A customer survey is only as useful as the questions it asks. Vague, repetitive or overly complicated questions can produce a score without explaining what customers actually experienced or what the business should do next.
Ask About the Overall Experience
Start with a broad question such as, “How would you rate your overall experience with us?” This gives you a useful benchmark, but the score should be followed by a question that explores the reason behind it.
Ask About Key Touchpoints
Think about the parts of the customer journey that matter most to your business. This could include finding information, making contact, waiting time, staff interactions, product or service delivery, and aftercare.
Ask only about touchpoints the customer has actually experienced.
Ask What Worked Well
Positive feedback is just as valuable as criticism. Asking “What did we do particularly well?” can highlight strengths worth protecting and give your team a clearer understanding of what customers value.
Ask What Could Be Improved
Give customers a simple way to identify problems. Questions such as “Was anything unclear or frustrating?” and “What could we have done better?” encourage practical feedback without leading the customer towards a particular answer.
Give Customers Space to Explain
Include at least one open question, such as:
- What is the main reason for your score?
- What would have improved your experience?
- Is there anything else you would like us to know?
Keep Questions Clear and Relevant
Avoid asking two questions at once or using language customers may not understand. A focused survey with relevant questions is easier to complete and more likely to produce useful responses.
How Customer Perceptions Can Help
At Customer Perceptions, we help businesses design customer surveys that ask the right questions and produce insight they can act on. We can help you build feedback around your goals, key customer touchpoints and the decisions you need to make.
Surveys can also form part of a wider customer feedback programme alongside Mystery Shopping Services, Survey Services and other customer insight research.
Learn more about our services:
Mystery Shopping.
Survey Services.
Customer Feedback Programmes.
Contact us for any further information on how to gather customer insight as efficiently and effectively as possible.