Customer Satisfaction Survey: Complete Guide

What is a Customer Satisfaction Survey?

A customer satisfaction survey is a feedback collection tool that allows businesses to measure their customers' satisfaction level after an interaction, purchase, or service experience. This satisfaction questionnaire aims to gather quantitative and qualitative data on customer perception.

The main objectives of a satisfaction survey are:

• Measure overall satisfaction: get an overview of customer perception
• Identify areas for improvement: detect weaknesses in your offering
• Highlight strengths: confirm what works well
• Prevent churn: detect dissatisfied customers before they leave
• Feed online reviews: direct satisfied customers to your review platforms

Customer satisfaction research has become essential in a context where customer experience is a major differentiating factor. Companies that regularly measure satisfaction show on average 25% higher customer retention than those that don't.

Types of Questions for a Satisfaction Questionnaire

An effective satisfaction form combines different types of questions to obtain complementary insights:

Scale Questions (Likert)

These questions ask respondents to rate on a numerical scale or 1 to 5 stars. They are easy to analyze and allow tracking changes over time.

Example: "On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your overall satisfaction?"

NPS Questions (Net Promoter Score)

The NPS measures the likelihood of recommendation on a scale of 0 to 10. It's a standard indicator that allows comparison with your industry.

Example: "On a scale of 0 to 10, would you recommend our company to a friend or colleague?"

Multiple Choice Questions

Allow you to precisely identify the aspects evaluated or the reasons for a response.

Example: "Which aspects of our service did you particularly appreciate? (quality, speed, price, welcome...)"

Open-Ended Questions

Give respondents free rein to express themselves. Essential for understanding the "why" behind the scores.

Example: "What could we improve to better meet your expectations?"

How to Create an Effective Satisfaction Survey

Designing an effective customer satisfaction survey follows several key principles:

Define Clear Objectives

Before writing any question, identify precisely what you want to measure and the decisions you'll make based on the results.

Keep the Questionnaire Short

Completion rates drop dramatically beyond 5-7 questions. Prioritize quality over quantity. A questionnaire of 2-3 minutes maximum gets the best response rates.

Carefully Order Questions

Start with the most important questions (in case the respondent abandons). Place open-ended questions at the end of the questionnaire.

Use Simple Language

Avoid technical jargon. Each question should be immediately understood by all your customers.

Test Before Distribution

Have external people review your questionnaire. Verify it displays correctly on mobile (over 60% of responses).

Distributing and Analyzing Your Satisfaction Survey

Distribution and analysis are just as important as design:

Choose the Right Timing

Send the survey quickly after the interaction (ideally 24-48 hours). The experience should be fresh in the customer's mind.

Use the Right Channel

• Email: main channel for detailed surveys
• SMS: excellent open rate for short surveys
• QR code: ideal at point of sale with a QR code
• In-app: for digital products

Automate Collection

Tools like Review Collect automate survey sending after each transaction. This automation ensures systematic and regular collection.

Analyze and Act

Data is worthless without action. Implement a process to:

• Quickly contact dissatisfied customers
• Thank and solicit public reviews from satisfied ones
• Share insights with relevant teams
• Track indicator evolution over time

Transform into Public Reviews

A satisfaction survey is also an opportunity to filter your customers: redirect satisfied ones to your review platforms (Google, TripAdvisor...) to improve your online reputation, and manage dissatisfied ones privately.

In conclusion, the customer satisfaction survey is much more than a simple questionnaire: it's a strategic tool to continuously improve customer experience, reduce churn, and build your online reputation. With the right tools and rigorous methodology, it becomes a real growth lever.