Best questions for NPS and CSAT surveys

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys are valuable tools for measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction. That means crafting practical questions for these surveys is crucial. However, you can significantly simplify the response collection in the Zendesk process by using the NPS and Survey app for the Zendesk platform.

However, even with the best tool, you need to think about how well-aimed your questions are. Here are some best practices and sample questions for both NPS and CSAT surveys you can peek here:

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

1. The Ultimate NPS Question:
1. "Would you recommend our [product/service/company] to your friend or a teammate?"
2. Responses are typically divided into three groups:

1. Promoters (score 9-10): Your most loyal customers are likely to recommend your business.
2. Passives (score 7-8): More-less satisfied, but not active advisers of your product.
3. Detractors (score 0-6): Disappointed clients. They can probably harm your brand.

1. Follow-up Question for NPS:
1. "What is the primary reason for your score?"
2. Additional Questions (if needed):
1. "Is there anything specific we can do to improve your experience?"
3. Employee-Specific NPS Question:
1. "How was your interaction with [Employee's Name], would you recommend [product/service/company] to a friend or teammate?"
4. Competitor Comparison Question:
1. "How does our [product/service/company] compare to our competitors in meeting your needs? Please rate from 1 to 10."

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

1. Standard CSAT Question:
1. "How was your experience with our [product/service/company]?"
2. Response options are typically a 5-point or 7-point scale (e.g., Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied).
2. Follow-up Question for CSAT:
1. "What specifically did you like or dislike about your experience?"
3. Effort-Specific CSAT Question (for support interactions):
1. "How easy was it to resolve your issue with our customer support team?"
2. Response options are typically a 5-point or 7-point scale (e.g., Very Easy, Easy, Neutral, Difficult, Very Difficult).
4. CSAT for Specific Touchpoints:
1. For businesses with multiple touchpoints (e.g., website, customer support, product usage), tailor the CSAT question to each area.
2. Example: "Was experience on our website good?"
5. Overall CSAT for the Entire Customer Journey:
1. "On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your entire journey with our company, from initial contact to post-purchase support?"
6. Product-Specific CSAT Question:
1. "How satisfied are you with our [specific product or feature]?"
7. Time-Specific CSAT Question (for time-sensitive transactions):
1. "How satisfied were you with the speed of service/transaction today?"
8. Frequency-Specific CSAT Question (for recurring services):
1. "Overall, how satisfied have you been with our [service] over the past [time period]?"
9. Ease of Use (for software or online services):
1. "How easy is it to use our [software/platform] for your needs?"
10. Customer Loyalty Follow-up (for highly satisfied customers):
1. "What can we do to ensure you remain a highly satisfied customer and continue to recommend us?"

General Suggestions for Successful NPS and CSAT Surveys

• Open-Ended Questions:
  • In addition to rating questions, include open-ended questions to capture detailed feedback, suggestions, or specific examples.
• Demographic Questions:
  • Consider adding questions about customer demographics (e.g., age, location, industry) to segment feedback and identify trends among different customer groups.
• Response Channels:
  • Adjust your survey delivery method to match the customer's interaction channel (e.g., email, website pop-up, in-app, SMS).
• A/B Testing:
  • Experiment with different question formats and wording to find the most effective way to gather feedback.
• Response Timing:
  • Determine the ideal time to send the survey (e.g., immediately after an interaction or a set period post-purchase) for the most accurate feedback.
• Data Analysis:
  • Implement a system for analyzing and acting on survey results, including assigning responsibilities for addressing feedback.
• Benchmarking:
  • Compare your NPS and CSAT scores to industry benchmarks to gain a better perspective on your performance.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Regularly review and adapt your survey questions based on changing business needs and customer expectations.
• Multiple-Choice Questions:
  • Incorporate multiple-choice questions to gather feedback on specific aspects of your product or service. For example, "What do you like most about our [product/service]?"
• Customer Effort Score:
  • In addition to CSAT, consider implementing a Customer Effort Score question like, "How easy was it to achieve your goal with our [product/service] today?"
• Monitoring Customer Sentiment:
  • Implement tools or techniques to monitor customer sentiment on social media and online review platforms for a broader perspective.
• Follow-Up Surveys:
  • For both NPS and CSAT, consider sending follow-up surveys after a set period to gauge how customer sentiment has evolved.
• Incentives and Thank You Notes:
  • Offer small incentives or thank you notes to encourage survey participation and express appreciation for the feedback.
• Data Integration:
  • Integrate survey data with your customer relationship management (CRM) system to better track and manage customer interactions and feedback.
• Feedback Loop Closure:
  • Establish a closed-loop process to respond to customer feedback and inform customers of the changes you've made based on their input.
• Feedback Analysis Tools:
  • Consider using sentiment analysis and text analytics tools to extract insights from open-ended responses and comments.
• Regular Surveying:
  • Maintain a regular cadence of surveying your customers to stay updated on their changing needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Remember to keep these best practices in mind when designing your NPS and CSAT surveys:

• Keep questions simple and concise.
• Offer clear and easy-to-understand response options.
• Avoid leading or biased questions.
• Customize questions to your industry and specific customer touchpoints.
• Collect and analyze data regularly to identify trends and areas for improvement.

Adapting and fine-tuning your NPS and CSAT questions to your business and customer needs is essential for gathering meaningful insights and improving based on customer feedback.