Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Survey Questions with Examples

As a business owner or manager, you always strive to provide your customers with the best possible experience. 

But how do you know if your customers are happy with your products and services? 

The answer lies in customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys. But, have you ever wondered why only CSAT surveys and not other metrics? And what questions should you ask in these surveys?

In this blog, we’ll delve into why CSAT surveys are the go-to metric for measuring customer satisfaction, as opposed to other metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Effort Score (CES), how to conduct them, and how to use the feedback you receive to improve your products and services. 

So, let’s dive in and uncover the secrets to unlocking your customers’ satisfaction.

What is a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Survey?

A Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) survey enables businesses to measure customer satisfaction levels by asking a set of questions to customers.

But why should you conduct CSAT surveys? 

Why should you conduct CSAT Surveys?

CSAT surveys help you to understand what your customers want and expect from your business, including their likes and dislikes, needs, and expectations.

After gathering these valuable insights, you can make better decisions about how to improve your products and services and meet those expectations.

Further, CSAT surveys enable you to 

• Improve your marketing and financial strategic plan
• Identify areas that need improvement
• Boost customer retention
• Increase Customer Lifetime Value and measure your business results
• Get new insights and ideas from your customer
• Identify if you are providing significant and relevant service to your customers

By gathering new insights and ideas from customers, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and innovate their offerings.

All this information can help you to optimize your operations, products, and services, increase customer retention, and drive revenue growth.

So start leveraging CSAT surveys now to deliver exceptional customer experience.

Now comes the question — what type of questions should you ask in CSAT surveys, and on what scales?

Types of Customer Survey Satisfaction (CSAT) Questions on Different Scales 

Knowing the right questions to ask in the CSAT surveys can help you to gauge exactly what you are looking for. 

So, if you’re unsure about what questions to ask on which scale, the following section will help you out. 

1. Likert Scale Questions

Likert scale CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) question is a survey question that asks customers to rate their level of agreement or disagreement with a statement. The Likert scale typically consists of a range of five to seven response options, with each option representing a different degree of agreement or disagreement. Customers are asked to select the option that best reflects their opinion or experience. The responses are then used to calculate an overall satisfaction score.

Why should you use it?

• They measure attitudes and opinions quantitatively.
• They are standardized and can be used across industries, making comparisons easy.
• They are versatile and can measure a wide range of attitudes and opinions.
• They are customizable, allowing for greater flexibility in measuring customer satisfaction.
• They provide actionable insights for improving customer satisfaction.

When should you use it?

1. Post-purchase experience

• Measure their satisfaction with the product or service they received

2. Customer support interactions

• Measure their satisfaction with the support they received

3. Website or app experience

• Measure customer satisfaction with the website or app’s usability, design, and features.

4. Product or service usage

• Measure customer satisfaction with specific features or attributes.

5. Overall brand perception 

• Measure overall brand perception and loyalty, helping you to identify areas for improvement and increase customer retention.

2. Multiple-Choice Grid Questions

Multiple-choice grid CSAT questions are a type of survey question that present respondents with a series of statements or attributes and ask them to rate their level of satisfaction or agreement using a scale. 

The scale is typically a range of options, such as “strongly agree,” “somewhat agree,” “neither agree nor disagree,” “somewhat disagree,” and “strongly disagree.” 

The questions are presented in a grid format, with the statements or attributes listed along the left-hand column and the rating options listed across the top. This format allows for the efficient collection of data and easy comparison of satisfaction levels across different statements or attributes.

Why should you use it?

• Allows you to collect data on multiple attributes or statements using a single question, saving time and effort
• Allows for easy comparison of satisfaction levels across different attributes or statements, making it easy to identify areas of strength and weakness
• Allows for consistent measurement of satisfaction levels across different products or services, making it easier to compare results and track changes over time
• It can be customized to fit specific survey needs, allowing you to target the most relevant attributes or statements for your customers
• Data collected through multiple-choice grid questions can provide clear insights into specific areas where improvements can be made, allowing you to take actionable steps to improve customer satisfaction

When should you use it?

1. After a purchase
2. During customer service interaction
3. After a product or service experience.
4. When collecting feedback on specific features or aspects of a product or service.

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3. Binary scale questions

Binary scale CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) questions are a type of survey question that asks customers to rate their level of satisfaction with a product or service on a scale with only two options: “yes” or “no,” “satisfied” or “not satisfied,” or “would recommend” or “would not recommend.”

Why should you use it?

• Simple and easy to answer, making them ideal for quick surveys
• Provide a standardized measurement tool that can be used across different industries
• Offer clarity and straightforward responses for understanding customer satisfaction levels
• Provide actionable insights for improving products or services

When should you use it?

1. After a purchase or transaction
2. After customer support interactions or ticket resolutions
3. After a service or repair has been completed
4. After a product demo or trial period
5. After a customer has used a product or service for a certain period of time

4. Rating scale questions

Rating scale CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) questions are a type of survey question that asks customers to rate their level of satisfaction with a product or service using a numerical rating scale. 

The rating scale typically ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest level of satisfaction and 10 being the highest level of satisfaction.

Why should you use it?

