Local Business Surveys
Build a survey, collect answers by QR code in person, and get the themes summarised for you.
Local business surveys collect private feedback in person via QR code and summarise the themes, surfacing problems before they are posted publicly as reviews.
What it does
Reviews tell you what customers will say in public. Surveys tell you what they will only say privately, and the private version is usually more useful — more specific, less performative, and far more likely to name the actual problem rather than the mood it produced.
The practical difficulty is collection. Emailed surveys reach people days later when the experience has faded and the motivation has gone, which is why response rates are poor and the responses that arrive skew toward the very pleased and the very annoyed.
Collecting by QR code at the point of service solves the timing problem. The customer is still there, the experience is immediate, and answering takes a moment. Response rates rise and the middle of the distribution — the people with useful, undramatic feedback — actually participates.
The other half is reading the results. A hundred free-text responses is a task nobody completes, so summarising themes automatically is what makes the exercise repeatable rather than a one-off that produces a file nobody opens.
Everything Local Business Surveys gives you
QR code collection
Collect responses at the point of service while the experience is immediate rather than days later by email.
AI-assisted survey building
Generate a draft survey from your goal, then edit, rather than starting from an empty form.
Short-form design
Encourages three to five questions, which is where completion rates hold up.
Automatic theme summarisation
Free-text responses grouped into themes, so results get read rather than filed.
Low-score alerts
Route responses below a threshold straight to a manager, so problems surface immediately.
Per-location surveys
Separate surveys and results per site, so feedback is attributable rather than pooled.
Response tracking
Volume, completion rate and score trends over time per location.
Anonymous or identified
Choose whether responses are attributable, which changes what people are willing to say.
Exportable results
Raw responses and summaries available for deeper analysis or reporting.
From setup to first result
- 1
Decide what you actually want to know
Surveys fail when they ask everything. Pick one thing you would change based on the answer.
- 2
Build a short survey
Three to five questions. Completion falls sharply beyond that, and long surveys skew who responds.
- 3
Generate the QR code
One per location so responses are attributable to the right site.
- 4
Place it where the interaction ends
At the counter, on the receipt, on the table — wherever the experience concludes.
- 5
Set low-score alerts
Route poor responses to a manager immediately. Catching a problem before it becomes a review is the whole point.
- 6
Read the theme summary
Summarised themes, not raw responses. This is what makes the exercise repeatable.
- 7
Act and close the loop
Change something and tell customers you did. Feedback collected and ignored is worse than not asking.
What changes with Local Business Surveys
- Making the survey too long
- Collecting feedback and ignoring it
- Emailing days later
- Pooling responses across locations
- Using surveys to filter reviews
- Private feedback is more specific
- Timing determines response rate
- Surveys catch problems before reviews do
- Summarisation is what makes it repeatable
- Attribution requires per-location surveys
Private feedback is more specific
People name the actual problem privately and describe the mood publicly.
Timing determines response rate
Asking at the point of service reaches people while it matters; emailing days later does not.
Surveys catch problems before reviews do
A complaint captured privately can be fixed before it becomes a public one-star.
Summarisation is what makes it repeatable
Raw response lists do not get read, so the value never materialises.
Attribution requires per-location surveys
Pooled feedback tells you something is wrong somewhere, which is not actionable.
Acting on it is the point
Collecting feedback and changing nothing damages the relationship more than never asking.
What it measures
- Responses per location
- Completion rate
- Average score and trend
- Low-score alerts triggered
- Recurring themes
- Response rate against footfall
What you get out of it
Hear what reviews do not say
Private feedback is more specific and honest.
Catch problems early
Fix issues before they become public reviews.
Higher response rates
QR at the point of service beats delayed email.
Results that get read
Themes summarised rather than raw lists.
Attributable by location
Know which site the feedback concerns.
Immediate escalation
Low scores reach a manager at once.
What Local Business Surveys produces
Every output is exportable and white-label, with your branding and none of ours.
Survey responses
Raw answers per location.
Theme summary
Grouped themes across responses.
Score trend
Satisfaction over time per location.
Low-score alerts
Responses routed for immediate attention.
Completion metrics
Response and completion rates.
Exportable data
Results for deeper analysis.
Who uses Local Business Surveys
Handle review response across a client base with consistent tone and measurable response rates.
See reputation by location and catch the branch dragging the average down.
Ensure every franchisee responds, without head office writing every reply.
Answer every review quickly without it becoming a daily chore.
Get more out of it
- Keep it to three to five questions. Completion falls sharply beyond that and the sample skews.
