When an exit survey's "Other" option lacks a textbox, it’s not a bug—it’s a feature designed to filter out inconvenient truths.
Companies do this to curate a narrative. They'll accept structured data like "It’s too expensive" because it fits a spreadsheet. "Other" is where you find the real, messy feedback: the ghosted support tickets, the persistent crashes. It’s the data they’d rather not have.
Blocking this input isn't lazy design; it’s a strategic choice to prioritize clean data over real data. It signals that the company only wants feedback fitting its script, which is all the justification needed to leave. If you’re too scared to hear why I'm done, you don’t deserve my business.
This is a symptom of a broken feedback loop—a strategy of hiding problems, not fixing them. If you build products, check your exit survey. If "Other" is a dead end, you’ve told your most insightful users their feedback is worthless. Don't be surprised when they agree.
Companies do this to curate a narrative. They'll accept structured data like "It’s too expensive" because it fits a spreadsheet. "Other" is where you find the real, messy feedback: the ghosted support tickets, the persistent crashes. It’s the data they’d rather not have.
Blocking this input isn't lazy design; it’s a strategic choice to prioritize clean data over real data. It signals that the company only wants feedback fitting its script, which is all the justification needed to leave. If you’re too scared to hear why I'm done, you don’t deserve my business.
This is a symptom of a broken feedback loop—a strategy of hiding problems, not fixing them. If you build products, check your exit survey. If "Other" is a dead end, you’ve told your most insightful users their feedback is worthless. Don't be surprised when they agree.