)
- Mind Reading (better understanding others’ needs)
- Force Field (protecting against common mistakes)“
Healthcare Templates
-
The Waiting Room Experience
”If our waiting room were a place other than a waiting room, what would it be?- A cozy café
- A library
- An airport terminal
- The DMV
- A spa retreat”
-
The Care Comparison
”If you had to compare your care experience to a type of customer service, would it be more like:- A luxury hotel concierge
- A helpful retail associate
- A busy fast-food counter
- An automated phone system”
E-commerce Templates
-
The Shopping Personality
”Which shopping personality best describes you?- The Researcher (compares every option thoroughly)
- The Impulse Buyer (sees it, wants it, buys it)
- The Bargain Hunter (always looking for deals)
- The Loyal Customer (sticks with trusted brands)
- The Trend Follower (wants the latest and greatest)”
-
The Package Arrival
”When your package from us arrives, are you:- Dropping everything to open it immediately
- Saving it as a reward for later
- Forgetting you ordered it and being pleasantly surprised
- Inspecting it carefully before opening”
-
The Return Process
”If our return process were a type of transportation, would it be:- A high-speed train (fast and efficient)
- A scenic route (takes longer but pleasant)
- A rush-hour commute (frustrating but gets you there)
- A broken-down bus (unreliable and stressful)”
-
The Feature Wish
”If a product genie granted you three wishes to improve our product, what would you wish for?”
Best Practices for Implementation
Creating engaging surveys requires balance. Here are key principles to guide your approach:
Start Small and Test
Don’t overhaul your entire survey at once:
- Begin by replacing 3-5 standard questions with engaging alternatives
- A/B test different question styles to see what resonates with your audience
- Track completion rates and response quality to measure impact
Balance Fun with Function
Every question should serve your data collection goals:
- Pair creative questions with strategic follow-ups
- Ensure humor supports rather than distracts from your core metrics
- Maintain professionalism appropriate to your brand
Consider Your Audience
Different demographics respond differently to humor:
- B2B audiences may prefer subtle wit over overt playfulness
- Younger demographics often appreciate pop culture references
- International audiences may interpret humor differently
Keep It Brief
Even engaging surveys should respect respondents’ time:
- Limit total questions to 10-15 maximum
- Place your most important questions in the first half
- Use engaging questions strategically when motivation typically drops
Personalize When Possible
Use available data to customize the experience:
- Reference previous purchases or interactions
- Adjust questions based on customer segments
- Acknowledge loyalty with tailored questions for repeat respondents
Conclusion: Making Surveys Human Again
By incorporating humor and engagement into your feedback collection process, you’re not just gathering better data—you’re creating a touchpoint that enhances your brand experience and respects your respondents’ time.
The most successful surveys strike a balance: professional enough to be taken seriously, but human enough to be enjoyable. With the templates and strategies outlined in this guide, you’re well-equipped to create surveys that people actually want to complete.
Remember that the goal isn’t humor for humor’s sake, but rather creating a human connection that facilitates honest communication. When respondents feel seen and valued, they’re more likely to provide the thoughtful feedback your business needs to grow.
Now it’s your turn—how will you transform your next survey from a chore into an experience?