Key questions when creating customer satisfaction surveys

Ever find yourself wondering what your customers really want? Customer satisfaction surveys might just be your golden ticket! We know what you're thinking – surveys are draggy and boring, just a bunch of checkboxes. But guess what? Customer satisfaction surveys can be exciting and are often the key to truly understanding and boosting your customers' happiness. By diving into their thoughts and perspectives through surveys, you can make smarter decisions and elevate satisfaction levels. Here’s your ultimate guide to creating surveys that hit the mark:

Crafting effective customer satisfaction surveys

Get to know your customers

Demographic insights: Understand your audience better with questions about age, location, occupation, and more. This helps tailor your offerings to meet diverse customer needs.

• Age: What is your age group?
• Gender: How do you identify your gender?
• Location: Where are you located?
• Occupation: What industry do you work in?

Dig into usage patterns

Product Usage: Learn how customers use your product, how often, and what features they love most. This data is gold for refining your offerings and enhancing user experience.

• Frequency: How often do you use our product/service?
• Duration: How long have you been using our product/service?
• Features: Which features do you find most valuable/useful?‍

Rate the experience

Quantitative Feedback: Numbers speak volumes. Measure satisfaction levels, likelihood to recommend (Net Promoter Score), and purchase intent to gauge how customers really feel.

• Rating: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with our product/service?
• Purchase Intent: How likely are you to purchase from us again?
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?

Know the why’s and what’s

Follow-Up Queries: Explore the 'whys' behind the ratings. These questions uncover specific areas for improvement and show you care about what matters most to your customers.

• Reasoning: What influenced your rating?
• Improvements: What improvements would you suggest?

Let customers speak for themselves

Open-Ended Insights: Sometimes, the best feedback comes in their own words. Invite customers to share their thoughts and suggestions freely, providing rich qualitative insights.

• Feedback: Please share any additional comments or suggestions.
• Experience: Describe your recent experience with our customer service.

Understand survey question types

Nominal, Ordinal, Likert, and Semantic differential scales 

From simple preferences to nuanced sentiments, choose the right scale to capture the depth of customer feedback effectively.

• Nominal scale questions: Use Yes/No or categorical responses to categorise data into discrete groups, useful for gathering demographic data or preferences.
• Ordinal scale questions: Rank preferences or satisfaction levels to gauge relative importance or satisfaction without precise measurement between ranks.
• Likert scale questions: Measure agreement/disagreement on a scale to assess attitudes or perceptions effectively.
• Semantic differential questions: Rate concepts using bipolar scales with pairs of adjectives to capture nuanced customer perceptions or preferences.

B2B vs. B2C focus

Tailor questions to suit business or consumer contexts, ensuring you get insights that align with your audience's needs and expectations.

• B2B questions: Focus on business needs, decision-making processes, and ROI. They are tailored to address the unique dynamics of business relationships and service expectations.
• B2C questions: Address consumer preferences, buying behaviour, and satisfaction with individual purchases. They aim to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty through targeted insights.

Use targeted questions for every touchpoint

Customer service experience questions

Customer service experience questions evaluate customer satisfaction with support interactions, responsiveness, and issue resolution processes. They help businesses identify strengths and weaknesses in their service delivery and customer relationship management.

• How satisfied are you with the speed of our customer service response?
• Did our customer service representative resolve your issue effectively?

Customer loyalty questions

Customer loyalty questions measure customers’ likelihood to continue purchasing from or recommending a brand. They assess factors influencing brand loyalty and identify opportunities to enhance customer retention strategies.

• How likely are you to choose our brand over competitors in the future?
• What factors would influence your decision to switch to a competitor?

Website/user experience questions

Website/user experience questions gauge satisfaction levels with website navigation, content accessibility, and overall user interface design. They aim to optimise digital touchpoints and improve online customer engagement.

• How easy was it to navigate our website?
• Did you find the information you were looking for?

What are the best practices when creating surveys?

1. Keep it short and sweet

Respect their time with concise surveys under 10 questions to boost completion rates and minimise survey fatigue.

2. Strike while the iron is hot

Send surveys promptly after interactions to capture fresh feedback when experiences are still top of mind.

3. Speak their language

Use clear, jargon-free language to ensure questions are easily understood and responses are accurate.

4. Incentivise participation

Reward respondents with discounts or entries into prize draws, encouraging higher response rates and more valuable insights.

Conclusion

And there you have it! At the end of the day, customer satisfaction surveys aren't just about collecting data; they're about building meaningful, lasting connections. By creating surveys that truly resonate and sticking to best practices, businesses can transform insights into actionable strategies that fuel growth and boost customer loyalty. It’s time to listen, learn, and lead with customer feedback as your guide.

Milieu Insight, a leading market research agency in Singapore, supports companies in making informed decisions with its digital survey tool and expert insights.