Point-of-Sale Survey

Buyers’ Point-of-Sale Code

Last modified on 2011-11-07 23:23:47 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Welcome to the Bizrate Buyers survey

The Buyers Surveys are a free customer experience and feedback tool that allows retailers to hear from their buyers through a pair of surveys which take place immediately after purchase and after expected order receipt. By utilizing the Bizrate Buyers Surveys, retailers are empowered with invaluable answers about the entire purchase and order receipt experience with one JavaScript code.

This one code yields information on the following key topics:

• Loyalty metrics: Likelihood to Buy Again, Likelihood to Recommend, and Overall Satisfaction
• Merchandising
• Marketing
• Usability
• Order tracking and delivery
• Product Satisfaction
• Customer Support
• Demographics

In short, over 50 years of collective customer feedback experience, ranging from ecommerce to retail to traditional market research, has gone into the creation of our comprehensive suite of Buyers feedback products. With our offering, Bizrate sparks a dialogue between retailers and consumers in a way that is measurable and leads to insights, as well as a powerful action-oriented ‘to do’ list, helping retailers grow their ecommerce business and secure customer loyalty.

1.2 The composition of the Bizrate Buyers surveys

The Buyers Survey code is placed on the order confirmation page only and generates an invitation to provide feedback. The standard invitation is sized 400 x 135 pixels, contains the merchant logo, the Bizrate logo, is branded in the Bizrate color scheme, and includes invitation text. This text may refer to standard, free incentives that induce click through but do not materially impact scores. The invitation can be accepted, or closed, each with one click.

Upon acceptance of the invitation, a survey opens in a separate window.

We also encourage retailers to provide information regarding the order by passing data through the survey invitation rather than requiring the customer to answer additional questions. This information is passed to Bizrate via the survey code. Passed-in product and order data, when combined with survey responses, allow a retailer to not only understand the details of the customer experience as it differs based on products purchased and their effect on the customers’ loyalty, but also fully rounds out customer profiles and improve customer service.

Within the point-of-sale survey, which is taken after purchase, buyers indicate when they expect to receive their order and provide an email address with express permission for Bizrate to email an invitation to take a survey upon expected order receipt. Three days after the expected delivery date, Bizrate emails the invitation to take the second survey (fulfillment) covering order tracking and delivery, product satisfaction, returns and Customer Support. This survey contains 11 standard questions with an additional 5 questions specific to the Customer Support experience if the buyer indicates they have contacted Customer Support.

Over 5,000 retailers annually utilize the Bizrate Buyers Surveys to gather customer feedback. This Network allows Bizrate to provide benchmarking for the ratings and feedback received by customers, giving context to customer expectations and how well retailers are meeting expectations. Multiple benchmarks are available, with a category level benchmark (i.e. Electronics) available in our free BizAdvisor Report. Custom benchmarks, consisting of an aggregated group of retailers chosen by the retailer, with accompanying reporting, are also available for a fee.

1.3 Bizrate’s free reporting on Buyers Survey data

Bizrate offers free reports such as VitalMail, a daily email with standard Buyers Survey metrics for the past day, week, and two-week time period, the BizAdvisor Report which provides Buyers Survey metrics and distributions benchmarked against a Bizrate standard benchmark chosen by the retailer, emailed comments reports delivered daily or weekly in the Comments Classifier file, comments emailed from the customer in real time in Quick Response, and a 24/7 password protected area, VitalSigns, for on-demand aggregated data for the prior 30 days. These reports have been structured based on the feedback that we receive from retailers to make data accessible and actionable by the right audience.

2.0 Implementation

2.1 Technical overview

The implementation of the buyers’ survey code is fairly simple. Section 2.0 instructs the setup of a JavaScript code that should be placed on the receipt, or order confirmation, page.

When the receipt, or order confirmation, page loads, this JavaScript code executes by calling Bizrate’s survey invitation system servers and then presenting a survey invitation that is specific to each retailer’s site and accompanying Bizrate account. When passing Bizrate any data on the back-end, such as product SKU data, then it will be passed in the code with the call to launch the survey invitation.

Please note that the code in this document is “fully loaded” with the free data pass-ins to minimize the need for future code enhancements. If the business team does not wish to utilize all of the free pass-in options available in the code at this time, then please leave them in the code as is and simply do not pass-in any information. That way, if the business team wishes to take advantage of the additional information in the future, then no code implementation will need to take place.

2.2 Getting your MID
The MID for an account is its unique identifier in our system. Each website should have its own account and attendant MID. Please read our post to see how to open an account if you do not have one and how to locate your MID.

2.3 The value of passing-in data with the survey invitation
The Buyers survey code is capable of passing-in alpha-numeric values, such as order ID, and “attaching” this data to survey responses.

