Knowing how to create customer satisfaction surveys that customers want to respond to is an excellent skill for companies to have in their back pockets. But knowing how to uncover important insights from those surveys is equally important. When you have a goldmine of data in your hands from surveys, you need to know what to do with it afterward to build customer loyalty and drive revenue.

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For this guide, we’ve gathered tips for using the customer satisfaction data you collect from surveys and drawing insights from that data. We also list expert-recommended questions you should be asking on your surveys to get data-rich responses. Here’s a snapshot of the tips you’ll find in this guide:

• Use larger rating scales (like 1-10 or 0-10) to give respondents more to think about when rating
• Keep customer satisfaction surveys short and laser-focused on your goals
• Ask at least one question that can yield a Net Promoter Score
• Uncover insights to enhance future customer journeys by asking behavior-related questions

In this article:

• The benefits of customer satisfaction surveys
• 13 tips for using customer satisfaction surveys to drive success
• 12 questions to ask in customer satisfaction surveys
• Frequently asked questions
• The benefits of customer satisfaction surveys

Customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys can help you learn a lot about your customers, their buying behaviors, and their buying wants and needs. Businesses of all sizes use them to follow up with customers after a purchase or to capture their in-the-moment thoughts, like adding a survey to the end of a live chat conversation with customer support.

Here’s a look at the biggest benefits of conducting regular CSAT surveys:

• Identifying areas for improvement: Customer satisfaction surveys provide valuable insights into what customers think about your products or services. By collecting feedback through surveys, you can identify specific areas that need improvement and take action to address any issues.
• Improved customer retention: Listening to customer feedback and addressing their concerns can improve customer loyalty and retention. Customers who feel that their opinions are valued are more likely to continue doing business with a company.
• Maintaining a positive reputation: Customer satisfaction surveys help your business demonstrate its commitment to customer service and quality. Positive feedback from customers can be used in marketing materials and on social media to build a positive reputation and attract new customers.
• Driving innovation: Customer satisfaction surveys can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behavior. This information can be used to develop new products or services that meet customer needs and stay ahead of the competition.
• Increasing revenue: Satisfied customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and recommend a business to others. By measuring and improving customer satisfaction through surveys, businesses can increase customer lifetime value and ultimately drive revenue growth.

Customer satisfaction in the U.S. dropped to a score of 73.2 out of 100 in early 2022, its lowest point in 17 years.

But today, there are more ways than ever for companies to improve #CSAT. Head over to our blog to learn more:

— CallMiner, Inc. (@CallMiner) August 10, 2022

13 tips for using customer satisfaction surveys to drive success

1. Leverage conversation intelligence for deeper insights. “When compared to other techniques for gathering customer data, conversation intelligence provides a far deeper and more comprehensive understanding of customers’ mindsets, experiences, and journeys. Conversation intelligence technology helps businesses capture 100% of customer conversations, rather than the minute fraction captured by surveys, focus groups, and manual call reviews.

“Automated processes and real- time analytics deliver results quickly, enabling contact center agents to get next-best-action guidance during calls. And conversation intelligence solutions analyze conversations on every channel, drawing insight from interactions that other approaches simply can’t consider.”

- How Does Conversation Intelligence Work?, CallMiner; X/Twitter: @CallMiner

2. Find trends in customer segments. “Customer satisfaction surveys allow you to access rich data on how customers interact with your product regularly. Depending on the scope of your survey, you can use your survey questions to narrow down on specific behaviors, actions, preferences, and more.

“Analyzing this data set regularly keeps you on the pulse of customer trends and helps you familiarize yourself with your ideal customer persona. You can use customer surveys to enhance your competitive intelligence and adapt your product to market shifts and evolving customer cultures. You’ll also be better positioned to identify patterns or irregularities in customer behavior that can lead to growth opportunities and business risks.”

