51 Good survey questions for gauging employee engagement and customer satisfaction
Deciding on the right questions to ask for surveys is harder than it looks, so we have collected 51 worked examples. They span Likert scales and closed-ended satisfaction questions through to multiple choice, with quick dichotomous questionnaire examples included. Whatever your goal, choosing the right format is what determines the quality of your customer feedback – so we start with how to choose, then move to the examples themselves.
How to write effective survey questions, step-by-step
Before the list, it is worth being clear about what makes a question ‘good’. Four principles cover most of it:
- Start with the objective. If you know what insight you are trying to gather, work backwards from it to questions that fit the bill.
- Keep it as simple as possible. Long or complicated questions produce confusing answers.
- Avoid survey bias. Surveys exist to reach the truth, and the wrong approach will skew your results before a single response arrives.
- Choose the right kind of survey question. There are 10 types of survey question, each suited to particular situations. We cover them in the next section, or in more depth in our full guide.
Pro tips to make the most of your survey questions
Even well-written questions need the right conditions to produce accurate data. Five practices make the difference:
- Design for engagement. A clean look and effortless functionality lower the cost of responding, which is what response rates are made of.
- Time it right. Send surveys immediately after the experience, while it is fresh. A customer journey map will show you the touchpoints where feedback is most valuable.
- Analyse in real time. Use examples of close-ended quantitative questionnaires to generate live data you can track in dashboards, widgets and reports.
- Have an action plan. Collecting data is the easy half. Have a process ready to close the loop, particularly for negative feedback.
- Use the right platform. Customer Thermometer brings the sending, tracking and follow-up together in one place. A free trial is the quickest way to judge that claim for yourself and learn more about our extensive platform integrations and the role we play in driving instant feedback.
What are the main types of survey questions?
There are 10 main kinds of survey question (For the full list on this blog post). Each has a job it does well and a cost it carries, summarised below.
Open-ended questions
The most free-form type, allowing any answer. Respondents get the space to say exactly what is on their mind.
PROS: Rich insights; scope to collect unexpected findings
CONS: More time and effort required, both from participants and from whoever analyses the answers.
Nominal (multiple-choice) questions
This common example of close ended questionnaire design allows a single choice from a predetermined set of answer options.
PROS: Saves time and effort, and narrows many possible answers into manageable groups
CONS: Risks leading people towards certain answers, risk of introducing bias. An “Other” option restores flexibility but puts you back into manual analysis and interpretation.
Dichotomous questions for surveys
Questions with exactly two answer options: Yes/No, True/False, or Agree/Disagree.
PROS: Very simple and fast; good for screening survey questions that sort respondents into cohorts for targeted follow-up.
CONS: Limited findings; cannot detect nuance in the response.
Likert scale questions
Questions that let respondents record their intensity of opinion by choosing from a list running between two extremes. A good Likert scale question example offers answers from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”.
PROS: Simple to engage with and analyse; captures nuance where questions are not clear-cut
CONS: Can encourage ‘neutrality bias’, letting participants sit on the fence
Rating scale questions
Questions answered with a numeric value, typically 0–10, such as the NPS (Net Promoter Score®) question.
PROS: Simple to use and draw conclusions from; ideal for tracking change over time
CONS: Does not explain why a value was given, and participants differ in what they think each number represents
Contextual follow-up questions
Specific questions to ask for surveys in combination with a question asked immediately beforehand.
PROS: Reveals why respondents answered as they did; adds a dimension to your insight without qualitative analysis.
CONS: Limited to the context of the earlier question, and may irritate participants who expected a one-question survey.
Matrix questions
Several questions of a similar kind grouped into a space-saving grid, eliminating repetition.
PROS: Makes longer surveys feel shorter and less painful to complete; condenses a lot of content into a digestible format
CONS: Only works when the questions are closely related, and oversized matrices confuse respondents
Drop-down questions
Questions with a long list of survey multiple choice answers compressed into a scrollable drop-down selector.
PROS: The right tool when the list of options is logical and long; quick for participants to use
CONS: Applies to a comparatively narrow range of question scenarios
Ordinal (ranking) questions for surveys
Questions asking respondents to rank answer options in order of preference.
PROS: Respondents identify their preferences deliberately, producing rich insight without a heavy analysis overhead.
CONS: Assumes participants know enough about what they are ranking, and the extra effort can lead to abandonment.
Checkbox questions
These are good examples of nominal questions in a survey, where respondents can check (or tick) all that apply.
PROS: Quick and easy for the user; well suited to collecting evidential data.
CONS: Can produce confused findings, and an incomplete list of options introduces unintentional bias.
Open-ended vs. closed questions – which should you use?
The choice is between speed and depth. Closed questions are built for fast, comparable facts; open questions are built for insight you did not know to ask about.
Example of close ended questionnaire
Closed questions keep things simple and gather the facts fast by giving respondents fixed answers. Both of the following are also dichotomous questions:
- “Were you happy with your service today? (Yes / No)”
- “Did you find everything you were looking for? (Yes / No)”
Open ended questions for surveys – examples
Open-ended questions give respondents free rein. A blank space follows the question, and the person shares as little or as much as they like.
- “Tell us a bit more about why you gave that score?”
- “Is there anything we can do to improve our service next time?”
Rating scale vs. Likert scale – what’s the difference?
Both produce measurable data, but they do different jobs. A rating scale produces a quick metric; a Likert scale measures how strongly a person feels about a product, service or experience.
Rating Scale
Rating scales suit quick pulse checks, usually straight after a service has been used.
- “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us?”
- “Please rate the cleanliness of our facilities from 1 to 5.”
Likert Scale
Likert scales focus less on scores and more on sentiment, gauging attitudes by how strongly people agree or disagree with a statement.
- “The checkout process was easy to navigate. (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree)”
- “How satisfied were you with the quality of the product? (Very Dissatisfied to Very Satisfied)”
What makes a bad survey question?
A bad survey question nudges the respondent towards a specific answer instead of leaving the decision to them. Double-barrelled questions – two things asked at once – are the other common offender: they confuse respondents and produce answers you cannot interpret.
Technical slips do damage too. Forgetting an “Other” category in a survey with multiple choice answers, or using flawed nominal questions in a survey, will quietly distort your data. Keep questions neutral and simple, and the insights stay usable.
51 survey question examples to drive your feedback programmes
Open-ended survey question examples
What could we have improved on/done better?
Please give your answer here
How would you explain our product/service to a friend, family member or colleague?
Please give your answer here
Do you have any suggestions on how we could improve our product?
Please give your answer here
How did you hear about this event?
Please give your answer here
Contextual follow-up survey question examples
We’d love to know more about why you clicked that rating. Please choose an option below.
Attitude
Choice
Clarity
Detail
Product
Speed
What could we have done to get a 10/10 today?
Please give your answer here
We’re sorry to hear about your experience. What would you like us to improve upon?
Please give your answer here
Thanks for that great feedback! Which features of our service impressed you the most?
Please give your answer here
Yes/no survey question examples
Were you satisfied with your experience today?
Yes
No
Would you recommend us to a friend or family member?
Yes
No
Did you find what you were looking for on the website today?
Yes
No
Did our product/service meet your expectations?
Yes
No
Would you buy from us again?
Yes
No
Did the cleanliness of our restrooms meet your expectations today?
Yes
No
Agree/disagree survey question examples
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “[COMPANY] invests time and money to keep employees updated with technology.”
Agree
Disagree
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “The user manual provided clear guidance in how to install and set up the application.”
Agree
Disagree
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “The conference speakers were knowledgeable and informative.”
Agree
Disagree
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The website is useful and informative.”
Agree
Disagree
Multiple-choice survey question examples
What’s the reason for your visit to Rocky Road Ranch today?
Celebrating an occasion with family/friends
Journey stop off
Dedicated day trip from home
No particular reason
Other (please specify)
Which best describes your job role?
Owner
Director
Manager
Support staff
Other (please specify)
Which of our products/services have you purchased from us in the past?
Filters
Plugs
Solenoids
Bulbs
Panels
Other (please specify)
As an employee, do you feel included in the company mission?
Absolutely
Yes
Not really
Not at all
Likert scale survey question examples
What was your level of satisfaction with our product(s) (or service)?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The online store checkout process was straightforward.”
Strongly agree
Agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
How likely are you to recommend this product / service to friends and family?
Very likely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Please tell us how important it is to you for us to provide 24/7 customer service.
Essential
Important
Low importance
Not important
Please tell us how important the new features added to [product] are to you.
Highly important
Moderately important
Low importance
Not important at all
How helpful are the instruction videos provided from our website?
Extremely helpful
Somewhat helpful
Not very helpful
Not helpful at all
To what extent did our customer service team meet your expectations?
Significantly exceeded expectations
Met expectations
Did not meet expectations
How would you rate your recent customer service call?
Exceptional
Good
Fair
Poor
How often do you seek assistance from customer support?
Very frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
What do you think about our online prices?
Very happy
Happy
Not very happy
Not happy at all
Other rating scale survey question examples
How satisfied were you with your experience today on a scale of 1 to 10?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
To what extent do you agree with the following statement: “COMPANY made it easy to handle my issue.”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us/COMPANY to a friend or colleague?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
On a scale of 0-10, considering your experience with us so far, how likely are you to recommend XXX to a friend or colleague?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Now that you’ve experienced our fast-track booking, how likely are you to recommend XXX to a friend or colleague? (0-10)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend XXX to someone like you?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
How would you rate your experience with Helen today with a score between 1 and 5?
1 2 3 4 5
Ranking survey question examples
Please rank the following car brands in order of your ownership preference.
BMW
Chevrolet
Ford
Honda
Tesla
Volvo
Volkswagen
Please rank the following service attributes in order of their importance to you.
Clear communication
Courtesy
Effectiveness
Responsiveness
Other (please specify)
Here are some possible changes to our Summer menu. Please rank them in order of your priority.
More salads
‘Street food’ style options
Less red meat
Sharing platters
Chef’s choice daily set lunch
Which of our product features do you use the most, in ranked order?
Conferencing
Call forwarding
Hunt groups
Visual voicemail
Push to talk
Analytics
Auto attendant
As an employee, rank the following in their importance to you.
Workplace inclusivity
Wellbeing support
Advancement opportunities
Mentorship program
Matrix survey question examples
Please choose how satisfied you were with aspects of your hotel stay.
Please choose how important the following aspects of a cinema experience are to you
| Very important | Somewhat important | Neutral | Somewhat unimportant | Very unimportant | |
| Seating comfort | |||||
| Choice of film | |||||
| Food and beverage options | |||||
| Sound and vision quality |
Drop-down survey question examples
Which is your favorite country in the world to visit?
Choose a country
What is your annual pre-tax income?
Select range
Checkbox survey question examples
Which of the following meal courses did you order today? (select all that apply)
Appetizer
Sorbet
Main course
Dessert
Coffee / liqueur
Which modes of communication have you used in the last month? (select all that apply)
Voice call/conference
Video call/meeting
SMS (inc. WhatsApp)
Webchat (with chatbot)
Social media
Messaging app (e.g. Slack)
Collaboration platform (e.g. Teams)
Which type/s of credit cards do you carry? (select all that apply)
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
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