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Four-day visit to China overshadowed by concerns about human rights and spy threatsView the full article

Generative artificial intelligence technology is rapidly reshaping education in unprecedented ways. With its potential benefits and risks, K-12 schools are actively trying to adapt teaching and learning. But as schools seek to navigate into the age of generative AI, there’s a challenge: Schools are operating in a policy vacuum. While a number of states offer guidance on AI, only a couple of states require local schools to form specific policies, even as teachers, students, and school leaders continue to use generative AI in countless new ways. As a policymaker noted in a survey, “You have policy and what’s actually happening in the classrooms—those are two very different things.” As part of my lab’s research on AI and education policy, I conducted a survey in late 2025 with members of the National Association of State Boards of Education, the only nonprofit dedicated solely to helping state boards advance equity and excellence in public education. The survey of the association’s members reflects how education policy is typically formed through dynamic interactions across national, state, and local levels, rather than being dictated by a single source. But even in the absence of hard-and-fast rules and guardrails on how AI can be used in schools, education policymakers identified a number of ethical concerns raised by the technology’s spread, including student safety, data privacy, and negative impacts on student learning. They also expressed concerns over industry influence and that schools will later be charged by technology providers for large language model-based tools that are currently free. Others report that administrators in their state are very concerned about deepfakes: “What happens when a student deepfakes my voice and sends it out to cancel school or report a bomb threat?” At the same time, policymakers said teaching students to use AI technology to their benefit remains a priority. Local actions dominate Although chatbots have been widely available for more than three years, the survey revealed that states are in the early stages of addressing generative AI, with most yet to implement official policies. While many states are providing guidance or tool kits, or are starting to write state-level policies, local decisions dominate the landscape, with each school district primarily responsible for shaping its own plans. When asked whether their state has implemented any generative AI policies, respondents said there was a high degree of local influence regardless of whether a state issued guidance or not. “We are a ‘local control’ state, so some school districts have banned [generative AI],” wrote one respondent. “Our [state] department of education has an AI tool kit, but policies are all local,” wrote another. One shared that their state has a “basic requirement that districts adopt a local policy about AI.” Like other education policies, generative AI adoption occurs within the existing state education governance structures, with authority and accountability balanced between state and local levels. As with previous waves of technology in K-12 schools, local decision-making plays a critical role. Yet there is generally a lack of evidence related to how AI will affect learners and teachers, which will take years to become more clear. That lag adds to the challenges in formulating policies. States as a lighthouse However, state policy can provide vital guidance by prioritizing ethics, equity, and safety, and by being adaptable to changing needs. A coherent state policy can also answer key questions, such as acceptable student use of AI, and ensure more consistent standards of practice. Without such direction, districts are left to their own devices to identify appropriate, effective uses and to construct guardrails. As it stands, AI usage and policy development are uneven, depending on how well resourced a school is. Data from a Rand-led panel of educators showed that teachers and principals in higher-poverty schools were about half as likely to report that AI guidance was provided. The poorest schools are also less likely to use AI tools. When asked about foundational generative AI policies in education, policymakers focused on privacy, safety, and equity. One respondent, for example, said school districts should have the same access to funding and training, including for administrators. And rather than having the technology imposed on schools and families, many argued for grounding the discussion in human values and broad participation. As one policymaker noted, “What is the role that families play in all this? This is something that is constantly missing from the conversation and something to uplift. As we know, parents are our kids’ first teachers.” Introducing new technology According to a Feb. 24, 2025, Gallup poll, 60% of teachers report using some AI for their work in a range of ways. Our survey also found there is “shadow use of AI,” as one policymaker put it, where employees implement generative AI without explicit school or district IT or security approval. Some states, such as Indiana, offer schools the opportunity to apply for a one-time competitive grant to fund a pilot of an AI-powered platform of their choosing, as long as the product vendors are approved by the state. Grant proposals that focus on supporting students or professional development for educators receive priority. In other states, schools opt in to pilot tests that are funded by nonprofits. For example, an eighth grade language arts teacher in California participated in a pilot where she used AI-powered tools to generate feedback on her students’ writing. “Teaching 150 kids a day and providing meaningful feedback for every student is not possible; I would try anything to lessen grading and give me back my time to spend with kids. This is why I became a teacher: to spend time with the kids.” This teacher also noted the tools showed bias when analyzing the work of her students learning English, which gave her the opportunity to discuss algorithmic bias in these tools. One initiative from the Netherlands offers a different approach than finding ways to implement products developed by technology companies. Instead, schools take the lead with questions or challenges they are facing and turn to industry to develop solutions informed by research. Core principles One theme that emerged from survey respondents is the need to emphasize ethical principles in providing guidance on how to use AI technology in teaching and learning. This could begin with ensuring that students and teachers learn about the limitations and opportunities of generative AI, when and how to leverage these tools effectively, critically evaluate its output, and ethically disclose its use. Often, policymakers struggle to know where to begin in formulating policies. Analyzing tensions and decision-making in organizational context—or what my colleagues and I called “dilemma analysis” in a recent report—is an approach schools, districts, and states can take to navigate the myriad of ethical and societal impacts of generative AI. Despite the confusion around AI and a fragmented policy landscape, policymakers said they recognize it is incumbent upon each school, district, and state to engage their communities and families to co-create a path forward. As one policymaker put it: “Knowing the horse has already left the barn [and that AI use] is already prevalent among students and faculty . . . [on] AI-human collaboration versus an outright ban, where on the spectrum do you want to be?” Janice Mak is an assistant director and clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