Standard (free) values for the buyers’ survey – defined

a. Customer data pass-in values

1. Order ID = order number or identifier = [ORDERID]
2. Total Order Value = total amount spent in the order = [TOTAL]
3. Zip Code = Billing zip code = [ZIPCODE]

b. Product data pass-in values set – up to 5 products per purchase may be passed

Product set:

1. Product SKU = unique product stock keeping unit or identifier; this must be the same “SKU” value used in the retailer’s product feed = [SKU]
2. Merchant Product ID = product number, category, or identifier that is custom to the retailer = [MPID]
3. Product Price = the price paid for the item = [PRICE]

2.4 Value pass-in setup

The values described below must be dynamically replaced upon load of the page with the appropriate data to pass to Bizrate for reporting. (Note: All passed-in values must be surrounded in single quotes.)

1. Order ID: Pass the order number in place of [ORDERID] for Q104626.

(Note: unless URL-encoded this value may not include: spaces, ampersands (&), equal-signs (=), or question-marks (?).)

1. Total Order Value: Pass in the total amount spent (in dollars) in place of [TOTAL] for Q113198.
2. Zip Code: Pass the billing zip code in place of [ZIPCODE] for Q113199.
3. Product level pass-in value set:
   1. Product SKU: Pass the product SKU in place of [SKU]
   2. Merchant Product ID: Pass the retailer specific product or category identifier in place of [MPID]
   3. Product Price: Pass the item amount of product in place of [PRICE]

(Note: Utilize all three in a set per product purchased. Up to 5 products per purchase may be passed; if multiples of the same items are purchased, then pass them in separate sets.)

(Note: Make sure you replace the [value] including the [] brackets with your value as shown in the examples below. Also, do not leave any spaces when replacing the values in the URLs and remember all passed-in values must be surrounded in single quotes.)

2.5 Code template for the order confirmation page with placeholders

To pass Bizrate the appropriate data, replace all mention in the provided code, including brackets, of [ORDERID], [TOTAL], [ZIPCODE], [SKU], [MPID], and [PRICE] with the appropriate data from the order.

<!– Start of Bizrate Code –>

<script>

var passin = ‘Q104626=[ORDERID]‘;

</script>

<script>

var br_cartzip= ‘Q113198=[TOTAL]&Q113199=[ZIPCODE]‘;

</script>

<script>

var br_cartdata = ‘SKU=[SKU]&MPID=[MPID]&ITEMAMOUNT=[PRICE]|SKU=[SKU]&MPID=[MPID]&ITEMAMOUNT=[PRICE]|SKU=[SKU]&MPID=[MPID]&ITEMAMOUNT=[PRICE]|SKU=[SKU]&MPID=[MPID]&ITEMAMOUNT=[PRICE]|SKU=[SKU]&MPID=[MPID]&ITEMAMOUNT=[PRICE]‘;

</script>

<script src=”https://eval.bizrate.com/js/pos_[MID].js”>

</script>

<!– End of Bizrate Code –>

(Note: up to 5 product sets can be passed in; sets must be separated by a pipe “|”. If multiples of the same items are purchased, then pass them in separate data sets.)

2.6 Code template for the order confirmation page without placeholders (except [MID]**)

Copy and paste the JavaScript code below to your website’s receipt or confirmation page. This code template contains all standard, free pass-in values as described in section 2.3. The appropriate values must be dynamically placed into their corresponding values (Q values) upon load of the page in order to pass to Bizrate for reporting. The values need to fall between the equals-sign (=) and the single quote (‘) or ampersand (&).

<!– Start of Bizrate Code –>

<script>

var passin = ‘Q104626=’;

</script>

<script>

var br_cartzip = ‘Q113198=&Q113199=’;

</script>

<script language =”Javascript”>

var br_cartdata = ‘SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=’;

</script>

<script src=”https://eval.bizrate.com/js/pos_[MID].js”>

</script>

<!– End of Bizrate Code –>

(Note: if you decide not to send all passed-in data, then leave the entire code intact with blanks as shown.)

3.0 Quality assurance

Once the code setup is complete it’s important to check if the implementation was successful. If it was not successful, then please review the following common errors to troubleshoot the problem.

1. Place a test order from the retailer’s site with actual product(s);
2. The survey invitation should pop-up in a separate window at the order confirmation page
   1. If the pop-up invitation fails due to a pop-up blocker, a DHTML pop-in invitation is rendered

This is the invitation that you should see on the order confirmation page (only) with a successful implementation:

 

3.1 What if the invitation does not look like this or does not render? The most common mistakes and solutions:

1. The invitation does not appear.
   1. Check that the retailer’s MID was placed in the code, including the removal of the brackets [].
   2. If the MID and bracket removal are correct, then there may be a conflicting script on the page. Try moving Bizrate’s code to the top of the page to remedy the issue.
2. The invitation reads “this online store” in lieu of the retailer’s name and logo.
   1. Check that the proper MID was placed in the code, including the removal of the brackets [].

i. See Section 2.2 for instructions to get your MID. If you don’t know your login information, then please click on the “forgot your password” link on the login page.