• Provide detailed feedback for understanding specific areas of improvement
• Offer more granularity and precision in measuring customer satisfaction levels
• Help identify areas for improvement that may not be immediately apparent
• Allow for comparison of satisfaction levels across different products, services, and customer segments
• Results of rating scale questions can be used for predictive insights into future customer behavior and identifying potential areas of growth or risk

When should you use it?

1. Pre-purchase: 

• Ease of finding information about your product or service
• Responsiveness of your customer support team
• Overall impression of your website or marketing materials.

2. Purchase: 

• Ease of the checkout process
• Accuracy of the order
• Availability of payment options.

3. Post-purchase: 

• Speed and accuracy of delivery
• Quality of the product or service
• Responsiveness of the customer support team.

4. Ongoing customer experience: 

• Quality and relevance of your communications
• Ease of accessing your products or services
• Level of personalization and customization you offer.

5. Semantic differential scale questions

Semantic differential scale CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) questions are a type of survey question that asks respondents to rate their satisfaction on a scale of opposite adjectives or descriptors. 

The scale typically ranges from two to seven points and may include adjectives such as good/bad, fast/slow, pleasant/unpleasant, and satisfied/dissatisfied.

Why should you use it?

1. Provide more nuanced feedback by rating satisfaction along a range of attributes or dimensions.
2. Help identify specific attributes or dimensions driving customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
3. Allow for comparative analysis between different products, services, and customer segments.
4. The results of semantic differential questions can be used for predictive insights into future customer behavior and identifying potential areas of growth or risk.

When should you use it?

1. Post-purchase evaluation

• Quality of the product
• Speed of delivery
• Overall shopping experience

2. Customer service interactions

• Clarity of the information provided
• Friendliness of the representative
• Overall satisfaction with the interaction

3. Website and app usage

• Ease of use of a website or app
• Speed of loading pages
• Overall satisfaction with the platform

4. Product feedback

• Quality of the packaging
• Durability of the product
• Ease of use

5. Post-event evaluation

• Quality of the presentations
• Organization of the event
• Overall satisfaction with the experience

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While there are plenty of ways in which you can use a CSAT survey, you must not forget to add an open-ended question. 

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions actually open the doors for you to dive into customers’ expectations and experiences. 

Why should you use it?

Asking open-ended Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) questions can provide valuable insights and feedback from your customers that you might not get from closed-ended questions. 

• Allows customers to express their thoughts and feelings
• Uncovers issues you may not have considered
• Provides richer feedback
• Builds rapport with customers

When should you use it?

Launch open-ended questions when you want to gather thorough customer feedback, as these questions do not limit the respondents to answering their hearts.

Examples of Open-Ended CSAT Questions

• What could we have done better to make your experience happy?
• Tell us what did you like the most in today’s transaction?
• What’s the best thing about working with us [company name] for you and why?
• What can our customer support team do better?
• Why did you choose us [company name or product] over our competitors?
• Are there any particular features or functionalities that you feel are missing from our products/services?
• What challenges or goals were you hoping to address through our product use?

The given questions can be customized in multiple ways as per your industry. 

Launch CSAT Survey with SurveySensum – Request a Demo

So far, so good. 

But would you be interested in knowing the best practices to include in your CSAT survey question surveys?

Best Practices for Creating CSAT Survey question surveys

Follow these best practices to ensure your CSAT surveys measure and improve customer satisfaction, increase loyalty, and gain a competitive edge in the market.  

• Keep the customer survey questions SSS: SIMPLE, SHORT, and STRAIGHTFORWARD.
• Create your survey MOBILE-FRIENDLY: Make it easily accessible. 
• Avoid bias: Avoid leading or loaded questions that could influence the customer’s response.
• Use a mix of question types: Consider using a mix of binary, rating, semantic differential, and Likert scale questions to gather more comprehensive feedback.
• Ask specific questions: Ask specific questions about different touchpoints or aspects of the product or service to gather more actionable feedback.
• Include open-ended questions: Include open-ended questions to allow customers to provide more detailed feedback and to capture feedback that may not fit into the pre-defined answer options.
• Test the questions: Test the survey questions with a small group of customers before launching the survey to ensure that the questions are clear and easy to understand.
• Provide context: Provide context for the questions by explaining why the feedback is important and how it will be used to improve the customer experience.

Conclusion

So there you have it, folks! Customer satisfaction surveys are a powerful tool for improving customer satisfaction and increasing revenue, but it’s essential to ask the right questions at the right time.

To get the most out of your surveys, make sure to map out the customer journey and ask relevant questions to gain valuable insights into your customers’ experiences. This can help you identify areas for improvement and enhance the overall customer experience.

Another important factor to consider is survey fatigue. You don’t want to overwhelm your customers with too many surveys, as this can lead to low response rates and inaccurate results. That’s why it’s crucial to use a reliable omnichannel survey tool.

If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to create and launch CSAT surveys, SurveySensum is a great option. It’s easy to use and comes with powerful features that help you gather valuable customer feedback and improve your business.

Here is a 3-Step Process to Create a CSAT survey with SurveySensum

STEP 1: Log in to the SurveySensum platform.

STEP 2: Click on Create a survey, and select the CSAT survey template. 

STEP 3: Personalize the survey as per your brand requirements, and once done, click on Share Survey.

Once you share the surveys, you will start getting real-time feedback in your dashboard.

And not just that!

The Text Analysis will analyze all the feedback and will give you top trends for you to take action on.