Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Customer Service Survey Questions

When measuring customer satisfaction, remember to include metrics relating to emotional, not just rational, customer satisfaction.

During the previous two weeks, we’ve focused on customer satisfaction. Recall that a study disclosed a startling fact about customer satisfaction: rationally satisfied customers are just as likely to abandon your business as dissatisfied customers. Accordingly, the research emphasized the importance of ensuring that your customers are emotionally satisfied, not just rationally satisfied.

Fine, but what customer service survey questions should we use when measuring customer satisfaction? Accordingly, this week, we’re focusing on measuring customer satisfaction.

Consider incorporating the following five questions in your customer service survey. (Your business or organization does survey your customers, right?) Each question attempts to identify whether, and to what extent, your customers feel an emotional connection with your business or organization. Note that the questions request a qualitative (open-ended) response, a quantitative (scaled) response, or a combination of both.

• On a scale of 1 through 7, with 1 being “Strongly Negative,” 4 being “Neutral,” and 7 being “Strongly Positive,” how do you feel about our business? Why? This question is designed to identify the extent to which your customers view your business or organization in a positive light. The higher the score, the more likely your customers possess emotional connections with your business.

• What’s the first word or short phrase that enters your mind when you think about our business? This question is designed to identify a particular word or short phrase your business or organization “owns.” For example, Google “owns” the word search, while FedEx “owns” the short phrase overnight delivery. The more often your customers cite a positive word or short phrase — such as “quality,” “reliability,” or “pleasant” — the more likely your customers possess emotional connections with your business.

• During the previous six months, how many times have you verbally told your family members, friends, or colleagues something good about our business? This question is designed to identify whether, and how often, your customers verbally “brag” about your business or organization to others. The more often customers tell their family members, friends, or colleagues positive things about your business, the more likely your customers possess emotional connections with your business.

• During the previous six months, how many times have you shared something good about our business on social media? This question is designed to identify whether, and how often, your customers “brag” about your business or organization to others through social media. Again, the more often customers share positive things about your business on social media, the more likely your customers possess emotional connections with your business.

• On a scale of 1 through 7, with 1 being “Strongly Disagree,” 4 being “Not Sure,” and 7 being “Strongly Agree,” what is your response to the following statement: I can’t imagine the world without [the name of your business or organization]. Why? This question is designed to reveal the degree to which your customers feel that your business or organization is vital to their lives and well-being. The higher the score, the more likely your customers possess emotional connections with your business.

Just three more observations about measuring customer satisfaction:

• First, please resist the temptation to avoid posing these questions merely because your business or organization fears receiving unfavorable responses. Remember that the true purpose of a customer service survey is to capture trends, as opposed to isolated, single snapshots, of customer satisfaction.

• Second, on scaled questions, always offer your customers an opportunity to explain “why” they selected a particular number on the given scale.

• Third, keep in mind that the least desired response on a scaled question falls in the middle, which is usually “Not Sure” or “Neutral.” This typically means that your business or organization has not made any impression on a customer.

In closing, if your business or organization needs help creating a customer service survey, please let us know.

And, as always, have a “customerific” week!

Mark