Even a 10 Point Scale May Not be Enough: Obtain Granular Survey Data by Using Multiple Question Types

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Even a 10 Point Scale May Not be Enough: Obtain Granular Survey Data by Using Multiple Question Types
By: Marc E. Carlson, RRP
CustomerCount© Business Relationship Manager

At CustomerCount©, we rarely have a client using just one type of question because we want our clients to conduct a deep-dive into what will make that customer buy more product and encourage their friends and family to do the same.

Collecting customer feedback to gauge satisfaction is generally accomplished by asking the consumer a question and having them rate their experience using a five, seven, or even ten point scale. The answers to these types of questions are valuable to an organization as it provides a good overview but does not get to the root of why the consumer had a favorable experience in transacting business or not. In order to better understand the overall experience a consumer has with your brand, you need to incorporate multiple question types.

For example, use a rank order question so you can understand what that consumer views most important to them when doing business with your organization. I would even suggest incorporating a verbatim question afterwards to hear firsthand from the consumer why they thought one answer versus another is more important to them. In doing so, an organization can better understand customer purchasing preferences and perhaps the type of customer experience they desire in web chat, e-mail or dealing with a call center representative.

Having a variety of question types gives the appearance of a well thought out survey. Just ask yourself, how many times have I received a survey where all the questions are the same? I bet more times than not you receive a survey with just a scaled answer distribution. Pretty boring….So next time you put together a survey to obtain customer feedback, throw in a couple of different types of questions. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the feedback you receive.