“Snow Will Fall Too Fast for Plows,” “ICE STORM APOCALYPSE,” and “Another Big Storm May Be Coming …” were all headlines posted on YouTube this past weekend as the biggest snowstorm in years hit New York City. These videos, each with tens or hundreds of thousands of views, are part of an increasingly popular genre of “weather influencers,” as Americans increasingly turn to social media for news and weather updates. People pay more attention to influencers on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok than to journalists or mainstream media, a study by the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford found in 2024. In the U.S., social media is how 20% of adults get their news or weather updates, according to the Pew Research Center. It’s no surprise, then, that a number of online weather accounts have cropped up to cover the increasing number of extreme weather events in the U.S. While some of these influencers have no science background, many of the most popular ones are accredited meteorologists. One of the most viewed digital meteorologists—or weather influencers—is Ryan Hall, who calls himself “The Internet’s Weather Man” on his social media platforms. His YouTube channel, Ryan Hall, Y’all, has more than 3 million subscribers. Max Velocity is another. He’s a degreed meteorologist, according to his YouTube bio, who has 1.66 million followers. Reed Timmer, an “extreme meteorologist and storm chaser,” also posts to 1.46 million subscribers on YouTube. “While most prefer to avoid the bad news that comes with bad weather, I charge towards it,” Timmer writes in the description section on his channel. The rising popularity of weather influencers is stemming not just from a mistrust in mainstream media—which is lingering at an all-time low—but also from an appetite for real-time updates delivered in an engaging way to the social-first generation. YouTube accounts like Hall’s will often livestream during extreme weather events, with his comments section hosting a flurry of activity. There’s even merch. Of course, influencers are not required to uphold the same reporting standards as network weathercasters. There’s also the incentive, in terms of likes and engagement, to sensationalize events with clickbait titles and exaggerated claims, or sometimes even misinformation, as witnessed during the L.A. wildfires last year. Still, as meteorologists navigate the new media landscape, the American Meteorological Society now offers a certification program in digital meteorology for those “meteorologists who meet established criteria for scientific competence and effective communication skills in their weather presentations on all forms of digital media.” While we wait to see whether another winter storm will hit the Northeast this weekend, rest assured, the weather influencers will be tracking the latest updates. View the full article

Dutch chipmaking equipment group predicts ‘significant increase’ in sales this yearView the full article

Metal has gained more than 20 per cent this year amid geopolitical volatility and questions over US currencyView the full article

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You know the ancient proverb: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. For leaders, first-generation AI tools are like giving employees fish. Agentic AI, on the other hand, teaches them how to fish—truly empowering, and that empowerment lifts the entire organization. According to recent findings from McKinsey, nearly eight in ten companies report using gen AI, yet about the same number report no bottom-line impact. Agentic AI can help organizations achieve meaningful results. AI agents are highly capable assistants with the ability to execute tasks independently. Equipped with artificial intelligence that simulates human reasoning, they can recognize problems, remember past interactions, and proactively take steps to get things done—whether that means knocking out tedious manual tasks or helping to generate innovative solutions. For CEOs juggling numerous responsibilities, agentic AI can be a powerful ally in simplifying decision-making and scaling impact. That’s why I believe it belongs on every CEO’s roadmap for 2026. As CEO of a SaaS company grounded in automation, I’ve made it a priority to incorporate agentic AI into our everyday workflows. Here are three ways you can put it to work in your organization. 1. Take the effort out of scheduling Starting with one of the most basic functions of any organization—and one that can easily become a time and energy vacuum—scheduling is perfect fodder for AI agents. And they go well beyond your typical AI-powered scheduling tool. For starters, they’re adaptable. AI agents can monitor incoming data and requests, proactively adjust schedules, and notify the relevant parties when issues arise. Let’s say your team has a standing brainstorming session every Wednesday and a new client reaches out to request an intro meeting at the same time. Your agent can automatically respond with alternative time slots. On the other hand, if a client needs to connect on a time-sensitive issue, your agent can elevate the request to a human employee to decide whether rescheduling makes sense. You can also personalize AI agents based on your unique needs and priorities, including past interactions. If, for example, your agent learns that you religiously protect time for deep-focus work first thing in the morning, it won’t keep proposing meetings then. By delegating scheduling tasks, organizations—from the CEO to interns—free up time for higher-level priorities and more meaningful work. You can build your own agent, or get started with a ready-to-use scheduling assistant that offers agentic capabilities, like Reclaim.ai. 2. Facilitate idea generation and innovation When we talk about AI and creativity, the conversation often stirs anxiety about artificial intelligence replacing human creativity. But agentic AI can help spark ideas for engagement, leadership development, and strategic initiatives. The goal is to cultivate the conditions in which these initiatives can thrive, not to replace the actual brainstorming or strategic thinking. For example, you can create an ideation-focused AI agent and train it on relevant organizational context—performance data, KPIs, meeting notes, employee engagement data, culture touch points, and more. Your agent can continuously gather new information and update its internal knowledge. When the time comes for a brainstorming or strategy session (which the agent can also proactively prompt), it can draw on this working organizational memory plus any other resources it can access, and tap generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to generate themes, propose topics, and help guide the discussion. Meanwhile, leaders remain focused on evaluating ideas, decision-making, and execution. 3. Error-free progress updates and year-end recaps While generative AI can be incredibly powerful, the issue remains that it is largely reactive, not proactive. When it comes to tracking performance, team KPIs, and organizational progress, manual check-ins are still required. As I’ve written before, manual tasks are subject to human error. Calendar alerts go unnoticed. Things slip through the cracks. Minor problems become big issues. One solution is to design an AI agent that can autonomously monitor your organization’s performance. Continuous, real-time oversight helps ensure processes run smoothly and that issues are flagged as soon as they arise. For example, if your company sells workout gear and sees a post–New Year surge in fitness resolutions—and demand for a specific product—an agent can track sales patterns and alert the team to inventory shortages. An AI agent can also independently generate reports, including year-end recaps that are critical for continued growth. Rather than waiting to be prompted by a human, they can do the work alone and elevate only the issues that require human judgment. Agents have the potential to create real value for organizations. Importantly, leaders have to rethink workflows so AI agents are meaningfully integrated, fully liberating employees from rote, manual tasks and freeing them to focus on more consequential, inspiring work like strategy and critical thinking. I’ve found this leaves employees more energized, and the benefits continue to compound. View the full article

