Not all feedback is created equal and not all survey platforms are built to capture feedback right when it matters most in the moment face to face.

Whether you’re running a retail store, university, clinic, airport, or bank branch, capturing in-person feedback is key to improving customer experience, identifying issues before they escalate, & building loyalty that actually lasts.

We’ve rounded up 7 of the best customer survey companies focused on in-person feedback, including intuitive smiley emoji terminals, feedback kiosks & mobile-optimized experiences.

Let’s jump in!

1. SurveyStance – Best for High Response Rates with Emoji-Based Feedback

Website: www.surveystance.com

Why it Stands Out:
SurveyStance was designed specifically for collecting feedback in the real world. Using emoji-based terminals, SurveyStance makes it easy for customers to leave feedback in just a tap… no typing, no fuss.

Whether it’s by the front desk, exit, checkout, or waiting area these smiley face buttons grab attention, collect sentiment in seconds, and deliver real-time insights back to your team.

Top Features:

• • Feedback Terminals with customizable smiley faces

• • Offline mode + secure cloud sync

• • Real-time alerts for low scores

• • Location & question specific reporting

• • AI-powered text analysis for open feedback

Perfect for:
Retail, universities, clinics, government buildings, and anywhere people walk in & walk out.

2. Zonka Feedback – Best for Versatile Survey Channels

Website: www.zonkafeedback.com

Why it Stands Out:
Zonka offers a solid option for teams that want to combine in-person kiosks with digital feedback channels. Their tablet-based kiosk surveys work great for capturing feedback on-site, while also supporting email & SMS surveys.

Top Features:

• • Android kiosk support

• • Real-time analytics dashboards

• • Supports NPS, CSAT, CES formats

• • Multilingual surveys for diverse locations

Perfect for:
Teams with physical locations and online interactions who want everything under one roof.

3. SurveySparrow – Best for Conversational Kiosk Surveys

Website: www.surveysparrow.com

Why it Stands Out:
SurveySparrow brings a sleek, mobile-first design to in-person feedback. Their offline survey mode is especially useful for on-site data collection even when your Wi-Fi is spotty. Plus, the conversational survey style feels less like a form and more like a chat.

Top Features:

• • Offline kiosk mode

• • Conversational UI

• • Auto-sync when connected

• • Built-in analytics with CSAT/NPS tracking

Perfect for:
Retail pop-ups, service counters, healthcare, and hospitality check-ins.

4. GetFeedback – Best for Integrations with Salesforce

Website: www.getfeedback.com

Why it Stands Out:
Part of the Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey) family, GetFeedback shines when you need a seamless connection between in-person experiences and your CRM, especially Salesforce. While known for email & web surveys, their mobile-optimized surveys can be run in kiosk mode too.

Top Features:

• • Kiosk-ready surveys

• • Deep Salesforce integration

• • NPS, CSAT & custom workflows

• • Real-time feedback alerts

Perfect for:
Brands using Salesforce that want to close the loop on customer feedback fast.

5. AskNicely – Best for Frontline Teams

Website: www.asknicely.com

Why it Stands Out:
AskNicely focuses on empowering frontline employees with real-time feedback and coaching. It supports on-site feedback capture using tablets or shared devices, helping teams make fast improvements based on customer sentiment.

Top Features:

• • Mobile-friendly, on-site surveys

• • Employee scorecards tied to customer feedback

• • Instant alerts for poor experiences

• • Frontline team coaching tools

Perfect for:
Brands with customer-facing staff (retail, service, healthcare) who want to drive performance with feedback.

6. Hotjar (Surveys & Feedback) – Best for Observing In-Person + Digital Behaviors

Website: www.hotjar.com

Why it Stands Out:
Hotjar is typically used for digital behavior tracking, but their on-site feedback widgets & kiosk-ready surveys can be deployed in physical spaces via tablets or check-in stations. You get both the “what happened” and the “why it happened.”

Top Features:

• • Visual feedback widgets for kiosk tablets

• • Real-time responses with heatmaps (for web use)

• • Simple survey builder with emojis, star ratings & open text

• • Feedback tagging & trend tracking

Perfect for:
Teams looking to combine physical customer sentiment with digital behavior data.

7. SurveyMonkey Kiosk Mode – Best for Getting Started Quickly

Website: www.surveymonkey.com

Why it Stands Out:
Already using SurveyMonkey? You can repurpose their surveys in kiosk mode on any tablet to capture quick on-site feedback. It’s a simple, no-frills solution for events, pop-ups, or testing out in-person feedback collection. It requires a bit more setup and babysitting, but will do the trick.

Top Features:

• • Easy to set up kiosk surveys

• • Templates for CSAT, NPS & more

• • Response summaries & exports

• • Works on most mobile devices

Perfect for:
Teams dipping their toes into in-person surveys without switching platforms.

Choosing The Right In-Person Survey Platform

Not all survey tools are built for face-to-face feedback.

Here’s what to look for:

• • Speed: Can a customer leave feedback in under 5 seconds?

• • Offline Functionality: Does it still work if the Wi-Fi drops?

• • Simplicity: Does it invite participation—not overwhelm it?

• • Instant Alerts: Will your team know if something goes wrong?

• • Actionable Data: Can your team actually use the feedback tomorrow?

If you’re looking for a tool that’s built specifically to make in-person feedback frictionless, fast & actionable—SurveyStance is a no-brainer.

Final Thoughts

In-person feedback is real, raw & incredibly valuable but only if you have the right tools to capture it.

Whether you go with emoji buttons, touchscreen kiosks, or tablet-based surveys, the goal is the same: make it dead simple for people to tell you how they feel and make it super easy for your team to act on it.

Need help picking the best setup?
👉 Talk to our team at SurveyStance—we’re happy to help.