What’s wrong​ with this question?

Most people think survey design is simple. But asking the wrong question—or asking the right one the wrong way—can distort your results and misguide your decisions. 
Let’s take a look: 

What’s wrong with this question?
“After reading the program description, do you understand how this program will affect you?” 

At first glance, it seems fine. But this wording places the burden on the respondent—implying the misunderstanding is their fault. 

Here’s a better version: 
“After reading the program description, would you say that we clearly explained how this program will affect you?” 

The shift in focus, from the respondent to the clarity of the message, turns this into a meaningful test of your communication, not the customer’s comprehension.

Why This Matters

When collecting customer feedback, the how matters just as much as the what. In fact, aside from aligning to your core research goal, question wording is the most critical factor in survey design. 

That’s why, when stakeholders hand me a prewritten survey, I always pause. They're experts in their domain—but research isn’t just about asking questions. It’s about asking the right ones, in the right way. 

As a market strategist, I translate complex business challenges into questions customers can actually answer. That means:

1. Eliminating bias so responses aren’t skewed
2. Removing ambiguity to ensure consistency
3. Framing questions carefully to capture what we really need to know
4. Keeping it tight to minimize respondent fatigue and dropout

One of the biggest risks in survey design is survey fatigue—the longer the survey, the higher the dropout rate and the lower the data quality. Stakeholders often want to include every question they can think of, but my job is to protect the integrity of the research by mitigating survey length and ensuring we stay on scope.

A Solution That Works: Two-Part Surveys

One approach I pioneered at my company with great success is the two-part survey:

1. Core Questions First: The survey begins with only the questions tied to your primary objective. Everyone answers these.
2. Optional Follow-Up: After submitting, respondents see a “thank you” message and can opt in to answer a few additional questions.
   
   In my experience, about 50% of respondents choose to continue, which keeps your core dataset clean while still satisfying broader stakeholder interests.

The Bottom Line 
Good research isn’t about cramming in every question. It’s about crafting the right questions to get answers you can trust. That takes strategic thinking, not just technical skill. 
If you're collecting customer feedback—or planning to—I can help you design a process that’s clear, focused, and built to deliver actionable insights.