When people complain about a lack of work-life balance, they’re typically feeling that they are spending too much time working. They may be spending a lot of combined time at the office and commuting, or just putting in a lot of hours both at work and at home. Fixing that problem can’t be done abstractly, though. If you’re going to address the balance of work and life activities, you have to start getting specific about where your time is going and where you really want it to go. Think about how you’re spending your time. At work, you’re spending time in meetings, writing documents, engaging with clients, or doing particular technical tasks like coding. Similarly, your non-work life consists of other activities like going to the gym, spending time with family, going to concerts, or reading a novel for pleasure. Start by taking a look at where your time is going right now. If you keep a good work calendar, then flip through a few weeks and track the hours you’re spending on different tasks. If you don’t have a good record of the time you’re spending at work, then start logging the time spent on different work tasks. How much of the time you’re spending on work tasks is really necessary? Are there activities that are discretionary that you could replace with something else (potentially a non-work something else)? Are you wasting time shifting among tasks or doing other things inefficiently? Perhaps more importantly, you also need to think more clearly about what activities should go in your “life” bin. What are the activities or hobbies you wish you had more time for? Who are the people you want to spend more time with? You spend time on specific work tasks, because those end up on your calendar. You have to define life specifically enough that it ends up on your calendar as well. Then, create a calendar that includes both work events and life events. Don’t just log your meetings, tasks (and commute time), but also time for working with your kids on their homework, going on a date with your partner, hanging out with friends, going to the gym, or reading a book. It may seem like micromanaging your life to start scheduling these personal events, but if you don’t start doing things differently, the balance of the way you spend your time is not going to change. This approach also helps you to recognize when your work responsibilities have become overwhelming. If you truly don’t have the time to do any of your life activities, then your job may be asking too much of you. Sit down with your supervisor or a mentor and talk through what you’re currently doing at work. Ask for help prioritizing tasks so that you have more opportunities to do other things that are important to you. Your supervisor might even change some of your responsibilities to make the load more manageable in a reasonable amount of time. Ultimately, by scheduling the time for these life activities (and actually doing them), you are shifting your habits to include more regular life activities. You won’t necessarily have to create a specific calendar for your life forever. As you start engaging in more non-work activities, that will shift the nature of your daily and weekly routine in ways that are likely to become self-sustaining. View the full article

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It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss says three female employees having dinner together would be discrimination I recently organized a dinner with two of my closest colleagues/friends. It was planned outside of work hours and paid for personally. The dinner grew to include the three other women employees. When my supervisor found out, he said it was gender discrimination because none of the 15 male employees were invited. Without naming names, he made a public announcement about it at our next department meeting. Is it gender discrimination if women coworkers want to have dinner together in their own social time? Aren’t women a protected legal class? Men and women are protected legal classes; the class is sex and gender, not just women. (In other words, you can’t discriminate against employees on the basis of sex or gender, no matter what sex or gender they happen to be.) But a group of coworkers casually socializing outside of work because they happen to be friends is not illegal discrimination — just like if the three of you happened to be white or happened to be Methodist. If you were framing the event as “this is only for women/Methodists to attend and no one else can,” that would be an issue. If you were using the event to plot some harassment of employees of a different protected class, that would be an issue. If you had multiple events with this group and the impact of the events over time led to discrimination against employees of a different protected class (like if only people who attended these dinners were considered for promotion by others in attendance), that would be an issue. If the dinners became a formal company tradition and only people in this one protected class were invited, that would be an issue. In other words, if all the details were different, that could be an issue depending on what those details were (here’s an example of when that becomes problematic). Three friends having a casual dinner together is not an issue. Updated because of math: There are six of you! A single dinner is still fine, although if you started doing it on a regular basis, your manager would have more of a point. 