- Andrew Dennis, 50 Examples of Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions, Whatfix; X/Twitter: @whatfix

3. Use ratings from 1-10. “Use rating scales from 1-10. We find that participants are more inclined to think about the number they select, rather than 1-5, where they are more often to pick 3, which doesn't tell us much aside from being middle of the road.”

- Scott Clark, How to Create Effective Customer Surveys and Obtain Actionable Insights, via CMS Wire; X/Twitter: @CMSWire

4. Explain the purpose of your survey to engage customers. “An introduction is a key component to every customer satisfaction survey. The purpose behind a survey introduction is to provide context for the questionnaire. This is where you’ll tell the reader who you are and why you’re asking for their feedback. Give them an overview of what to expect from the survey, including how long it’ll take to complete and how their feedback will be used.

“Be transparent about the purpose of your survey. For instance, if the survey goal is to improve your online booking experience, mention this in your introduction. You’ll also want to note the survey duration. It’s best to be specific, such as saying ‘This should only take 5 minutes of your time.’ Lastly, you’ll include any relevant instructions for completing the survey.”

- Carla Vianna, 8 best practices for designing customer satisfaction surveys, Xola; X/Twitter: @Xola

5. Avoid bombarding customers with questions. “Don’t interrogate your kind participants with page after page of highly detailed questions about every facet of your business. Keep your client feedback survey as succinct as possible, and you’ll have a better chance of getting meaningful data. Remember, you can always do follow-up surveys, and you’ll learn more with each poll you do.”

- 50 examples of great customer satisfaction survey questions, SurveyMonkey; X/Twitter: @SurveyMonkey

6. Survey customers at multiple points in the customer journey. “All types of surveys can be helpful or relevant. Even so, if you survey customers at just one point in their journey, then you’re not getting a full picture of their experience. They might feel or think very differently or want very different things at other moments in the journey. So to really generate ideas about what to do, be sure to survey customers and analyze your results at every point. This will give you a higher-level, big-picture view of what their journey is like. This way, you see how everything connects and have context for what they tell you.”

- Sumit Aneja, Generating actionable insights from customer satisfaction surveys, Fast Company; X/Twitter: @FastCompany

7. Use feedback to educate customer support agents. “Educate your employees on the typical issues customers mention when they submit contact forms. If half of your contact forms contain the same question or complaint, you’ll know many consumers experience the same problem. Help your team create a fast, helpful answer for this problem, or post the answer in your instructions or on your FAQ or self-help page.”

- Jennifer Dublino, How to Use Customer Feedback to Your Advantage, Business.com; X/Twitter: @businessdotcom

8. Analyze your data—including open-ended comments. “Code and analyze the data. Once you’ve got your survey responses in, it’s time to find the signal in all that noise. Hopefully you have a large, statistically-significant, set of respondents, so your findings are predictive and forecastable.

“As part of your survey analysis, it is critical to code the open-ended comments. And by code we don’t mean simply read or make a word cloud. You need to scientifically parse and categorize the comments because this is how you bring that data to life in meaningful, actionable ways.”

- Martha Brooke, 6 Steps to Improve Your Customer Satisfaction Surveys, CallMiner; X/Twitter: @CallMiner

9. Filter out unclean data before analyzing. “Data cleaning (or data scrubbing) is the process of identifying and removing corrupt, inaccurate, or irrelevant information from raw data. Correcting or removing “dirty data” improves the reliability and value of response data for better decision-making. There are two types of data cleaning methods.

• Manual cleaning of data, done by hand, is quite time-consuming. It’s best performed on small data sets.
• Computer-based data cleaning (automated data cleaning) is quicker and ideal for large data sets. It uses machine learning to carry out the data cleaning objectives.”

- Jasko Mahmutovic, How to Perform Data Cleaning in Survey Research + Top 7 Benefits, SurveyLegend; X/Twitter: @surveylegend

10. Take advantage of multiple types of visualization. “Data visualization offers you a unique way of processing data and generating reliable insights that are vital to business growth. If the quantitative data that you have gathered from your market audience is difficult to analyze, you can incorporate the power of data visualizations such as graphs, charts (Likert scale), and maps to convert the data into the best format that you can easily read and interpret.”

