Updated: April 14, 2023
Key takeaways
You might find it helpful to occasionally ask your customer for feedback. Learn to ask for feedback at an ideal time and a transparent and clear manner to increase the chance the customer will answer.
Need quick advice?
Check out the Design checklist for eliciting customer feedback to help your customer provide information with ease.
In this section:
While you can discover a wealth of information about how customers are using your skill with the analytics tools on your Alexa Developer Dashboard, you might want to occasionally ask customers directly about their experiences and satisfaction with your skill. You may choose to ask a customer to rate their overall satisfaction of the skill after repeat uses, or you might want to ask about whether they were successful completing one task or using a new feature of your skill. Listen to the following examples of asking for feedback customers could encounter in your skill. (Learn more about ASK Analytics.)
Ask for feedback on your skill:
Alexa: That’s all I have about Neptune. What planet do you want to learn about next?
Customer: I’m done.
Alexa: Looks like you’re all spaced out. Please rate your Planet Facts experience from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Customer: 5
Alexa: I’m glad you’re over the moon. Thanks for your help improving Planet Facts.
Ask for feedback on an specific part of your skill:
Alexa:Alaska flight 10 from Seatac International Airport to Anchorage leaving today at 12 pm is delayed. Its new departure time is at 2 pm. Want to check another trip?
Customer: No thanks
Alexa: Thanks for flying with me. Please rate your experience checking a flight with me today from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Customer: 4
Alexa: That’s great to hear. Thanks for your help improving My Flight Finder.
Many customers will be willing to give you feedback about your skill as long as you ask at a convenient time, make it quick and easy to understand and answer your question, and that you are transparent about how you’ll use the information. There are a few best practices to keep in mind when collecting feedback to minimize the potential for annoyance and increase your chances of gathering helpful information.
Design checklist for eliciting customer feedback:
Will you be asking for feedback from your customers directly in your skill? If so, check your script to make sure you’re asking a simple question at the best possible time:
▢ Ask a direct question
▢ Don’t block the customer from completing their primary task
▢ Ask a yes/no question; or ask for a rating of 1-5
▢ Be clear about what part of the skill you want feedback on
▢ Explain why you want the feedback or how you will use it
▢ The skill follows up to acknowledge the feedback the customer gave
▢ Allow the customer to ask to give feedback at any time
▢ Don’t ask for feedback every session
▢ Set a lifetime timeout; Once a customer declines to give feedback 5 times, the skill should no longer ask for feedback
▢ Don’t ask for feedback if the customer asked to “stop”
▢ Avoid asking for feedback after the customer failed to complete a task or reached an error
Dos & Don'ts
Do: Ask a direct question
Alexa: Thanks for flying with me. Please rate your experience checking a flight with me today from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Don’t: Be passive
Alexa: Thanks for playing today’s game. By the way, you can ask me to rate this skill any time. Goodbye.
Do: Ask for feedback at the right time
Alexa: That’s all I have about Neptune. I can tell you about any of the other planets in the solar system. Which would you like?
Customer: I’m done.
Alexa: Looks like you’re all spaced out! Please rate your Planet Facts experience from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Don’t: Pester the customer for feedback
Alexa: That’s all I have about Neptune. I can tell you about any of the other planets in the solar system. By the way, you can ask me to rate this skill any time. What do you want to do?
Customer: I’m done.
Alexa: Looks like you’re all spaced out! Please rate your Planet Facts experience from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Do: Acknowledge the feedback
Alexa: Looks like you’re all spaced out! Please rate your Planet Facts experience from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Customer: 1
Alexa: I’m sorry to hear that. Thanks for your help improving Planet Facts.
Don’t: Ignore the feedback or surface a response that doesn’t relate to the feedback
Alexa: Looks like you’re all spaced out! Please rate your Planet Facts experience from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. How was it?
Customer: 1
Alexa: Ok. Goodbye.
FAQs about collecting feedback
Q: When is a good time to ask for feedback?
A: Consider asking for feedback when …
- A customer has finished their task successfully … or unsuccessfully.
- A customer has returned to your skill for repeat uses;
- A customer asks to give feedback or when they give unsolicited feedback (“That didn’t work” / “I want to give feedback”);
- A player receives a high score or wins a game;
- A customer used a new feature of the skill, or a feature they haven’t used before;
Q: When should I avoid asking for feedback?
A: There are several points in a conversation with your skill in which asking for feedback would confuse and frustrate the customer. Avoid asking for feedback when …
- A customer has reached multiple errors
- It’s the first time the customer has used the skill
- A customer declined to give feedback during their previous visit to the skill
- A customer has declined to give feedback repeatedly across multiple sessions
- A customer indicated they want to stop using the skill immediately (“Stop”, “I’m done”, “That’s all”, “Shut up”, “Go away”)