2. How do I lay people off when I disagree with the decision? I was recently hired into a very senior leadership role at a family-owned company. Since starting, it’s become clear that the company’s finances — and the owners’ personal finances — are in serious trouble, and together they’re pushing us toward a financial cliff. We don’t have outside investors, so when the business needs cash, the owners fund it directly. Based on what I’m seeing, I believe they’ve exhausted both personal resources and business options like credit lines and loans. My predecessor assured me as I raised questions in the transition that ownership always “figures it out,” but I was skeptical even then, and now have mounting evidence to the contrary. Ownership is advocating for severe staffing cuts in mission-critical areas. The rest of the leadership team and I can’t see how the company will function without certain roles, even with creative workarounds. These cuts won’t come with raises for remaining staff, but will coincide with significant increases to the owners’ salaries and continued spending on vanity projects. We’ve proposed alternative cuts and operational changes that could help, but ownership is resisting or refusing to consider them. Each budget meeting feels collaborative, only to be followed by communications doubling down on and adding even more extreme cuts. How do I message this to the people I’ll have to lay off and to those left behind? Ownership will likely push these conversations onto me, since they avoid difficult discussions and the affected staff report to me. I don’t feel I can honestly say this was simply a necessary financial decision when I’m actively advocating for viable alternatives, but I also don’t think it’s appropriate to tell my team I was “forced” into it. How do I handle this without destroying trust in me and ownership? (Or even just in me! I’m less concerned about preventing the owners from digging their own graves, but still need to manage my own people effectively with trust and dignity amidst the chaos.) “I’m very sorry to have to give you this news. Your work has been excellent, and the decision was made above my head. I’m available to give you a glowing reference and for anything else I can do to help.” You should stay away from openly saying you disagree with the decision; that risks getting repeated back to the owners at some point, which is a problem when you’re acting as a representative of the company, and it has the potential to be raised in legal proceedings in ways you might not intend. But it’s okay to say the decisions were made at a level above you and then focus on what you’re able to do to help them in what comes next. I’d also think about what you can do to help people on your team see the writing on the wall before the actual layoffs. You need to navigate that carefully so that you’re not disclosing information you’re not permitted to disclose, but there are often ways to hint to people that their jobs aren’t stable. 3. My boyfriend’s boss penalized him for calling off work, then picking up his medications My boyfriend works at the same big box grocery store where he picks up his medications. He has an ADA accommodation for several chronic conditions, one which can cause his body to go numb and he cannot control his arms or legs very well. These spasms can happen at any time, and when they do he cannot move well or lift anything for 3-5 hours. There have been several instances where he calls out for having these spasms, but will go to his store after they are over to pick up medications from the pharmacy, and every time the store manager sees him, he is written up for it, and often his manager challenges the validity of his ADA accommodation since he “called out.” There was another instance where he had to leave work while having a spasm but his manager listed it as unpaid time off instead of sick leave because my boyfriend didn’t specifically cite his accommodation when he notified them he had to leave. Am I crazy in thinking this is absolutely illegal? He takes a lot of medications and is often picking them up quite regularly. I’ve thought about telling him to find another pharmacy but he doesn’t have a car. Yes, this is illegal. Not being able to work is different than not being able to pick up medications from a pharmacy. Your boyfriend should talk to his store’s HR about what’s happening and ask that his manager be clearly told to stop harassing him about his health and his medical accommodations, and to have the write-ups in his file removed. He should also ask that they reclassify the time that his manager listed as unpaid when it should have been sick time (but he also needs to be clear about what’s happening, particularly with this manager, so they know it’s time off that falls under his accommodation). And yes, if at all possible he should find another pharmacy to use. Is switching to mail order an option? 4. Buying seat upgrades at my own expense for work travel I’m a part-time administrator at a sports team that’s a member of a national league for an obscure sport. Every year the league books flights for representatives of each group to attend a meeting at their headquarters to discuss business, vote on new rules, etc., but their travel budget is limited and the only flights they’re able to pay for are usually undesirable in some way, like red-eye flights or basic economy with no carry-ons or from a less convenient home airport. I could book my own travel and later get reimbursed up to the limit, but the meetings happen during an off-peak time for that sport and it’s better for our budget to not have to float the entire price of travel. Are there any issues with accepting the ticket the league arranges for me, then paying the airline the difference for a cabin upgrade or earlier/different origin flight? Does this look overly inflexible or ungracious? When I travel for my day job, they don’t have the same budget restrictions as the league does, so I haven’t faced this question there, and the league colleagues I’ve talked to haven’t thought about it because they’re either OK with the flights they get or just drive there. Nope, that is fine to do, but you might have an easier time if you let them know you’re doing it — because it could be cheaper for you if the flight is originally booked at the airport you want to use rather than potentially having to pay a change fee. It’s fine to say something like, “I know we’re limited to flights like X and Y because of budget, but Z would be much easier for me so I’m going to cover the difference to make that happen.” 5. Sending my resume to recruiters I’ve worked with on the employer side of hiring Over the years, I have been on hiring panels where we have worked with external recruiters. As I get ready to start job hunting, is it weird or inappropriate or a bad idea to send an email with my resume to those recruiters we worked with to let them know I’m looking? My current employer isn’t working with the recruiting firms that I have in mind that I’m thinking of. No, very normal to do! Not weird at all. The post my boss says 3 of us having dinner would be discrimination, boyfriend got in trouble for picking up medicine, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

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User satisfaction surveys are vital tools for gathering feedback. They help you understand how well your products or services meet customer needs. By employing effective survey techniques, like Likert scale and open-ended questions, you can capture both quantitative and qualitative data. This information is critical for making informed decisions. In the following sections, you’ll discover practical examples and best practices that can greatly improve your survey efforts and elevate overall satisfaction. Key Takeaways Use Likert scale questions to measure satisfaction levels on a range of experiences effectively. Incorporate open-ended questions to allow users to express their thoughts and needs freely. Include close-ended questions for quick quantitative analysis of customer loyalty and engagement. Segment feedback by adding demographic questions to tailor improvements to specific user groups. Implement skip logic to create a smoother survey experience and respect respondents’ time. Understanding User Satisfaction Surveys User satisfaction surveys are vital tools that help businesses understand customer experiences and identify areas for improvement. These structured questionnaires gather feedback on various interactions, aiming to measure overall satisfaction. You’ll often encounter user satisfaction survey examples that utilize key metrics like