- How to Analyze Survey Results to Extract Actionable Insights?, ChartExpo; X/Twitter: @ChartExpo_

11. Gather sentiment from feedback. “With your surveys in hand, conduct sentiment analysis to determine whether the feedback is positive or negative. Once you have a general idea of tone, dig deeper to figure out why you got the feedback or scores you did. Throughout this process, technology can help you clue into what the customers are trying to tell you.

“One area where many companies are advancing, for instance, is natural language processing. Software programs can compensate for issues like grammar mistakes. But they are now also providing the capability to group different keywords into specific categories so it’s easy to recognize when people are identifying the same problem, even if the way they express the problem is a little different from customer to customer. Engineers are developing ways to tag the concerns, as well. No matter which tools you use for sentiment analysis, it’s understanding the ‘why’ that will allow you to decide what to do next.”

- Sumit Aneja, Generating actionable insights from customer satisfaction surveys, Fast Company; X/Twitter: @FastCompany

12. Set benchmarks to track over time. “In addition to gathering insights and analyzing those insights in a way that tells a story, you’ll also want to track progress and set benchmarks and goals for your team. By tracking CSAT scores over time — for certain subsets of customers or particular aspects of the business — you can identify the impact of initiatives that have been put in place and evaluate their effectiveness.

“For example, perhaps you recently implemented a language translation service to better serve your global customer base. If you notice a clear increase in CSAT survey scores for international customers, you can attribute the rise in satisfaction (at least in part, depending on other aspects of your business that have also improved) to the native language service options that those customers now have access to.”

- Diana Afonso, How to Use Customer Satisfaction Surveys to Improve Your Business, Unbabel; X/Twitter: @Unbabel

13. Have a goal-oriented approach. “Clarity is key in survey questions. Each question should be easy to understand and precisely focused on extracting specific information. Only ask questions that directly contribute to your survey's goal.

“This targeted approach ensures that every question serves a purpose and aligns with the overall objective of your survey. Avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse your respondents.

“A well-crafted question leads to more accurate and useful responses. It's better to have straightforward, direct questions than ones that leave your respondents scratching their heads. By focusing questions on meeting your goal, you eliminate any irrelevant or extraneous inquiries that could muddy your data.

“Every question should bring you a step closer to understanding your customers better about your specific objectives.”

- Questions for an Effective Customer Satisfaction Surveys, Paperform; X/Twitter: @PaperformCo

12 questions to ask in customer satisfaction surveys

1. “How likely is it that you would recommend [company] to a friend or colleague?” “A Net Promoter Score is a metric used in customer experience programs and it measures how loyal customers are to a company. It is a single, simple question that is asked to establish your customers’ perception: How likely is it that you would recommend [Organization X] to a friend or colleague?

“Respondents give a rating between 0 (not at all likely) and 10 (extremely likely) and, depending on their response, customers fall into one of three categories to establish an NPS score:

• Promoters respond with a score of 9 or 10 and are typically loyal and enthusiastic customers.
• Passives respond with a score of 7 or 8. They are satisfied with your service but not happy enough to be considered Promoters.
• Detractors respond with a score of 0 to 6. These are unhappy customers who are unlikely to buy from you again, and may even discourage others from buying from you.

Based on this, the company’s NPS score will be a number from -100 to +100. A higher score as close to +100 is desirable.”

- Perfecting the Net Promoter Score (NPS) question: Examples and template, Qualtrics; X/Twitter: @Qualtrics

2. “Is there a way in which we can improve your experience when you shop with us?” “[Open-text] questions allow respondents to create their own answers. They are harder to analyze but they can also be a goldmine in terms of data and potential insights into the thoughts of your audience. It can also show you the emotional pull of customers that you might not have thought of. Finally, you can look at how audiences are writing and get lots of information about their demographics, education, and how they look at life.”

