It’s tough to keep up with changing customer sentiment. That’s why so many companies rely on surveys to tune in. By asking customers just a few questions after an experience, you can spot service gaps, identify common customer painpoints, and catch issues before they erupt.
The customer satisfaction survey—also known as a CSAT survey—is the most popular way to gather this info. It’s quick, simple, and effective. Today, we’re making measuring customer satisfaction even easier. Here’s what you should know about our newest question type: the Customer Satisfaction Score.
What is the Customer Satisfaction Score?
The beauty of the Customer Satisfaction Score is its simplicity.
The rating question asks customers how satisfied they are with a product, service, or interaction. They select from a range of answers, which correspond with a number from 1 – 5:
- Very Unsatisfied = 1
- Unsatisfied = 2
- Neutral = 3
- Satisfied = 4
- Very Satisfied = 5
If you’re using our prebuilt question, then your Customer Satisfaction Score will be calculated automatically.
We divide the number of positive responses by the total number of responses, then multiply that by 100 to get a percentage.
Here’s the equation:
Why measure it?
Measuring customer satisfaction over time can reveal a lot, particularly during periods of change. For example, a sudden dip in your Customer Satisfaction Score could indicate major issues with that new support process you implemented. On the other hand, an uptick might mean customers are pumped about your newest product.
Here are some of the other benefits you gain from measuring customer satisfaction:
- Drive referrals – Research shows that happy customers will make a significant contribution to your bottom line. A “totally satisfied customer” contributes 2.6 times more revenue than a “somewhat satisfied customer.” By measuring customer satisfaction throughout the customer journey, you can identify potential brand promoters early and nurture those relationships.
- Improve service quality – Support teams can use customer satisfaction surveys to measure agent performance and spot-check case-handling. Consistently low ratings can tip off support managers to service issues. Identifying those problems quickly is crucial, since 67% of customers say bad customer service is the main reason they stop buying from a company.
- Reduce customer churn – Research shows that satisfied customers will make a significant contribution to your bottom line. A “totally satisfied customer” contributes 2.6 times more revenue than a “somewhat satisfied customer.”
When should you send CSAT surveys?
It’s important to measure customer satisfaction at different touchpoints throughout the customer journey. With plenty of feedback to filter and compare, you can draw powerful conclusions about your customers and your business.
Here are some of the best times to ask customers how they’re feeling.
- After a support interaction – When customers contact support, something has usually already gone wrong. The way their issue is handled will make a marked impact on how they feel about your brand as a whole. Whether it’s email, phone, or chat, the customer is looking for friendly, effective service with minimal hassle. Sending CSAT surveys after support interactions helps you measure support quality at scale and put out fires as you go.
- After a purchase – The post-purchase period is an important time to connect with customers and seek out their opinions. By sending a CSAT survey shortly after someone buys a product or service, you can get ahead of bad situations and capitalize on positive ones.
- Before a renewal – If your customers buy a membership or subscribe to a regular service, consider sending a CSAT survey out six months before renewal. Why six months? This gives you time to identify problems and make improvements before the renewal date.
The idea is to keep a constant eye on how your customers feel about your brand or product. If you’re maintaining a high Customer Satisfaction Score, that’s great—look for ways to build upon that goodwill. But if you start to see a decrease, you can take action.
Getting started with the Customer Satisfaction Score
Ready to get rolling? Building your survey takes no more than a few minutes if you’re sticking to the basics. Just add a new question to your survey and choose the Customer Satisfaction Score question type. The question and answers will be pre-populated, so you’re ready to go instantly.
From there, you can add a Short Answer question to ask for follow-up info, choose from our additional question types, or just stick to the Customer Satisfaction Score question. Whichever question you opt for, don’t forget to think about the person on the other side of the survey. When you keep your surveys simple and purposeful, you’ll see clearer results day by day.
You’re measuring customer satisfaction. Now what?
- Set up real-time dashboards to keep a pulse on your Customer Satisfaction Score.
- Configure notifications to alert your team when you receive a low CSAT Score, so you can close the loop faster.
- Tap into Text Analytics to track the most common keywords and phrases your customers are using, then analyze the sentiment automatically. This makes it easy to identify trends, flag issues, and keep up with open-ended feedback.
- Prioritize process improvements. Whether you need to improve your processes, implement new technology, or just respond to customers’ emails faster, CSAT feedback can help drive lasting action.
Wrap-Up
A company that focuses on customer satisfaction is one that wants to provide the best possible experience at every touch point. As you work on improving your customer relationships, put the Customer Satisfaction Score to work for you.