the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The CSAT gauges how satisfied customers are, whereas the NPS assesses their likelihood of recommending your product or service. When crafting your surveys, consider incorporating a mix of quantitative and qualitative user experience survey questions. For instance, rating scales can provide measurable data, and open-ended questions can offer deeper insights. It’s important to keep your questions clear and straightforward to encourage higher response rates. Remember, timing matters; conducting surveys shortly after customer interactions yields the most relevant and actionable feedback, helping you improve the overall user experience effectively. Key Components of Effective Surveys When designing effective surveys, it’s crucial to incorporate clear and straightforward questions that align with your primary objectives. This guarantees you gather actionable feedback. A mix of formats—like multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions—can improve engagement and provide a thorough comprehension of user sentiments. When crafting your UX research questions, aim for neutrality to avoid bias, guaranteeing that responses accurately reflect user experiences without leading them toward specific answers. Implementing skip logic likewise tailors the respondent experience, allowing participants to answer only relevant questions based on their previous responses, thereby improving completion rates. Moreover, analyzing results systematically helps identify trends in user feedback. This analysis can inform strategic improvements and elevate overall user satisfaction. Examples of User Satisfaction Survey Questions Crafting effective user satisfaction survey questions involves a thoughtful combination of question types to elicit valuable feedback. Start with Likert scale questions, such as, “How satisfied are you with our product on a scale of 1 to 5?” This allows you to gauge user experiences more accurately. Incorporate open-ended questions like, “What features would you like to see improved?” to gather qualitative insights, revealing specific user needs. Include close-ended questions, such as, “Would you recommend our service to a friend? Yes/No,” to facilitate quick quantitative analysis of customer loyalty. Don’t forget demographic questions, like, “What is your age group?” or “What is your profession?” as these help you segment feedback for targeted improvements. Finally, consider follow-up questions, such as, “Why did you rate us a 3 out of 5?” to encourage users to elaborate on their experiences, providing deeper insights into their satisfaction levels. Best Practices for Survey Design Effective survey design is essential for gathering meaningful feedback, as it directly influences the quality of the data collected. To guarantee your survey is effective, consider these best practices: Prioritize Clarity and Simplicity: Use straightforward language and avoid jargon. This helps respondents easily understand your questions, leading to more accurate feedback. Align with Specific Goals: Focus your questions on the objectives you want to achieve. This relevance improves the quality of the data you collect, making it more actionable. Incorporate Varied Question Formats: Use a mix of Likert scales and open-ended questions. This combination captures both quantitative and qualitative insights, providing a thorough view of user satisfaction. Before distributing your survey, test your questions for clarity to identify any potential confusion. Utilizing skip logic can likewise streamline the experience, respecting participants’ time and increasing completion rates. Analyzing Survey Results for Actionable Insights Analyzing survey results is crucial for turning raw data into actionable insights that can drive improvements in user satisfaction. Start by systematically reviewing quantitative data, like satisfaction scores, to identify trends and patterns that inform your strategic decisions. Utilize statistical tools to interpret response distributions, allowing you to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness in customer experiences. Don’t overlook qualitative feedback from open-ended responses; categorize and summarize it to uncover common themes and specific suggestions for improvement. Regularly compare survey results over time, tracking changes in customer sentiment and measuring the effectiveness of the improvements you’ve implemented. Finally, share your findings with relevant stakeholders to promote transparency. This collaboration encourages collective efforts to improve user satisfaction based on the actionable insights you’ve gathered. By focusing on both quantitative and qualitative data, you can make informed decisions that truly resonate with your users. Timing and Delivery of User Satisfaction Surveys Timing and delivery of user satisfaction surveys play an essential role in gathering meaningful feedback. When you send surveys immediately after customer interactions, you improve the relevance of the feedback you collect. Here are three key considerations to keep in mind: Specific Triggers: Utilize specific events, like post-purchase or after customer service interactions, to gather accurate insights on user experience. Frequency Matters: Be mindful of how often you send surveys; too many can lead to survey fatigue, whereas too few might skip vital feedback opportunities. Delivery Methods: Choose the right delivery method—whether via email, in-app prompts, or SMS—based on user preferences to maximize engagement. Additionally, A/B testing different delivery times and channels can help you identify the most effective combinations, ensuring you elicit valuable user feedback while respecting their time and preferences. Continuous Improvement Through Feedback Gathering feedback is crucial for businesses aiming to refine their offerings and improve customer experiences. Continuous improvement through feedback means regularly collecting customer insights to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in your products and services. By implementing feedback mechanisms, like user satisfaction surveys, you can capture real-time data on customer experiences, allowing for timely adjustments. When you actively respond to feedback, you promote a culture of continuous improvement, showing customers their opinions matter in decision-making. Data from these surveys can highlight specific areas needing improvement, enabling you to prioritize changes that greatly affect customer satisfaction and retention. Companies that effectively utilize feedback often increase customer loyalty, as about 70% of consumers are more likely to remain with a brand that actively seeks and acts on their input. Therefore, embracing feedback not only aligns your offerings with user needs but likewise strengthens your customer relationships. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Good Survey Questions for Feedback? Good survey questions for feedback should be clear and specific. You might ask respondents to rate their satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 10. It’s effective to include a mix of question types, like Likert scale questions for attitudes and open-ended questions for detailed insights. Focus on individual interactions, such as “How easy was it to navigate our website?” This approach helps guarantee you get relevant, actionable feedback from users. Can You Give an Example of Improving Customer Satisfaction? To improve customer satisfaction, you could implement a Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) survey immediately after service interactions. By analyzing feedback, you identify specific pain points and areas needing improvement. For instance, if customers express dissatisfaction with response times, you can streamline your processes. Furthermore, personalizing follow-up questions can increase engagement, providing deeper insights. Making changes based on this feedback can lead to noticeable increases in overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. What Are the 3 C’s of Customer Satisfaction? The three C’s of customer satisfaction are Consistency, Communication, and Care. Consistency means delivering reliable service and quality products every time, which builds trust. Communication involves listening to customer feedback and providing timely information about products or services, strengthening relationships. Care refers to genuinely addressing customers’ needs and concerns, which greatly boosts satisfaction. Together, these elements form a solid foundation for positive customer experiences, enhancing loyalty and encouraging repeat business. What Is the 5 Point Scale for Customer Satisfaction Survey? The 5-point scale for customer satisfaction surveys allows you to rate your experience from “Very Dissatisfied” to “Very Satisfied.” Each point corresponds to a numerical value, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. This scale includes a neutral option, helping capture ambivalence. It’s user-friendly, which often increases response rates and completion. Conclusion In summary, effective user satisfaction surveys are essential for gathering valuable feedback. By combining various question types, such as Likert scale and open-ended questions, you can gain a thorough comprehension of user experiences. Implementing best practices in survey design and timing improves response rates and quality. Analyzing the results allows you to derive actionable insights that drive continuous improvement. In the end, leveraging this feedback can greatly improve customer satisfaction and strengthen your overall service or product offering. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Effective User Satisfaction Survey Examples to Enhance Feedback" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

User satisfaction surveys are vital tools for gathering feedback. They help you understand how well your products or services meet customer needs. By employing effective survey techniques, like Likert scale and open-ended questions, you can capture both quantitative and qualitative data. This information is critical for making informed decisions. In the following sections, you’ll discover practical examples and best practices that can greatly improve your survey efforts and elevate overall satisfaction. Key Takeaways Use Likert scale questions to measure satisfaction levels on a range of experiences effectively. Incorporate open-ended questions to allow users to express their thoughts and needs freely. Include close-ended questions for quick quantitative analysis of customer loyalty and engagement. Segment feedback by adding demographic questions to tailor improvements to specific user groups. Implement skip logic to create a smoother survey experience and respect respondents’ time. Understanding User Satisfaction Surveys User satisfaction surveys are vital tools that help businesses understand customer experiences and identify areas for improvement. These structured questionnaires gather feedback on various interactions, aiming to measure overall satisfaction. You’ll often encounter user satisfaction survey examples that utilize key metrics like the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The CSAT gauges how satisfied customers are, whereas the NPS assesses their likelihood of recommending your product or service. When crafting your surveys, consider incorporating a mix of quantitative and qualitative user experience survey questions. For instance, rating scales can provide measurable data, and open-ended questions can offer deeper insights. It’s important to keep your questions clear and straightforward to encourage higher response rates. Remember, timing matters; conducting surveys shortly after customer interactions yields the most relevant and actionable feedback, helping you improve the overall user experience effectively. Key Components of Effective Surveys When designing effective surveys, it’s crucial to incorporate clear and straightforward questions that align with your primary objectives. This guarantees you gather actionable feedback. A mix of formats—like multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions—can improve engagement and provide a thorough comprehension of user sentiments. When crafting your UX research questions, aim for neutrality to avoid bias, guaranteeing that responses accurately reflect user experiences without leading them toward specific answers. Implementing skip logic likewise tailors the respondent experience, allowing participants to answer only relevant questions based on their previous responses, thereby improving completion rates. Moreover, analyzing results systematically helps identify trends in user feedback. This analysis can inform strategic improvements and elevate overall user satisfaction. Examples of User Satisfaction Survey Questions Crafting effective user satisfaction survey questions involves a thoughtful combination of question types to elicit valuable feedback. Start with Likert scale questions, such as, “How satisfied are you with our product on a scale of 1 to 5?” This allows you to gauge user experiences more accurately. Incorporate open-ended questions like, “What features would you like to see improved?” to gather qualitative insights, revealing specific user needs. Include close-ended questions, such as, “Would you recommend our service to a friend? Yes/No,” to facilitate quick quantitative analysis of customer loyalty. Don’t forget demographic questions, like, “What is your age group?” or “What is your profession?” as these help you segment feedback for targeted improvements. Finally, consider follow-up questions, such as, “Why did you rate us a 3 out of 5?” to encourage users to elaborate on their experiences, providing deeper insights into their satisfaction levels. Best Practices for Survey Design Effective survey design is essential for gathering meaningful feedback, as it directly influences the quality of the data collected. To guarantee your survey is effective, consider these best practices: Prioritize Clarity and Simplicity: Use straightforward language and avoid jargon. This helps respondents easily understand your questions, leading to more accurate feedback. Align with Specific Goals: Focus your questions on the objectives you want to achieve. This relevance improves the quality of the data you collect, making it more actionable. Incorporate Varied Question Formats: Use a mix of Likert scales and open-ended questions. This combination captures both quantitative and qualitative insights, providing a thorough view of user satisfaction. Before distributing your survey, test your questions for clarity to identify any potential confusion. Utilizing skip logic can likewise streamline the experience, respecting participants’ time and increasing completion rates. Analyzing Survey Results for Actionable Insights Analyzing survey results is crucial for turning raw data into actionable insights that can drive improvements in user satisfaction. Start by systematically reviewing quantitative data, like satisfaction scores, to identify trends and patterns that inform your