- 14 Questions To Ask For Your Customer Satisfaction Survey, Drag’n Survey; X/Twitter: @DragnSurvey_int

3. “Which of the following words would you use to describe our product?” “Why should you care how people would describe your product? Because it’s an important issue when your product gets described as ‘buggy’ instead of ‘life-saving.’

“If you don’t want to give your users any suggestions, you can use the open-ended variation of this customer survey question and ask, ‘How would you describe our product?’.

“Answers to any of those will show you how well you communicate your value proposition and product vision to users. If your goal is to provide them with the world’s most sophisticated graphics software and people describe it as ‘Paint with 1 cool feature,” it means that the communication is broken.”

- Kasia Perzynska, 21 Powerful Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions, Survicate; X/Twitter: @Survicate

4. “Why did you choose to use our [product/service] over other options?” “What sets you apart from your competitors? This helps you gauge how you’re competing with others in your customers’ mind on price, service, and solutions offered—and you might even discover a competitive advantage you weren’t aware of.”

- Fio Dossetto, 28 of our favorite customer feedback questions, Hotjar; X/Twitter: @hotjar

5. “How satisfied were you with how quickly [platform was set up/your item(s) were shipped to you]?” “Once someone has purchased your product, the customer experience focus shifts towards customer retention. Now that your prospects are paying customers, their very first real interaction with your product will occur during their onboarding experience. To ensure they can feel the value of your service right off the bat, you want to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.”

- Lucia Chung, 52 popular customer satisfaction survey questions by customer journey, Delighted by Qualtrics; X/Twitter: @Delighted

6. “How easy or difficult was the product to use?” “Semantic differential scales are based on binary statements, such as disagree and agree, but respondents can choose from a wide number of points between them. That means customers don't have to pick just one or the other — they can choose a point between the two poles that reflects their experience accurately.

“Say a website owner is testing out a new homepage design. So, they ask visitors a semantic differential question, ‘Do you like the new website design?’ They let respondents answer using two extreme options of ‘I don’t like it’ and ‘I like it’ or multiple unlabeled options in between. This can give the website owner a good handle on respondents’ actual perceptions of the new design, particularly if there are follow-up questions about specific design elements.

“When to use: Use this type of question if you want respondents to be able to interpret the answer continuum as they see fit. This can help you find out their strength of satisfaction or dissatisfaction without introducing bias from labels like ‘neutral’ or ‘somewhat satisfied.’”

- Alex Birkett, How To Design Customer Satisfaction Surveys That Get Results [+ Templates], HubSpot; X/Twitter: @HubSpot

7. “Based on your experience today, would you use this channel again?” “Include channel-specific questions on a customer survey to assess which customer support channels are the most effective, and which channels need to be revised.

“Your goal might be to have customers’ questions answered on the first attempt for a positive experience. The questions you ask will help you identify positive patterns or gaps in knowledge.”

- Harry Gough, Customer service surveys: What questions to ask and why, Qualtrics; X/Twitter: @Qualtrics

8. “How long has it been since you last purchased [type of product you sell]?” “Behavior-oriented questions help you understand how, why, and how often they buy. ‘How long has it been since you last purchased a camping tent?’ and ‘Which of the following events would lead you to shop for a new camping tent in the next 90 days?’ are behavior-oriented questions.”

- David Hoos, The Best Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions (for Top Growth Insights), The Good; X/Twitter: @thegood

9. “Which other options did you consider before choosing our product?” “You may think you don’t need this customer feedback question to know what your competition is. The truth is, it’s good to know exactly which products your customers believe to be your competition. Sometimes they take into account companies that you would never think of.

“It is especially useful to know if they happened to compare you with a totally different type of product. Then, it is worth a while to check if your communication with potential and current customers creates a clear image of your product that is coherent with your own vision.