- Collect at the point of service. Delayed email collection produces low, polarised responses.
- Use one QR per location so feedback is attributable to a specific site.
- Set low-score alerts before launching, so the first serious complaint reaches someone immediately.
- Read the theme summary rather than raw responses, or the exercise stops after the first month.
- Close the loop — change something and say so. Feedback collected and ignored is worse than not asking.
Making the survey too long
Completion collapses beyond about five questions, and the people who finish a long survey are not representative.
Collecting feedback and ignoring it
It actively damages the relationship, because customers who took the trouble see nothing change.
Emailing days later
The experience has faded, response rates drop, and the responses that arrive skew to the extremes.
Pooling responses across locations
You learn something is wrong somewhere, which cannot be acted on. Per-location attribution is essential.
Using surveys to filter reviews
Directing unhappy customers to a private survey and happy ones to Google is review gating and breaches policy.
Manually vs with Local Business Surveys
| Doing it manually | With Local Business Surveys |
|---|---|
| Emailed surveys days later | QR collection at the point of service |
| Raw response lists nobody reads | Themes summarised automatically |
| Feedback pooled across the business | Attributable per location |
| Problems discovered as public reviews | Caught privately, before posting |
| Long forms with poor completion | Short surveys that people finish |
| No escalation path | Low scores routed to a manager immediately |
- Decide the one thing you want to learn
- Build a three to five question survey
- Generate a QR code per location
- Place it where the interaction ends
- Configure low-score alerts
- Read theme summaries monthly
- Change something and tell customers
Local Business Surveys is 1 of 42 tools you get
Every tool below is on the same plan at the same price. Nothing here is an add-on, an upgrade, or a separate subscription.
Rank & Visibility
Manage Profiles
Posts & Automation
Reviews & Reputation
Reports & White-Label
Others vs Local SEO Tool
How the usual pricing and packaging in this category compares with ours.
“Other tools” describes the common pattern across the category, not any one named product.
Local Business Surveys is included on every plan
One flat price per location covers all 42 tools. There is no higher tier, no add-on, and no per-seat charge.
- All 42 tools on every plan
- No per-seat charges
- No setup fee and no contract
- Cancel or change locations any time
Local Business Surveys questions
What are local business surveys?
Short surveys collected in person by QR code at the point of service, with responses summarised into themes automatically.
How long should a survey be?
Three to five questions. Completion falls sharply beyond that and longer surveys skew toward unrepresentative respondents.
Why collect by QR rather than email?
Because the customer is still there and the experience is immediate. Emailed surveys reach people once motivation has faded.
Can poor responses trigger an alert?
Yes. Route anything below a threshold straight to a manager so problems surface before they become public reviews.
Does this replace reviews?
No. It complements them by surfacing problems privately, before a dissatisfied customer decides to post publicly.
Is directing unhappy customers to a survey allowed?
Using surveys to filter who is asked for a public review is review gating and breaches Google policy. Ask everyone for reviews regardless.
Can responses be anonymous?
Yes, and anonymity changes what people are willing to say. Identified responses allow follow-up but reduce candour.
How are results summarised?
Free-text responses are grouped into themes so the output is readable, which is what makes the exercise repeatable.
Can I run different surveys per location?
Yes, and results are attributable per site, which is what makes them actionable.
What response rate should I expect?
Substantially higher than emailed surveys, though it varies with placement. Position at the point the interaction ends matters most.
Can I export the data?
Yes, both raw responses and summaries, for deeper analysis or inclusion in reporting.
What should I ask about?
One thing you would actually change based on the answer. Surveys that ask everything produce data nobody acts on.
Where should the QR code go?
Wherever the interaction concludes — the counter, the receipt, the table, the invoice.
How do I build a survey quickly?
Generate a draft from your goal and edit it, rather than starting from an empty form.
Should I incentivise responses?
Small incentives are acceptable for surveys, unlike public reviews where incentives breach policy.
How often should I review results?
Monthly. Theme summaries make this quick, which is what stops the exercise lapsing after the first few weeks.
What if responses reveal an operational problem?
That is the most valuable outcome. Fix it and tell customers you did — closing the loop is what makes feedback worth collecting.
Can I track satisfaction over time?
Yes, per location, which shows whether changes you made actually improved the experience.
Does it work for B2B?
Yes, though collection is usually by link after a milestone rather than by QR at a counter.
What is the biggest mistake?
Collecting feedback and changing nothing. Customers notice, and it costs more goodwill than never having asked.
Every tool. One price. No add-ons.
$5.33 per location per month gets you Local Business Surveys and the other 41 tools.