How we collect user feedback 🧡 🐾

Why we ask for feedback at TailsPal

Feedback is the community’s voice — from pet owners and volunteers to shelter staff. It helps us understand what’s working and where we can improve, from the app’s usability to on-the-ground support for animals. Listening to users keeps our work grounded and responsive.

Where we gather feedback

• In-app: short, contextual prompts after key actions.
• Email: targeted surveys or invitation to share a story.
• Social media: quick polls and comments for immediate input.
• Events and shelters: paper forms or tablets handed by volunteers.
• From volunteers directly: observations and conversations during shifts.

Different channels yield different insights: quick ratings versus detailed stories.

How to design useful questions

• Keep surveys brief: a few focused questions at a time.
• Mix closed and open questions: a rating scale plus a free-text field.
• Use plain language and avoid jargon.
• Include options like "prefer not to answer" and "other."
• Explain the purpose: why you ask and how responses will be used.

Simple in-app example:

• How would you rate the shelter search? (1–5)
• If you’d like, tell us what could be improved.

Processing and analyzing feedback

• Group responses by themes: functionality, service, content, safety.
• Tag items for easy filtering: volunteer support, lost & found, donations.
• Separate urgent issues (animal welfare, safety) from longer-term ideas.
• Summarize insights regularly and share with product and operations teams.

Turning feedback into actionable recommendations is the core goal.

Closing the loop: respond and act

• Thank people for their feedback, even if immediate changes aren’t possible.
• Inform users about changes inspired by feedback: "You asked — we did." This builds trust.
• Share brief results in newsletters and social posts: small before/after stories work well.

Privacy and respect

Always ask permission before using a comment publicly. Protect personal data by removing identifiers and storing sensitive information separately.

Quick checklist for the team

• Choose channels for the current feedback round.
• Prepare 3–5 questions: 1 rating, 1 open, 1 clarifying.
• Assign someone to collect and triage responses.
• Decide how to notify users about outcomes.
• Define data storage and anonymization rules.

If you have ideas to improve our forms or ways to talk with the community, tell us at the next event or through the app. Your voice helps us better care for animals and support the people who love them.