A wireless customer survey is a research process carried on a connected device. Useful results depend on who was invited, what each person was asked, and which responses reached the final dataset. Plan those decisions before choosing a tablet or watching a live dashboard.
This guide is for a team collecting voluntary feedback in stores or other venues. Define one research question, the population you want to understand, the collection period and the person responsible for the data. Use a test project while checking the form and device workflow.
Design the visit as well as the questionnaire
Write a short recruitment script and decide where, when and how staff invite people. A survey offered only beside one checkout during a quiet afternoon may describe those respondents well while missing other customers. Record the recruitment method and its limits with the results.
Ask about one concept at a time, use neutral wording and provide answer options that fit the question. Pretest with people similar to the intended respondents, asking how they interpreted the wording. Then pilot the complete process, including recruitment and export. These practices are supported by AAPOR's survey-research guidance.
Explain the purpose, voluntary nature and intended use of responses. Collect identifying information only when the study needs it, with an appropriate notice and access controls. A follow-up contact list can often be managed separately from the answers used for analysis. Follow the organization's applicable research and privacy requirements.
Keep the instrument identifiable
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways. Keyboard: focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| Record | Why it matters | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| Form identifier and version | Establishes which questions and choices were shown | Compare the tablet's form with the approved master |
| Location and collection period | Gives the response its study context | Confirm the correct site and time zone |
| Recruitment outcome counts | Shows how the collected responses arose | Record invitations, refusals and incomplete attempts consistently |
| Submission identifier | Connects device and server records | Trace a test response through export |
| Review status | Separates received records from reviewed data | Document exclusions and corrections |
| Export settings | Determines fields and records in analysis | Reproduce the same export from saved settings |
Release an approved form version to all intended devices and verify it at the start of a session. If an important question changes, assign a new version and record the change time. Close or account for in-progress forms before moving the team to the replacement.
Fictional example: version A asks whether checkout was “quick,” while version B asks whether the wait was “under five minutes.” Even if both store a Yes/No field, they measure different judgments. Report their results separately or obtain a justified analysis plan; merging the columns would conceal the change.
Rehearse the tablet-to-server path
Choose the supported collection mode deliberately. ODK's Collect documentation describes an Android application designed for offline collection. Its Central submission guide distinguishes collection and export workflows, including differences among web-form modes. Test the exact app and server version you will deploy.
Create identifiable test responses that cover every branch, a skipped optional answer, an allowed correction and a partially completed form. Confirm the displayed question, saved value and exported value agree. Repeat while disconnected, after closing and reopening the app, and after returning to the approved network.
Reconcile identifiers, not just counts. If a tablet holds ten finalized test responses and the server export contains nine, locate the missing identifier and its state. If both counts are ten, still check for a duplicate replacing a missing record. The Offline Mobile Work guide covers broader recovery and synchronization checks.
Review data before interpreting the dashboard
Inspect missing values, impossible combinations, unexpected form versions and repeated identifiers. Retain a record of why a response was corrected or excluded. ODK's form-audit documentation explains how configured audit logs can record form events; enable only the information appropriate to your study and inform staff and respondents as needed.
Compare results by location, collection period and form version before combining them. A change may reflect different respondents or a new question rather than a change in customer experience. Present the actual question wording, recruitment method, dates and number of usable responses alongside any percentage.
Use the survey release and reconciliation record to keep the approved version, pilot cases and final counts together. A faster wireless upload is helpful operationally; confidence in the findings comes from a transparent collection and analysis process.