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RateNow, GuideDifferences between Customer Survey Machine: Smiley Feedback Buttons vs. Smiley Terminal Tablet
Discover the best way to collect customer feedback on-site: with a quick tap or a more detailed survey
Customer Survey Machine, whether using Smiley Feedback Buttons or a Smiley Terminal Tablet, are two highly effective solutions to listen to customers in real time. Both stand out for their ease of use, high participation rates, and guaranteed anonymity, encouraging users to share their opinions freely.
Diana Bardales, 2025 
5 min 
Imagine you’ve just passed airport security. In front of you, a small totem with colorful satisfaction faces invites you to rate your experience. Quick, simple, and anonymous.
The main difference between both formats lies in the level of feedback detail.
Now switch the scene: you visit a museum and at the end of the tour you find a touchscreen where you can not only express your level of satisfaction, but also explain which exhibition you liked most and why. Two different experiences, two complementary ways of collecting real-time feedback thanks to a Customer Survey Machine.
When it comes to listening to customers, both Smiley Feedback Buttons and Smiley Terminal Tablet have become leading solutions. They share simplicity and high participation rates, but meet different needs.
Smiley Feedback Buttons
Ideal for collecting quick, transactional feedback. With a single tap, users can instantly and anonymously rate their experience, ensuring extremely honest responses. They are the best option for high-traffic areas with no access to power.
Smiley Terminal Tablet
Designed for longer, more reflective experiences, where users are willing to spend a few extra seconds giving feedback. Through interactive surveys, they not only measure satisfaction but also capture the reasons behind it and gather qualitative comments.
Comparison Between Smiley Feedback Buttons and Smiley Terminal Tablet
Beyond the table: key differences between Customer Survey Machine
The main difference between both formats lies in the level of feedback detail.
Smiley Feedback Buttons are designed to gather “on-the-spot” feedback with one quick question, usually represented by smiley faces. This makes them ideal for environments with high foot traffic—airports, stations, restrooms—where the priority is collecting a large volume of responses quickly.
In contrast, the Smiley Terminal Tablet allows users to go through multiple questions: an initial rating, a follow-up question to understand the “why,” and an open comment box. At RateNow, the number of questions is unlimited—unlike competitors. This enables deeper analysis, making it ideal for longer or more reflective experiences, such as museum visits, hospital stays, or retail shopping.
Regarding participation, both formats outperform online surveys, reaching very high rates: around 25% for Smiley Feedback Buttons and 15% for Smiley Terminal Tablets, depending on the sector and environment. They also differ in data depth: while buttons offer basic immediate satisfaction data, touchscreens reveal the reasons behind each rating and collect qualitative insights.
Finally, each option includes extra features that add value.
- Smiley Feedback Buttons can be complemented with a QR code for an extended survey
- Smiley Terminal Tablets offer full customization—number of questions, text, colors, icons, and conditional flows—making them far more flexible.
How to choose the right Customer Survey Machine: for your company?
Choosing between buttons and tablet doesn’t depend only on technology, but on your goals and context. Before deciding, consider three key aspects:
What do you want to measure?
If you need a fast, high-volume pulse on satisfaction at a specific touchpoint, buttons are enough.
If you want to understand the “why” and gather qualitative insight, the tablet is the best choice.
Where will it be installed?
In high-traffic spaces such as stations or airports, the speed of buttons ensures high participation with no waiting.
In quieter environments like hospitals, offices or museums, a tablet provides more valuable, detailed feedback.
What level of analysis do you need?
For immediate reporting and quantitative data, Smiley Feedback Buttons are perfect.
If you require deeper, segmented analysis with customer comments, the Smiley Terminal Tablet version will be more useful.
Ultimately, both solutions are effective, but success depends on aligning the choice with your sector, location, and measurement goals.
- Smiley Feedback Buttons: maximum simplicity and response volume.
- Smiley Terminal Tablet: deeper, richer insights.
At RateNow, we believe it’s not about choosing one or the other—but combining them strategically. This way, you capture both the quick pulse of thousands of customers and the detailed feedback that explains their scores, turning every opinion into a real improvement opportunity.
Contact us and discover everything you can achieve by listening to your audience in real time.
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