1. A different retailer’s name and logo are appearing on the invitation.
   1. The improper MID was placed in the code. Fix immediately.

i. See Section 2.2 for instructions to get your MID. If you don’t know your login information, then please click on the “forgot your password” link on the login page.

1. The retailer’s name appears, but not the logo.
   1. Retailers provide Bizrate with the two logos used: one in the invitation and one in the surveys. Please visit our post to see logo specifications and how to upload your logos.
2. The invitation renders properly, but does not look like the example above.
   1. There are several looks and feels for the invitation that have been optimized to gain the highest invitation acceptance rates. For example:

Referred to as the “reward” invitation. This invitation has the highest survey response rate.

Referred to as the “value” invitation. This invitation has the second highest survey response rate.

Referred to as the “sweepstakes only” invitation. This invitation has the third highest survey response rate.

Referred to as the “no incentive” invitation. This invitation has the lowest response rate as our A/B testing confirms this invitation reduces the survey response rate by 3%.

1. Part of the invitation renders properly, but not the entire invitation. It may look like the retailer’s site covers it in some places.
   1. In order for the survey invitation to always be on top, we have set our Z Index to 999,994. We therefore recommend that retailers’ sites use layer levels of 999,950 or lower.

If you have questions or experience other issues search the FAQ section which we keep up to date. If the FAQs do not answer your questions, then please contact your Bizrate account manager for assistance and include your source code as a text (.txt) attachment. You may also email us this information at bizrateinsights@bizrate.com.

4.0 Optional Settings

4.1 Invitation positioning setup

The survey invitation defaults to a 400 x 135 pop-up that is positioned 200 x 250 pixels from the upper-left corner of the receipt or confirmation page. This parameter can be set to position the survey invitation in the shopper’s screen by modifying the X and Y coordinates in passin_x and passin_y to any desired integer. If the pop-up invitation fails due to a pop-up blocker, a DHTML pop-in invitation is rendered using the X and Y positions calculated in pixels as well. (Note: This optional position setting must be included as additional JavaScript with the default buyers’ survey code.)
4.1.1 Example — Complete code template with optional invitation positioning script: Position a survey invitation 200 x 250 pixels from the top-left corner of the window for Example Merchant (**MID = 12345):

<!– Start of Bizrate Code –>

<script>

var passin_x = 250; var passin_y = 200;

</script>

<script>

var passin = ‘Q104626=’;

</script>

<script>

var br_cartzip = ‘Q113198=&Q113199=’;

</script>

<script language =”Javascript”>

var br_cartdata=
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=|
SKU=&MPID=&ITEMAMOUNT=’;

</script>

<script src=”https://eval.bizrate.com/js/pos_12345.js”>

</script>

<!– End of Bizrate Code –>

4.2 Serving the invitation: pop-up versus embedded

The survey invitation is a 400 x 135 pop-up by default that automatically switches to a DHTML pop-in in the presence of a pop-up blocker. To change the serving of the invitation to an embedded (inline) presentation, Bizrate makes a change on its end. Retailers do not need to change or adapt the code in any way. However, the retailer must place the code on the page in the exact location in which they want the invitation image to appear, which should always remain above the fold with at least 400 x 135 pixels of clean real estate for the invitation to render. (Note: embedded survey invitations typically reduce consumer response rates dramatically (50-67%). A retailer with an embedded survey invitation may not receive enough data for monthly reporting and it may negatively impact Customer Certification and ratings available on Bizrate.com.)

 

4.3 Percentage based serving

If you wish to have the Bizrate survey invitation be offered to less than 100% of orders, then please contact your Bizrate account manager or bizrateinsights@bizrate.com to request this additional code and implementation instructions.

(Note: if the percentage is reduced, then the client may not receive enough data for monthly reporting and it may negatively impact Customer Certification and ratings available on Bizrate.com. Furthermore, Bizrate provides discounts on paid services to retailers who offer the survey to at least 90% of orders.)

 

If there are other settings that you would like to request, then please contact your Bizrate^® Insights account manager or email us bizrateinsights@bizrate.com.

5.0 Support Information

5.1 Survey system supported browsers

Bizrate’s Buyers Survey invitation and survey work with the following browsers:

5.2 Security concerns

All calls from secure receipt pages (https) are made secure (SSL). All calls from non-secure receipt pages are made non-secure (http).

5.3 Contact us

Do you still have questions?
If you have questions or experience issues, then please review the FAQ section which we update for additional help.

Would you like to setup a meeting to review?
Then please contact your Bizrate® Insights account manager or email us bizrateinsights@bizrate.com.

 

Click here to download the Buyers Survey implementation documentation in PDF format.