strategic decisions. Utilize statistical tools to interpret response distributions, allowing you to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness in customer experiences. Don’t overlook qualitative feedback from open-ended responses; categorize and summarize it to uncover common themes and specific suggestions for improvement. Regularly compare survey results over time, tracking changes in customer sentiment and measuring the effectiveness of the improvements you’ve implemented. Finally, share your findings with relevant stakeholders to promote transparency. This collaboration encourages collective efforts to improve user satisfaction based on the actionable insights you’ve gathered. By focusing on both quantitative and qualitative data, you can make informed decisions that truly resonate with your users. Timing and Delivery of User Satisfaction Surveys Timing and delivery of user satisfaction surveys play an essential role in gathering meaningful feedback. When you send surveys immediately after customer interactions, you improve the relevance of the feedback you collect. Here are three key considerations to keep in mind: Specific Triggers: Utilize specific events, like post-purchase or after customer service interactions, to gather accurate insights on user experience. Frequency Matters: Be mindful of how often you send surveys; too many can lead to survey fatigue, whereas too few might skip vital feedback opportunities. Delivery Methods: Choose the right delivery method—whether via email, in-app prompts, or SMS—based on user preferences to maximize engagement. Additionally, A/B testing different delivery times and channels can help you identify the most effective combinations, ensuring you elicit valuable user feedback while respecting their time and preferences. Continuous Improvement Through Feedback Gathering feedback is crucial for businesses aiming to refine their offerings and improve customer experiences. Continuous improvement through feedback means regularly collecting customer insights to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in your products and services. By implementing feedback mechanisms, like user satisfaction surveys, you can capture real-time data on customer experiences, allowing for timely adjustments. When you actively respond to feedback, you promote a culture of continuous improvement, showing customers their opinions matter in decision-making. Data from these surveys can highlight specific areas needing improvement, enabling you to prioritize changes that greatly affect customer satisfaction and retention. Companies that effectively utilize feedback often increase customer loyalty, as about 70% of consumers are more likely to remain with a brand that actively seeks and acts on their input. Therefore, embracing feedback not only aligns your offerings with user needs but likewise strengthens your customer relationships. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Good Survey Questions for Feedback? Good survey questions for feedback should be clear and specific. You might ask respondents to rate their satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 10. It’s effective to include a mix of question types, like Likert scale questions for attitudes and open-ended questions for detailed insights. Focus on individual interactions, such as “How easy was it to navigate our website?” This approach helps guarantee you get relevant, actionable feedback from users. Can You Give an Example of Improving Customer Satisfaction? To improve customer satisfaction, you could implement a Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) survey immediately after service interactions. By analyzing feedback, you identify specific pain points and areas needing improvement. For instance, if customers express dissatisfaction with response times, you can streamline your processes. Furthermore, personalizing follow-up questions can increase engagement, providing deeper insights. Making changes based on this feedback can lead to noticeable increases in overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. What Are the 3 C’s of Customer Satisfaction? The three C’s of customer satisfaction are Consistency, Communication, and Care. Consistency means delivering reliable service and quality products every time, which builds trust. Communication involves listening to customer feedback and providing timely information about products or services, strengthening relationships. Care refers to genuinely addressing customers’ needs and concerns, which greatly boosts satisfaction. Together, these elements form a solid foundation for positive customer experiences, enhancing loyalty and encouraging repeat business. What Is the 5 Point Scale for Customer Satisfaction Survey? The 5-point scale for customer satisfaction surveys allows you to rate your experience from “Very Dissatisfied” to “Very Satisfied.” Each point corresponds to a numerical value, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. This scale includes a neutral option, helping capture ambivalence. It’s user-friendly, which often increases response rates and completion. Conclusion In summary, effective user satisfaction surveys are essential for gathering valuable feedback. By combining various question types, such as Likert scale and open-ended questions, you can gain a thorough comprehension of user experiences. Implementing best practices in survey design and timing improves response rates and quality. Analyzing the results allows you to derive actionable insights that drive continuous improvement. In the end, leveraging this feedback can greatly improve customer satisfaction and strengthen your overall service or product offering. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Effective User Satisfaction Survey Examples to Enhance Feedback" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. The first of a trio of Alice Feeney thrillers getting streaming series adaptations, His & Hers is a glossy, brisk and, perhaps most importantly, twisty Netflix mystery starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal. Thompson plays Annie Andrews, a has-been news reporter who decides to get back on the horse when she learns of a murder in her Georgia hometown. Bernthal is the local detective on the case and—surprise!—he's also her ex. His & Hers is a big hit for Netflix, and a particularly buzzy and bingable example of the form. If you're looking for more of the same after finishing the last episode, here are a dozen more shows filled with zigzagging plots, complicated families, and women who are much more than mere victims. The Åre Murders (2025) Scandinavian cop drama (or Nordic noir, if you prefer) is its own sub-genre, so ubiquitous that the Disney+ show Agatha All Along did an episode parodying the form. Certainly The Åre Murders makes the case that Swedes know from murder. Plain-spoken, troubled (as in: under suspension) detective Hanna Ahlander leaves Stockholm to spend some time unwinding at her sister's place in remote Åre. A case involving a missing girl finds her back on the job, and up against local police officer Daniel Lindskog, who she's reluctant to trust. The dynamic isn't entirely dissimilar to that of reporter Anna Andrews and her cop ex in His & Hers. Looking for a bleakly beautiful landscape and ambiguous morality? Åre might be the place for you. You can stream The Åre Murders on Netflix. The Åre Murders (2025) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Sharp Objects (2018) In this adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel, Amy