A satisfaction survey no one answers measures nothing. The NexTool Pending Survey module fixes this head on: while there are pending surveys, the user cannot open new tickets through the service catalog. Sustaining service desks, we learned that response rate does not rise with more email reminders - it rises when answering stops being optional to keep using the portal.
The problem
GLPI offers a native satisfaction survey when tickets are closed, but the response rate is usually disappointing. With no incentive, the user ignores the emailed link and opens the next ticket as normal. The result is not enough data to measure quality: teams that need reliable NPS or CSAT live the same frustrating loop - the tool has the feature, but the data never arrives at scale.
The classic approach of firing email reminders has marginal return. What changes the game is conditioning the next catalog access on completing the previous surveys. That is exactly what Pending Survey does, without touching the flow of those who already answered.
How Pending Survey works
The module intercepts access to the GLPI /ServiceCatalog and checks how many satisfaction surveys are pending for the authenticated user. The behavior is graded in two levels:
- 1 pending survey - a soft alert with a dismiss option. The user is reminded but still opens the ticket.
- 2 or more pending surveys - full block. The catalog is replaced by a screen with direct links to answer each survey. There is no dismiss.
The module respects the native survey expiration setting (max_closedate): an expired survey does not count as pending and does not lock the user for nothing. There are automatic exemptions for technicians and super-admins, plus exemptions configurable per user and per group. Key features:
- Conditional catalog block - two levels: soft alert and full block.
- Direct links to the surveys - the user sees exactly what to answer and reaches it in one click.
- Flexible exemptions - technicians, super-admins and specific groups are never blocked.
- Responsive interface - the block screen works well on mobile.
- Configurable threshold - the number of surveys that triggers the full block is adjustable.
Pending Survey vs email reminder (native)
The difference is not sending more reminders, it is choosing the moment of intervention:
| Criterion | Email reminder (native) | Pending Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Moment of intervention | Later, in the inbox | On the next catalog access |
| Effect on response rate | Marginal | Rises by conditioning access |
| Granularity | On or off | Soft alert (1) and block (2+) |
| Exemptions | Not applicable | Technicians, super-admins, groups |
| Respects survey expiration | Not applicable | Yes, via max_closedate |
| User friction | Low but ignorable | Graded and reversible at level 1 |
How to enable
- Install the NexTool plugin in GLPI.
- Go to Setup > NexTool > Modules.
- Find the Pending Survey card and click Install, then Enable.
- In the settings, adjust the threshold, enable the soft alert and define exempt users and groups.
Before turning it on: measure who would be blocked
The costliest mistake is enabling the full block without measuring the stock of pending surveys. If half the base has two or more pending, you just barred half the company on deploy day - and the phone rings. Before enabling, run this query to size the impact (adjust the names to your GLPI version):
-- Users with 2+ started and still unanswered surveys
SELECT u.name AS user_name, COUNT(*) AS pending
FROM glpi_ticketsatisfactions ts
JOIN glpi_tickets t ON t.id = ts.tickets_id
JOIN glpi_users u ON u.id = t.users_id_recipient
WHERE ts.date_answered IS NULL
AND ts.date_begin IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY u.id
HAVING pending >= 2
ORDER BY pending DESC;In production support we measured the same pattern across clients: email survey reminders return single-digit percentages; conditioning the catalog raises the answer rate consistently. But the other common mistake is treacherous: forgetting the exemption and locking your own team. We have seen a senior analyst unable to open an internal request because of old pending surveys. So the rule is: exempt technicians and managers before raising the threshold, and start with the soft alert for a week or two before enabling the full block.
Who it is for (and when not to use it)
The module is recommended for service desks that need to raise survey response rates, managers who depend on NPS or CSAT with statistical confidence, and organizations under quality audits that require consistent satisfaction indicators.
When not to use it: if the catalog is the only opening channel and there is a time SLA to open a ticket, the full block can become an SLA breach - in that case, stay on the soft alert only. And in cultures where barring the end user is politically unviable, use level 1 as a permanent nudge and never trigger the block. The goal is satisfaction data, not war with whoever opens a ticket.
Compatibility
- GLPI: 10.x and 11.x
- Plan: Licensed
- Plugin: NexTool 3.x+
Next step
Pending Survey is part of NexTool, the modular plugin for GLPI. Explore all modules or talk to the team.
This content was produced with the aid of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the Nextool Solutions team.
