Effective Survey Questions for Assessing Customer Experience

Customers are the lifeblood of any brand, and if they don't exist, a brand can never be a brand. But do you know customers also share something else with blood? What's it? It's their circulation. Just like blood, customers should also retain and keep coming back. Additionally, having new customers is also important, and when they come without any cash to spend them, it's even over.  

However, the problem is that 71% of customers cut their ties with brands due to unexpected customer service. So, it's really hard for brands to be like one that can not only retain their customers but turn them into loyal customers. The key here, of course, is to become as customer-centric as possible, but the question is, how? 

The answer is feedback surveys for customer experience. Yes, if you want to make yourself a brand that satisfies customers, you should listen to them as well. So, in this blog we will look at what customer experience surveys are, their benefits and best questions to ask.  

Explaining a Customer Experience Survey 

A customer experience survey, in the simplest way possible, is asking your customers how they felt about their visit to your business. Now, we are not talking about physical visits. Instead, here we are talking about any customer transaction with your business. It includes product purchase, delivery, or even customer support integration. Gathering the experiences of customers at these points through surveys is what we know as a CX survey. It's a way for businesses to understand what their customers liked and didn't like about their experience.  

For example, imagine you run a small café. After a customer leaves, you might want to know if they enjoyed the food or if the service was friendly. So, you can send out a survey asking questions like: "How satisfied were you with your dining experience?" or "Was the staff helpful and courteous?"

The goal of this survey is to gather honest feedback from customers. This feedback helps businesses identify areas where they're doing well and areas where they can improve.

Important Metrics to Measure Using Customer Experience Surveys

Customer experience surveys use several key metrics to measure different aspects of the customer journey. Here are three important metrics commonly used in the CX surveys: 

1. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS is a widely used metric that focuses on customer loyalty and the likelihood of recommending a business to others. It's measured by asking customers to rate, typically on a scale of 0-10. The question may look like this: "How likely are they to recommend the business to friends or colleagues?". Based on their responses, customers are categorized into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. The Net Promoter Score is then calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. A high NPS indicates that customers are satisfied. Hence, they are more likely to recommend the business. On the other hand, a low NPS signals potential areas for improvement. 

2. Customer Effort Score (CES) 

CES measures the ease with which customers can accomplish a task or resolve an issue when interacting with a business. Customers are asked to rate, often on a scale of 1-7 or 1-5. The thing that makes it different from the NPS is the question that is asked. It mostly gauges how easy it is for the customer to do something related to the business. For example, finding information to resolve an issue or setting up the product. A lower CES score indicates that customers found the experience less effortful. Moreover, a higher score suggests that more effort was required. 

3. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) 

CSAT measures overall customer satisfaction with a product, service, or interaction. Customers are asked to rate, typically on a scale of 1-5 or 1-7, their satisfaction with a recent experience, such as a purchase or support interaction. CSAT provides immediate feedback on specific interactions. It allows businesses to gauge how well they're meeting customer expectations. It's different from NPS as it gives a transaction-wise satisfaction rating. So, if you want to know about how satisfied your customers are with a particular thing like customer support, then Customer Satisfaction does the work.  

Also Read: The Power of Customer Satisfaction

These metrics help businesses gauge different aspects of the customer experience and track changes over time. But what about the questions to ask in customer experience surveys? Let's have a look at them now.

10 Questions to Add in Your Customer Experience Survey 

NPS Questions 

1. On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague? 
2. How likely are you to purchase from us again in the future? 
3. On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our product to others? 
4. How likely are you to continue using our services in the future? 

These questions measure customer retention and loyalty toward the company's services and products. It helps businesses understand if customers are satisfied with the services/products provided and if they plan to continue using them. 

CSAT Questions 

1. How satisfied are you with the service you received today?  
2. How satisfied are you with the quality of our products? 
3. How satisfied are you with the responsiveness of our customer support team? 

These questions evaluate customer satisfaction with transactions like buying or customer support interaction. It helps businesses assess the quality of their product/service, its delivery, and its support services. So, one can identify areas for improvement in these parts of the business.

CES Questions

1. On a scale of 1-5, how easy was it to resolve your issue today? 
2. How easy was it to find the information you were looking for on our website? 
3. How easy was it to complete your purchase on our mobile app?

These questions measure the ease of the customers doing something with the brand. It includes the buying process, getting the [product/service delivered, or interacting with customer service. Here, you can see that CES can be implemented for multiple business processes like customer service, website, and even the product itself.  

The Power of Conducting CX Surveys 

Customer experience surveys play a crucial role in shaping the success of businesses across various industries. Here are some key impacts of performing these surveys: