Ask the right customer service survey questions in 2025

Advertising, sales, and marketing efforts are all essential components of any modern business blueprint, but that’s all for naught if you can’t find a way to ensure your customers remain satisfied with your brand over time. Satisfaction looks different for every company depending on the industry in which they operate, the region they’re based out of, and their customers’ expectations. Thus, customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys are essential in gauging how satisfied your base is, identifying emerging trends, and discovering where improvements can be made.

These surveys can be tailored to reflect your organization’s unique challenges, opportunities, and objectives, ensuring that they provide maximum value. Insights gathered here can then be applied to your business processes to help verify that customers are receiving an optimal experience that makes them more likely to continue engaging with your brand and possibly even recommend it to others.

Today, we’ll dive into what CSAT surveys are, the benefits they can provide, and how to optimize them to meet your unique organizational needs.

What is a customer service satisfaction survey?

A customer satisfaction survey is a tool that businesses use to gather feedback from individuals about their experiences with products, services, or customer service. It typically includes a series of questions designed to measure customer satisfaction, often through rating scales, multiple-choice options, or open-ended responses. This data is then leveraged to help create a clear picture of how well the company is meeting customer expectations, while also highlighting areas where improvements may be needed.

What is customer satisfaction (CSAT)?

Customer satisfaction is a measure of how well a company's offerings and interactions meet or exceed customer expectations. It reflects an individual’s overall impression of their experience with a brand, often shaped by factors like product quality, service efficiency, ease of interaction, and the business’s responsiveness to their issues. 

High customer satisfaction indicates that individuals feel valued and that their needs are being met, while low satisfaction suggests gaps in the organization’s products or services that may require improvement. CSAT is central to understanding how a company’s efforts align with customer expectations and plays a key role in building loyalty.

Benefits of conducting customer service surveys

Conducting CSAT surveys provides organizations with a direct line to their customers’ experiences (CXs), helping them gather invaluable insights on how well their offerings are meeting expectations. By consistently measuring satisfaction levels, businesses can identify specific areas that require improvement, whether in service quality, product features, or response times. 

Let’s dive into some of the key benefits to be gained through customer satisfaction surveys:

Better understand customer needs

By analyzing the responses to CSAT surveys, businesses can identify recurring themes in customer concerns or areas where they feel underserved. This feedback helps reveal whether individuals are satisfied with existing support options or if additional resources or improvements are necessary to enhance their experience.

Beyond identifying customer pain points, these surveys also help companies prioritize initiatives that add the most value to the customer experience. For instance, if customers consistently highlight a desire for faster support response times, a business might invest in automation tools or increase support team staffing to meet demand. By acting on survey insights, organizations can proactively address customer needs, which often boosts satisfaction and loyalty.

Enhance ROI

Capturing feedback on customer satisfaction helps companies identify which elements of their offerings are most valued and which may be causing dissatisfaction. Addressing these issues can lead to increased customer loyalty and a lower churn rate, both of which are crucial for maximizing return on investment (ROI). Satisfied customers are more likely to make repeat purchases, which reduces the need for costly acquisition campaigns and improves customer lifetime value (CLV), a direct contributor to a stronger ROI.

Additionally, CSAT surveys offer insights that allow businesses to optimize their operations for better efficiency and cost-effectiveness. For example, if feedback indicates that customers are consistently dissatisfied with response times, an organization might invest in more efficient customer support solutions, such as automation or self-service options, to reduce overhead costs while enhancing service quality.

Optimize continuous learning for customer service operations

Armed with the real-time insights provided by customer satisfaction surveys, support teams can identify specific training needs, such as handling complex issues, improving communication skills, or enhancing product knowledge. Continuous learning becomes integral to the customer service process as agents learn directly from actual CXs, allowing for ongoing skill development that aligns with actual customer expectations.

Moreover, when CSAT trends are consistently monitored, management can identify patterns and set actionable goals for improvement, creating training programs tailored to recurring issues or areas of underperformance. This iterative approach also enables support teams to adapt to new trends, technologies, or customer expectations swiftly, thus enhancing service quality over time. 

Build brand loyalty

Actively addressing the issues highlighted in surveys—whether that means improving service response times, enhancing product quality, or simplifying processes—allows businesses to show customers that their opinions are valued and that the company is committed to meeting their expectations. In turn, this responsiveness fosters trust and reliability, which are fundamental to building long-term loyalty.

When customers feel that a company listens to them and consistently acts on their feedback, they’re more likely to feel an emotional connection to the brand. A recent study shows that every 1% increase in customer satisfaction translates to a 5% increase in retention rate, signaling that satisfied customers are much more likely to remain loyal over time.

Types of customer service survey questions

When it comes to assessing customer satisfaction, the type of survey questions used can significantly influence the quality and depth of the feedback gathered. Understanding these different types—such as multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions—enables businesses to design effective surveys that elicit the most relevant and actionable feedback.

Some commonly used question types in CSAT surveys include:

Multiple choice questions

Multiple-choice questions offer respondents a set of predefined answers, enabling them to quickly select the response that best matches their experience. These questions help streamline the survey process by making it simple for customers to provide feedback without needing to type out lengthy responses, leading to higher completion rates.

Examples of multiple-choice questions in CSAT surveys typically include rating scales or specific satisfaction levels. For instance, a question might ask, "How satisfied are you with the support you received?" with answer options like ‘Very satisfied,’ ‘Somewhat satisfied,’ ‘Neutral,’ ‘Somewhat dissatisfied,’ and ‘Very dissatisfied.’

Yes or no questions

'Yes or no' questions can be especially useful when trying to assess whether a particular objective has been met, such as whether an issue was resolved, if the customer found the service helpful, or if the experience met their expectations. Due to their simplicity, these questions work well as an initial filter, helping companies quickly identify customers who had a negative experience and may need further follow-up.

An example of a 'yes or no' question in a CSAT survey might be, "Did our support team resolve your issue on your first contact?" This question can provide valuable insights into the efficiency of the support team and the quality of the service provided. If many respondents answer ‘No,’ it signals a potential area for improvement, such as enhancing the knowledge base or improving staff training to better address common issues. 

Likert scale questions

Likert scale questions are used to measure the intensity of a customer's opinion on a particular aspect of their experience. These questions typically present a statement and offer a range of options, often on a 5- or 7-point scale, that allows respondents to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree. Likert scales are valuable for gathering nuanced feedback, capturing not only whether an individual was satisfied, but also the degree of their satisfaction.

For example, if a company wants to gauge the effectiveness of its support staff, a Likert scale question could be, "Please rate your level of agreement with the following statement: 'The customer support representative was knowledgeable and helpful.'" Response options might range from ‘Strongly Agree’ to ‘Strongly Disagree.’

Rating questions (How would you rate service? x/10)

Rating questions are designed to quantify a customer's perception of a specific aspect of their experience using a numerical scale. Typically, respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale that ranges from either 1 to 5 or 1 to 10, where higher numbers indicate greater satisfaction. These types of questions are particularly useful for measuring customer sentiment in a way that allows for easy aggregation and comparison of responses.

A common rating question might be, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your recent purchase?" Respondents would then provide a score that reflects their satisfaction level, which can be averaged to determine overall customer sentiment.

Open ended questions

Open-ended questions allow respondents to provide detailed, qualitative feedback in their own words, rather than choosing from predefined options. These questions typically begin with prompts like "What do you think about..." or "How can we improve...," encouraging customers to share their thoughts, feelings, and suggestions in a narrative format. Open-ended questions are particularly valuable for capturing insights that may not be fully addressed by structured questions.

For instance, a CSAT survey might include the question, "What could we have done differently to improve your experience?" This question invites respondents to elaborate on their experiences, whether positive or negative, and offer suggestions for improvement. 

50 customer service survey questions you should be asking

Customer satisfaction surveys not only provide valuable insights into how customers perceive a company, but also highlight areas that require improvement. By asking the right questions, businesses can gather actionable feedback that informs strategic decisions, enhances service delivery, and ultimately fosters customer loyalty.

Here are some different questions, spanning a variety of different formats, that you might consider asking to get a better feel on how satisfied customers are with their experience:

General customer satisfaction survey questions

• Did our product meet your expectations? (Yes/No)

• Would you recommend our services to a friend? (Yes/No)

• Did you experience any issues with your order? (Yes/No)

• On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with your overall experience? (1 being very dissatisfied, 5 being very satisfied)

• How would you rate the quality of our product/service? (1 to 5)

• On a scale of 1 to 5, how likely are you to purchase from us again? (1 to 5)

• What did you like most about your experience with us?

• What areas do you think we could improve upon?

• Can you describe any specific issues you encountered during your interaction with us?

• How can we enhance your overall experience with our products/services?

Service/product quality survey questions

• Was the product you received in good condition? (Yes/No)

• Was the product description on our website accurate? (Yes/No)

• Did you encounter any defects or issues with the product? (Yes/No)

• How would you rate the overall quality of our product/service? (1 - Very Poor to 5 - Excellent)

• How would you rate the value for money of our product/service? (1 to 5)

• How satisfied are you with the variety of options available in our product range? (1 to 5)

• What do you like most about the quality of our products/services?

• What specific improvements would you suggest for our product quality?

• Can you describe any issues you experienced with the product?

• What features do you think are missing from our product line?

Demographic customer survey questions

• Are you a first-time customer? (Yes/No)

• Have you purchased from us within the last year? (Yes/No)

• Are you over the age of 18? (Yes/No)

• What is your age group?

• Under 18

• 18-24

• 25-34

• 35-44

• 45-54

• 55-64

• 65 and over

• What is your gender?

• Male

• Female

• Non-binary

• Prefer not to say

• What is your highest level of education?

• High school diploma

• Some college

• Bachelor’s degree

• Master’s degree

• Doctorate

• Other

• What city or region do you live in?

• How did you hear about our business?

• What factors influence your decision to purchase from us?

• What type of products/services do you typically purchase from us?

Agent performance questions

• Did the agent address your issue effectively? (Yes/No)

• Was the agent polite and respectful during your interaction? (Yes/No)

• Would you reach out to this agent again for assistance? (Yes/No)

• On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate the agent's overall performance? (1 - Very Poor to 5 - Excellent)

• How knowledgeable did you find the agent regarding your issue? (1 to 5)

• Rate the clarity of the information provided by the agent. (1 to 5)

• What did you appreciate most about your interaction with the agent?

• What could the agent have done differently to improve your experience?

• Can you describe any specific challenges you encountered during the conversation?

• What additional resources or information would have been helpful during your interaction?

Response time/efficiency questions

• Was your inquiry addressed in a timely manner? (Yes/No)

• Did you have to wait a long time to receive a response? (Yes/No)

• Did you feel that your time was valued during the interaction? (Yes/No)

• How satisfied were you with the time taken to resolve your issue? (1 - Very Unsatisfied to 5 - Very Satisfied)

• How would you rate the efficiency of the agent in managing your request? (1 to 5)

• How likely are you to contact us again based on this response time? (1 to 5)

• What was your experience regarding the response time for your inquiry?

• Can you describe any delays you experienced during your interaction?

• What improvements would you suggest to enhance the efficiency of our service?

• How could we better manage expectations regarding response times?

How to improve your customer satisfaction score?

Now that you understand the types of questions involved in CSAT surveys, the question now becomes: “How do you use the answers to these questions to improve the customer experience?” 

When your questions are well-thought-out and aligned with your unique business needs, customer satisfaction surveys should give you ideas for improvement that are tailored to your organization. Though, in general, there are a few things that companies of all sizes and across all industries can do to improve their customer satisfaction scores:

Increase speed and efficiency

Today’s customers value speed and efficiency more than almost any other factor in the support experience. Keeping them waiting too long is a surefire way to make a bad impression. 

There are several ways in which your company can begin to provide speedier service. First, you can improve your initial response time. Here, using chatbots to answer straightforward customer inquiries can make a significant impact.

You can also work on your first contact resolution (FCR) rates. This metric refers to the percentage of tickets that are resolved during the customer’s first interaction with your support team. For every 1% increase in FCR, there’s a corresponding 1% increase in CSAT.

Additionally, when a customer is transferred to multiple agents, it slows down the resolution process and tends to cause frustration. Thus, limiting the number of transfers is another way to improve your speed and efficiency. 

Offer self-service

Implementing a robust knowledge base is a low-risk, high-reward undertaking that benefits all parties involved in the support process. Customers appreciate it—86% of them expect an organization to have an online self-service portal—and it lightens the workload of your agents as well.

Even more, it helps you understand what your customers need. Knowledge base analytics often provide valuable insights into common customer pain points, helping you solve them proactively. 

On average, companies with a knowledge base boast a 79% CSAT score while those without one average a CSAT score of 76%.

Deliver omnichannel support

Every customer has a preferred channel that best suits their communication style and offers the most convenience. For instance, some individuals feel more comfortable picking up the phone while others would rather use social media. 

Customer satisfaction scores tend to be higher when you meet customers where they are. Don’t tell them that the only way to reach you is by email, don’t ignore them on social media, and don’t expect them to wait in line if your only channel of communication is by phone.

Surveys indicate that companies with strong omnichannel engagement are, on average, able to retain 89% of their customers over time, compared to only 33% with a weak omnichannel approach.

Deploy AI chatbots

AI chatbots serve as a great tool to help provide instant, personalized service. 

For example, Freddy AI from Freshdesk uses machine learning to understand the context of customer inquiries and respond with the best article from your knowledge base. It can even follow up on the answer with relevant conversation flows. 

When a bot can’t manage a ticket on its own, it typically seamlessly transfers the conversation to a human agent. 

AI chatbots can also assist human agents in providing the best possible service. Freddy helps save valuable time by categorizing, prioritizing, and routing incoming tickets, while also suggesting articles or canned responses to speed up the resolution process. 

Organizations that use chatbots average a 79% CSAT score, while companies without them report an average CSAT of 72%.

Other factors

Of course, it’s not all up to the customer service team. Your customers might also be unhappy with the product itself or have had a bad experience with the sales department. Luckily, you can dig into these things with your surveys as well. 

Your CSAT is also affected by your region and industry. For example, the construction industry has an average CSAT of 87.4%, while the average CSAT in the transportation sector is only 66.3%

How to create a customer service survey

Here, businesses should start by defining which aspects of the CX they wish to measure, such as product satisfaction, service quality, or overall brand perception. Engaging with key stakeholders—including customer service teams, product managers, and marketing personnel—can provide valuable insights into the relevant questions to include. Reviewing past customer feedback can help further highlight recurring themes that warrant further exploration.

Once your objectives are set, the next step involves designing the survey with a mix of question types that cater to different aspects of customer feedback. Incorporating various formats, such as multiple-choice questions for quantitative data and open-ended questions for qualitative insights, will create a balanced survey that captures a comprehensive view of customer sentiment. After finalizing the questions, businesses should consider pilot testing the survey with a small group of customers to gather feedback on its clarity and relevance.

How do you use CSAT survey results?

Customer satisfaction surveys are only worthwhile if you use the data to enact meaningful changes within your organization.

Sharing the results with relevant teams can help to identify processes that can be improved in various areas across the business landscape. Depending on the content of the survey, it might have useful insight for customer service, sales, marketing, product, or other departments. 

Customer service managers should also use the results to assess their support strategy and the performance of individuals on the support team. Setting a target CSAT score for each agent holds them accountable and establishes clear expectations for their performance. 

When you do make an adjustment to your processes or strategy, be sure to send another customer satisfaction survey to evaluate its success after it’s had time to take effect. This will help you evaluate whether or not the change was helpful, while also letting customers know you made a change based on their feedback.

Customer satisfaction surveys and your helpdesk

Sending surveys, aggregating the results, and generating useful insights from them would probably be a bit overwhelming if you had to do it manually. 

Fortunately, the right helpdesk can also serve as a customer feedback software that makes the entire process a breeze. 

For instance, you can build a detailed customer satisfaction survey with a 2- to 7-point rating scale from directly within Freshdesk. You can also add other types of questions or a space for open-ended feedback.

With Freshdesk, you also have total control over which messages include the link to your CSAT survey. Helpdesk administrators can choose to send it with every email or just in specific cases. For example, they might choose to send it only after a ticket is resolved completely. Once the customer completes the survey, they’ll be sent to a customized ‘thank you’ page. 

Even more, Freshdesk assists with the analysis of your satisfaction surveys. Its custom reports tool can help identify trends in CSAT levels or monitor the performance of individual agents. 

Begin building your customer service survey today with Freshdesk!

Freshdesk serves as an all-in-one customer service platform, offering an extensive ticket management system, self-service resources, and of course, the ability to create and distribute CSAT surveys.

Freshdesk’s customer satisfaction surveys are simple to create, can be translated into multiple languages, and configured to include more than the traditional 3-point scale. This ease of use and enhanced flexibility allows teams to create surveys with minimal effort and tailor them to reflect their organization’s specific needs.

Combining survey results with Freshdesk’s robust reporting and analytics tools provides both qualitative and quantitative data that offers a full-picture view of how satisfied your customers are and how your business is performing in different areas.

Ready to experience the power of Freshdesk for yourself? Sign up for a free trial or request your demo today!