“Besides, the odds will be in your favor if you use the feedback to constantly improve what you provide to your customers and make sure that you are a better option than your competitors.”

- Kasia Perzynska, 21 Powerful Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions, Survicate; X/Twitter: @Survicate

10. "What’s your biggest roadblock when (insert something related to your product)?" “Psychographic questions dig deeper than demographic questions, uncovering information relating to your customers’ preferences, habits, behaviors, and tendencies. It’s not about who your customer is, but why they do what they do.

“Psychographic questions may seem intrusive, but they’re highly valuable pieces of information that give you a glimpse into the reasons for your customer’s buying habits.

“They’re usually phrased concerning your industry and not specifically about your product. These questions are instrumental in customer satisfaction surveys because you can indirectly find out how you can better serve your customers.”

- Ruchika Sharma, 23 Excellent Customer Satisfaction Survey Examples [+ Templates], HubSpot; X/Twitter: @HubSpot

11. “How knowledgeable was your customer service agent?” “The quality of customer service a company provides can make or break the business. In fact, companies with a stellar service experience stand to make up to 8% more revenue than their competitors. If a customer complaint gets out of control and the conversation moves to social media and online review sites, the result is a reputation management nightmare that can result in lost business.

“On the other hand, if the customer support team runs like a well-oiled machine, resolution times and strong CES/CSAT scores become brand differentiators that can help win new clients.”

- Lucia Chung, 52 popular customer satisfaction survey questions by customer journey, Delighted by Qualtrics; X/Twitter: @Delighted

12. “How was the overall value for money?” “Although we all love a bargain, most of us are happy to spend a bit more if it means we’re getting a quality product or service. Value for money is vital for keeping a customer coming back.”

- Joshua Nicholas, 16 questions for your customer satisfaction survey, Snap Surveys; X/Twitter: @SnapSurveys

In today's competitive landscape, it's critical that brands understand and meet their customers' unique needs.

With the right #CX tool, businesses can gain deep insights into customer satisfaction, and take action to improve loyalty. 📈 Read more in our latest blog.

— CallMiner, Inc. (@CallMiner) July 2, 2024

CSAT surveys are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding your customers, their behaviors, motivations, needs, and wants. Conversation intelligence solutions like CallMiner monitor 100% of customer interactions across channels—phone, email, social media, chat, and more—for deep customer insights. Tapping into unsolicited customer feedback is a goldmine of information you can leverage to improve customer satisfaction, optimize survey creation, and drive business results. Request a demo today to learn more.

Frequently asked questions

What challenges do customer satisfaction surveys have?

Perhaps the biggest challenge companies have with customer satisfaction surveys is encouraging customers to complete them, especially if they take longer than 1-2 minutes to complete. Creating highly focused, short surveys can increase completion rates.

It can also be challenging to create customer segments for surveys without the right data. Collecting demographics and customer behavior data can help you segment customers to provide more personalized surveys.

How can you get a Net Promoter Score from surveys?

A Net Promoter Score (NPS) comes from a survey question that ranks how customers feel about a brand, like “How likely are you to recommend [company or product/service] to a friend?” The scale ranges from 0 to 10. Customers rating a 9 or 10 are called promoters, while those rating 6 and below are detractors.

To calculate NPS, add the number of promoters, divide that number by the total survey respondents, and multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage. Do the same for detractors. Then, subtract the percentage of detractors by the percentage of promoters, which results in the NPS.

What questions should I ask in a customer satisfaction survey?

Customer satisfaction surveys should focus solely on your goals, so the questions you ask in each survey may vary. However, it’s generally a good idea to get a little background information on your customers by asking demographic questions before moving into company or product-specific questions. A few common questions to add to customer satisfaction surveys include:

• What other companies or products did you consider before trying ours?
• How satisfied were you with [onboarding, shipping, etc.]?
• How can we improve your experience next time?
• How likely are you to recommend our company to others?