Adams stars as Camille Preaker, a troubled reporter with substance abuse issues who's only recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. I'm not sure what step of recovery involves returning to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri in order to investigate the murder of one girl and the apparently related disappearance of another—all under the watchful, critical eye of her socialite mother Adora (Patricia Clarkson). Like His & Hers, the plot turns a couple of gut-punch twists. Stream Sharp Objects on HBO Max. Sharp Objects (2018) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max Mare of Easttown (2021) Kate Winslet picked up an Emmy for her performance as thoroughly troubled Mare Sheehan, a local hero in her days as a high school basketball champ whose adult reputation is rapidly losing its luster. As a police detective, she's been unable to solve the case of a missing girl even as she's confronted with a recently murdered teenage mother—you probably won't be surprised to find that the cases are linked. Word on the street is that a second season might be in the works. Stream Mare of Easttown on HBO Max. Mare of Easttown (2021) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max The Beast in Me (2025) This twist-a-minute thriller stars Clare Danes as grieving mother and author Aggie Wiggs, who struggling with her next book, and decides to focus it on her neighbor, who was accused of murdering his first wife. What could go wrong? Matthew Rhys plays Nile Jarvis, the maybe-murderer neighbor, who gets caught up in the mix when Abbie's story becomes about way more than just one death. Stream The Beast in Me on Netflix. The Beast in Me (2025) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Apples Never Fall (2024) Liane Moriarty's novels have been adapted successfully in the past, from HBO's Big Little Lies to Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers. Her work generally, and Apples Never Fall specifically, focuses more on mystery than thrills, but those twisty-turny plots are what we're here for. This miniseries follows the Delaney family, whose four siblings are forced to confront their dark family history following the disappearance of their mother Joy (Annette Benning)—a disappearance in which their father Stand (Sam Neill), is a person of interest. Stream Apples Never Fall on Peacock. Apples Never Fall (2024) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Down Cemetery Road (2025 – ) Though a bit more in the spy genre than His & Hers (it's from a series of novels by Slow Horses author Mick Herron), this one's still a compelling mystery with a couple of unlikely, mismatched partners at its center. Emma Thompson stars as hard-living, hard-drinking private investigator Zoë Boehm, hired by Ruth Wilson's Sarah Trafford, a married art restorer who nobody takes very seriously (including her husband), even after she becomes invested in the fate of a young girl whose family is killed in an allegedly accidental gas explosion down the street. The orphaned girl disappears into the system, and no one really seems to care until Sarah hires Zoë and her husband to look into it. Both women soon find they are in way over their heads, as the missing girl points to a much broader conspiracy. Stream Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV+. Down Cemetery Road at Apple TV+ Learn More Learn More at Apple TV+ The Crystal Cuckoo (2025) Clara Merlo (Catalina Sopelana) is a medical resident in a big city hospital. One shift, she collapses, waking weeks later to learn that he heart failed and she's received a transplant. Though donors are anonymous, she decides that she really needs to know about the person whose heart she's walking around with—which is where we enter into "What could possibly go wrong?" territory. She manages to trace the donation to a family in the small town of Yesques, where she learns that the father of of her donor went missing years ago, while brother Juan (Alfons Nieto) has joined the police force. Good thing, too: she'll need his help when she winds up involved in a mystery that goes back two decades. Stream The Crystal Cuckoo on Netflix. The Crystal Cuckoo (2025) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix The Last Thing He Told Me (2023 – ) The first season ranked as Apple's most watched limited series ever, so naturally we're getting a second, based on another bestseller by Laura Dave. Jennifer Garner stars as Hannah Hall, a successful woodturner (now there's a new one in crime thrillers) trying to forge a bond with her stepdaughter in order to help solve the mystery of her missing husband. Stream The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV+. The Last Thing He Told Me at Apple TV+ Learn More Learn More at Apple TV+ The Frog (2024) Following his wife's death, Yeong-ha (Kim Yoon-seok) just wants a quiet life in the secluded town where he lives—though he's not even all that enthusiastic about that. It's all going fine until a young woman shows up at the rental unit next door with her son, then abruptly vanishes, leaving behind blood stains and, even more disturbingly, the kid. This slow-burn, cinematic thriller has a storytelling structure that would be a spoiler to say too much about, but puzzing through it is definitely rewarding. Stream The Frog on Netflix. The Frog (2024) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix When No One Sees Us (2025 – ) A distinctive police thriller imported from Spain, When No One Sees Us stars Mariela Garriga (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning) as a Cuban-American special agent of the U.S. Army, and Maribel Verdú (Pan’s Labyrinth) as a Spanish Civil Guard sergeant struggling with a complex home life. Both are investigating an apparent death by violent suicide on an air base during Holy Week. It's another complex mystery, but the performances and the emphasis on character over plot make it a standout. Stream When No One Sees Us on HBO Max. When No One Sees Us (2025 – ) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max Disclaimer (2024) Created, written, and directed by four-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón, Disclaimer has as impressive a pedigree as you could hope for on streaming TV. Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline (both, incidentally, Oscar winners) star alongside Sacha Baron Cohen and Leila George. Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, an award-winning journalist who receives a mysterious manuscript—a novel in which she, herself, appears to be the main character, and which reveals secrets of her past that she thought were long buried. Stream Disclaimer on Apple TV+. Disclaimer (2024) at Apple TV+ Learn More Learn More at Apple TV+ True Detective: Night Country (2024) There's something to be said for each of the True Detective's four seasons, but Night Country moves away from the the sweaty bro energy of earlier seasons for a much frostier mystery involving missing scientists at a research station near a tiny Alaskan town, where the dark and the cold are practically characters themselves. The resulting mystery ties together veteran Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), two women with complicated pasts and screwed-up present family lives. The resolution to the mind-bending mystery drew a lot of debate, but the performances and chilly sense of magical realist dread are top tier. Stream True Detective: Night Country on HBO Max. True Detective: Night Country at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max View the full article