Optimize Terminal Placement

One move can double your response rate

The difference between a terminal that collects ten responses a day and one that collects a hundred usually comes down to where it stands. Good placement maximizes feedback volume, improves data quality, and prevents misuse. Finding the perfect spot may take a few tries -- don't be afraid to experiment.

Three Rules for Great Placement

1. Near the exit, preferably on the right-hand side

Place the terminal where the experience you want to measure just happened, and for most setups that means near the exit.

• Overall experience -- by the exit, where people can reflect on the full visit. This is the most common setup and the easiest to get right.
• Specific touchpoint -- right at the moment you care about: the canteen, the fitting rooms, the service desk.
• Wait times -- where queuing happens. People who just waited are motivated to tell you about it.
• Employee experience -- corridors, break rooms, and near the coffee machine -- places staff pass through daily without feeling observed.

Place the terminal on the right-hand side of the path. Most people are right-handed and instinctively look and reach that way. Keep it at chest height with the buttons and question sign facing oncoming traffic.

2. In the flow -- not in the way

A button press takes less than a second -- people don't need to stop. Position the terminal along the natural walking path so a quick tap feels like part of the walk, not an interruption.

• Face the buttons toward oncoming traffic.
• Keep it at arm height for an effortless tap without bending or reaching.
• Make sure cables run safely behind the terminal and don't obstruct foot traffic.
• Never block a path or place the terminal where it becomes a distraction, like the bottom of a staircase.

3. Impossible to miss

If people don't notice the terminal, they won't use it.

• Light it up. A well-lit terminal draws the eye. A terminal in a dark corner is invisible.
• Nothing competing. Avoid placing it behind pillars, inside alcoves, or next to busy signage.
• Question sign visible. Make sure the question is easy to read from a few steps away.

The goal: spot it, read the question, respond -- all within seconds.

Give People Privacy

Position the terminal so respondents don't feel watched by staff or other visitors. When people know their feedback is anonymous, they're more honest -- and honest feedback is where the real insights are. This is especially important when measuring employee experience.