Gift Cards for Customer Feedback: 5 Proven Workflows

Customer feedback is one of the most valuable pieces of information a business can collect – it tells you what’s working, what’s not and might even reveal that your simple checkout process is, well, not. 

The challenge isn’t why to collect feedback – we know you already have that down pat. The real challenge is the how. Because while most customers are happy to read feedback before they fork over their money, far fewer are motivated to write it after they’ve made their purchase. And that’s not necessarily a bad sign for your business – customers will absolutely jog on without a second thought after a smooth, successful checkout. 

That’s where incentives come in. When used correctly, they can significantly increase response rates without compromising your brand’s authenticity. The trick to it is having the right workflow – and don’t worry, we’ve already prepared the best options at your fingertips.

Here are five proven ways to use eGift Cards to collect customer feedback – and none of them include waterboarding. 

1. The Instant Thank You Workflow

Best for:

• Post-purchase surveys
• Service-based businesses
• High-volume transactions

How it works:

After a customer make their purchase, you want to strike while the iron’s hot – that could mean:

• Sending a short feedback request
• Offering a small gift like a $5 eGift Card
• Delivering the reward stat (seriously!) – with a platform like GroupTogether you can literally schedule your rewards to hit inboxes instantly. 

Why it works:

Timing is everything – if you let a customer wait too long for a thank you, they’ll forget about your brand and how it made them feel at the time. When feedback is requested right after the experience, it’s significantly more likely to have you cemented in their brain (that means future business!) and your feedback request is far more likely to be accepted. 

Pairing that request with a small, immediate reward increases participation without making it feel like bribery – but we have to emphasize that the gift be small. Anywhere between $5 and $20 is ideal. 

With GroupTogether, businesses can send instant eGift Cards in bulk, making this workflow easy to implement – choose another platform and you may find yourself stuck behind a screen for hours on end.

2. The Monthly Draw Workflow

Best for:

• Ongoing feedback collection
• Retail or hospitality
• Businesses with repeat customers (Talk about living the dream!)

How it works:

Instead of rewarding every response, you invite customers to leave feedback with the lure of entering them into a monthly draw. In this flow it’s about going big or going home – okay, it doesn’t have to be that big, but we recommend offering slightly larger gift cards as prizes. $30 and up is the sweet spot. 

Why it works:

This workflow encourages ongoing engagement and keeps feedback flowing in over time, making it extremely valuable intel for your business.  

Bulk eGift Card platforms that are actually set up for this exact flow (wink wink, nudge nudge: it’s GroupTogether!) make it easy to send prizes to winners each month without manual effort.

3. The Campaign Boost Workflow

Best for:

• Product launches
• New feature rollouts
• Marketing campaigns

How it works:

This workflow requires a little more effort, but it’s well worth it when you’re rolling out the red carpet for a new product. You’ll need to run a time-limited feedback campaign, something like: Share your feedback this week and receive a $5 eGift Card.

Here’s what you do:

• Promote the campaign through email or your app
• Collect feedback within a defined time frame
• Send bulk rewards once the campaign ends

Why it works:

Scarcity drives action – it’s human nature (the great toilet roll wars of 2020, anyone?). Look, we’re not trying to get your customers fighting it out in the supermarket aisles, but a limited-time offer creates urgency and can dramatically increase response rates in a short period.

Tip: GroupTogether bulk eGift Cards will be your easiest way to get those rewards out fast and stress-free – we recommend sending out a $5 AnyCard to offer maximum flexibility for your recipients. 

4. The Tiered Feedback Workflow

Best for:

• Getting more detailed feedback
• Business with B2B or high-value customers
• Product or user experience research

How it works:

It’s in the name, really – all you need to do is offer different incentives based on effort level, for example:

• For a short survey: $5 eGift Card
• For an in-depth interview: $50 eGift Card

Why it works:

Not all feedback is equal – you know it and so do your customers. This approach rewards time and effort appropriately, while encouraging deeper insights for better rewards. The plus for you is that following a tiered system also stops you overpaying for quick responses – yes, it’s really okay to just send out $5 eGift Cards for less in-depth feedback. Not only is it still effective, it’s beneficial – in fact, a small, but guaranteed reward has been proven to boost engagement by 20%.

Flexible gift options like GroupTogether’s AnyCard work well here, giving recipients choice regardless of reward size – and that too makes the reward feel that much more generous. 

5. The Ongoing Feedback Loop Workflow

Best for:

• SaaS platforms
• Apps and digital products
• Businesses looking for continuous improvement (Really, this should be all of us!) 

How it works:

Instead of asking for feedback on specific occasions – after a purchase, for instance – you build ongoing feedback into your business. That means you always allow users to submit feedback and you might offer occasional surprise rewards like sending eGift Cards selectively to engaged users. Positive reinforcement is the game here – and yes, it works. 

Why it works:

An ongoing loop creates a culture of feedback rather than a one-off campaign and surprise rewards are one of the best ways to strengthen customer relationships.  

Why eGift Cards Work for Customer Feedback

So, why eGift Cards and not, say, gift baskets or company merch? The reason is three-fold –  eGift Cards can be delivered instantly, ensuring you’re fresh in their mind, they’re flexible, meaning they can choose something they actually want and finally, they’re just easy, saving you from shipping, logistics and tracking stress – at GroupTogether we handle everything. 

Before putting your feedback strategy to work, make sure you’re on the right side of business ethics. The key rule is to reward honest feedback, not positive feedback. Avoid:

• Asking specifically for 5-star reviews (We know that’s the goal, but you can’t actually ask!)
• Offering rewards in exchange for positive feedback
• Filtering out negative responses

Want to double check you’re on the right track? We’ve got you covered with our guide on what’s allowed and what converts.

Look, customer feedback doesn’t just happen. It needs the right timing, the right incentive and the right workflow. Knowing which workflow works for you means knowing your business – and once you’ve gotten that far, you’re almost at the finish line. 

FAQ: You Ask, We Answer

Q: Are $5 eGift Cards effective for customer feedback?

A: Definitely – and provably. $5 eGift Cards can significantly increase survey completion rates and engagement, especially when delivered quickly.

Q: What is the best incentive for customer feedback?

A: Flexible, low-value rewards from $5 to $20 eGift cards are best used for quick feedback responses, while more in-depth intel should be rewarded at a higher rate like $30. 

Q: Can you send gift cards in bulk for feedback campaigns?

A: Yes, if you choose platforms like GroupTogether, your businesses can easily send up to 1000 bulk eGift Cards, making it easy to reward as many participants as you need to. Don’t let an outdated platform hold you back – sending out gifts one-by-one is so 2009. 

Q: Can you add a note to your bulk eGift Cards? 

A: Of course, GroupTogether makes personalizing your rewards unbelievably easy – you can write a note to every recipient and make them feel special.