The Hot Iron

Friday, May 02, 2008

Radio Button And Checkbox Survey Hell

Not a day goes by where my inbox is not loaded with at least one email message asking me to take a survey.  I typically don’t mind sharing my opinions, however it has to be a win-win situation.  This is where I am able to respond to survey questions using a Web-based form that is not loaded with a million radio buttons or checkboxes, and after completing the survey I feel good about completing the survey.

By the use of the word Hell in the subject, you can guess I am not winning with many of these surveys.  Most times I click on a link, answer a few demographic questions, then I am onto the bulk of the survey.  And bulk is the right word, as I am presented with a page jammed packed with radio buttons – typically to answer questions on a scale of 1 to something – and checkboxes.

The problem is there is usually too many, tightly spaced, and I always miss some if not many.  There are usually no visual elements, like different colored backgrounds or lines, to differentiate each question.  When I am confronted with such a page, I usually click the “X” in the browser tab and close the survey, never giving my answers.

If I do make it through the survey, many times I have an empty feeling that I didn’t really provide any information, rather satisfied someone who was looking for some response unknown to me.  I once was told you can write a survey to get you pretty much any result you are seeking, and I believe it.  Surveys that either do not offer a general text box or offer too many seem to fit the bill.

When someone asks you for an opinion it generally gives you a good feeling.  Perhaps the real reason I find these surveys painful is that I never see any changes or results from them.

What do you think?  No radio buttons necessary for the response.