Collecting customer feedback with Formbricks

Our Metabase example showed how a coffee shop could review customer feedback in a dashboard. This post covers the collection side: using Formbricks to ask relevant questions and make the survey easier to maintain.

Where the original form became limiting

We first built a custom Next.js form to fit the coffee shop's website. It sent responses to a database for analysis in Metabase.

That worked, but changes to the questions needed development work. Everyone saw the same questions, even when they had not ordered the food or used the part of the service being discussed.

We wanted the owner to be able to change questions and skip irrelevant ones without rebuilding the form.

How we used Formbricks

Formbricks is an open-source survey platform with question logic, response reporting and options for cloud hosting or self-hosting.

We recreated the coffee shop form and used its branching logic to change the questions based on previous answers:

• Someone who had only ordered a drink could skip the food questions.
• A low rating could lead to a follow-up asking what went wrong.
• A positive response could lead to a different follow-up about what the customer liked.

A time estimate also gives respondents an idea of the work involved before they start. It is a useful expectation to set, but completion rates still need to be measured rather than assumed.

Reviewing responses and abandoned surveys

The Formbricks management interface shows responses and completion statistics.

Survey results in Formbricks.

If people stop at a particular question, examine that part of the form. Is the wording unclear? Does it ask for information the customer does not have? Is it relevant to the visit they just described?

Change one part at a time where possible, then compare the results. A shorter form may get more responses, while a longer one may answer a question the business cannot otherwise resolve. Decide which information you actually need.

Set up the survey around a decision

Start by writing down what you want to learn. For the coffee shop, questions about menu choices, service speed and the reason for a visit were more useful than a long general satisfaction survey.

Choose how to host it

The hosted service avoids running the application yourself. Self-hosting gives you responsibility for the installation and its data, including updates, backups and access.

Open-source software still needs maintenance. Choose the option your team can support and check the requirements of the features you intend to use.

Map the question paths

Write the main questions first, then identify which answers should lead to follow-ups or skip a section.

For example, ask whether someone ordered food before asking them to rate it. Ask for a reason when a low score needs investigation. Avoid collecting extra detail simply because the tool makes it possible.

Test each route through the form before sharing it. A survey that works for the most common answer can still have an awkward path for someone who answers differently.

Put the link where customers can use it

A survey can be linked from a website, an email, a receipt or a QR code in the shop. Choose a moment when a customer has enough experience to answer the questions.

For a visit-based survey, a short optional form is less intrusive than asking someone to create an account or install an app. Explain what you are asking for and keep the wording consistent with the rest of the business.

Keep the data ready for comparison

If responses will feed into Metabase or another reporting tool, plan the fields before building the dashboard.

Use consistent answer formats for questions you want to compare. Decide how to distinguish different visit types, locations or products. When a question changes, consider whether old and new answers still mean the same thing.

Turn the responses into a manageable routine

Choose who will review the feedback and how often. They need a way to separate an isolated comment from a recurring problem and assign any follow-up work.

For the coffee shop, the useful questions were practical: which menu items attracted interest, when service felt slow, and what customers said about the space. Those findings could inform a discussion about stock, staffing or small changes to the seating area.

Formbricks handles collection and basic reporting. Metabase can help compare the responses with other information already held by the business. Neither tool makes a decision for you, but together they can make the evidence easier to inspect.

Email us or book a call if you want help connecting customer feedback to a reporting process your team will use.