I have written about the uses of Poll Everywhere in education and find it to be an incredibly engaging and attention-getting tool, but Poll Everywhere is versatile and can work in so many other environments.   

For a night out last weekend, I was with some co-workers to watch a friend’s band play an opening gig at a club.  After their first set, the singer came to the table and was taking compliments on his band.  In the course of ten minutes, at least eight people interrupted our conversation to request a song from the singer.  It was then that it occurred to me that the band could use Poll Everywhere to have the crowd text in their favorite song for the band to play, or use the multiple choice format to vote on selected songs. The band was already using a monitor connected to a laptop to stream ads for upcoming shows. This monitor was mounted to a stand that stood above the band for the entire club to view, and the club had free Wi-Fi access for all its patrons.  I explained how the use of Poll Everywhere could reduce the barrage of song requests that he received on his break.  He loved the idea, and swore he would check out the site and try it at their next gig.  I was about to explain how easy it would be to start immediately, but he was pulled aside by a fan that wanted to request a song.

Poll Everywhere is a great way to grab the attention of an audience or for a restaurant/bar to hear from its customers.   As an owner of a business, knowing your customers is of the utmost importance. Surveying customers can generate vital information that can keep a business competitive, and it can be done creatively with a live audience response system to enliven an environment.