Free CSAT, NPS & CES survey builder
Customer Satisfaction Survey Builder
Create CSAT, NPS, and CES surveys in minutes — free, no coding required. Get unlimited surveys, unlimited responses, and professional templates to measure customer satisfaction effectively.
What Is a Customer Satisfaction Survey?
A customer satisfaction survey is a structured questionnaire designed to measure how happy your customers are with your product, service, or overall experience. It's one of the most direct ways to understand what's working, what's not, and where you can improve.
At its core, a customer satisfaction survey asks customers to rate their experience and provide feedback. This data helps businesses make informed decisions, reduce churn, and build stronger relationships with their audience.
Why Does Measuring Customer Satisfaction Matter?
The numbers tell the story. According to research, acquiring a new customer costs five to seven times more than retaining an existing one. Companies that prioritize customer experience generate 60% higher profits than their competitors. And 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.
But you can't improve what you don't measure. Without regular customer feedback, you're essentially flying blind — making assumptions about what customers want instead of asking them directly.
Customer satisfaction surveys help you:
- Identify pain points before they cause customers to leave
- Track improvements over time with measurable metrics
- Prioritize product development based on actual customer needs
- Reduce churn by addressing issues proactively
- Build loyalty by showing customers their feedback matters
Types of Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Not all satisfaction surveys are created equal. Each type measures something different and works best in specific contexts. Here's a breakdown of the three most widely used customer satisfaction survey types.
📊 CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)
CSAT is the most straightforward customer satisfaction metric. It measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction, product, or service.
The typical CSAT question: "How satisfied were you with [specific experience]?"
Customers respond on a scale, usually 1-5 or 1-7, where higher numbers indicate greater satisfaction. Some CSAT surveys use emoji scales or simple "satisfied/dissatisfied" options.
When to use CSAT surveys:
- After a customer support interaction
- Following a purchase or transaction
- Post-onboarding to assess initial experience
- After product updates or feature releases
- At the end of a service appointment
CSAT Formula:
CSAT Score = (Number of satisfied responses / Total responses) × 100
"Satisfied" typically means customers who selected 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale.
⭐ NPS (Net Promoter Score)
NPS measures customer loyalty and their likelihood to recommend your business to others. It's become the gold standard for measuring overall brand sentiment.
The NPS question: "How likely are you to recommend [company/product] to a friend or colleague?"
Customers respond on a 0-10 scale and are categorized into three groups:
Promoters (9-10)
Loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others
Passives (7-8)
Satisfied but unenthusiastic, vulnerable to competitors
Detractors (0-6)
Unhappy customers who can damage your brand
NPS Formula:
NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors
NPS ranges from -100 to +100. A positive score means you have more promoters than detractors.
🎯 CES (Customer Effort Score)
CES measures how easy it was for customers to accomplish a specific task or resolve an issue. It's based on research showing that reducing customer effort is a stronger driver of loyalty than delighting customers.
The typical CES question: "How easy was it to [complete specific task]?"
Customers respond on a scale from "Very Difficult" to "Very Easy" (typically 1-7).
When to use CES surveys:
- After customer support interactions
- Following self-service experiences (knowledge base, FAQs)
- Post-checkout or sign-up processes
- After using a new feature for the first time
- When troubleshooting product friction
A high effort experience is a major churn predictor. Research shows 96% of customers who have high-effort experiences report being disloyal, compared to only 9% with low-effort experiences.
CSAT vs NPS vs CES: Comparison Table
| Metric | What It Measures | Best For | Scale | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSAT | Satisfaction with specific interaction | Transaction feedback, support quality | 1-5 or 1-7 | Immediately after interaction |
| NPS | Overall loyalty and brand sentiment | Relationship health, benchmarking | 0-10 | Quarterly or at milestones |
| CES | Ease of completing a task | Process improvement, friction reduction | 1-7 | After specific tasks |
Which should you use? Most successful companies use a combination. CSAT and CES work well for tactical, moment-in-time feedback. NPS provides a strategic view of overall customer health. Together, they give you a complete picture of customer satisfaction.
How to Create a Customer Satisfaction Survey
Building an effective customer satisfaction survey doesn't require technical expertise or expensive tools. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating surveys that get responses and deliver actionable insights.
Step 1: Define Your Goal
Before writing a single question, clarify what you want to learn. Are you measuring satisfaction with a specific feature? Evaluating support quality? Tracking overall relationship health? Your goal determines which survey type to use, what questions to ask, and when to send it.
Step 2: Choose Your Survey Type
Based on your goal:
- Measure specific interaction quality → CSAT survey
- Gauge overall loyalty and sentiment → NPS survey
- Identify friction points → CES survey
You can also combine types. Many surveys start with an NPS or CSAT question, then follow up with open-ended questions for context.
Step 3: Build Your Survey in Youform
Creating a customer satisfaction survey in Youform takes just minutes:
- Start from a template — Choose from pre-built CSAT, NPS, or CES templates
- Customize questions — Edit the default questions to match your brand and goals
- Add your branding — Upload your logo, choose colors, and customize fonts
- Set up logic — Use conditional logic to show follow-up questions based on responses
- Configure notifications — Get alerts for low scores so you can follow up quickly
- Publish and share — Generate a link or embed the survey in your product
Key Questions to Include
Beyond the core satisfaction question, consider adding:
For context:
- "What was the primary reason for your score?"
- "What could we have done better?"
- "What did you like most about your experience?"
For follow-up:
- "Can we contact you to discuss your feedback?"
- "Would you be interested in participating in customer research?"
Customer Satisfaction Metrics Explained
Understanding how to calculate and interpret satisfaction metrics is crucial for turning survey data into actionable insights.
How to Calculate Your CSAT Score
CSAT is expressed as a percentage of satisfied customers.
Formula:
CSAT = (Satisfied Customers / Total Respondents) × 100
On a 5-point scale, "satisfied" typically means responses of 4 or 5.
Example calculation:
- Total responses: 200
- Responses of 4 or 5: 160
- CSAT Score: (160/200) × 100 = 80%
What's a good CSAT score?
Below 70%
Needs improvement
70-80%
Average
80-90%
Good
Above 90%
Excellent
NPS Formula and Benchmarks
NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from Promoters.
Formula:
NPS = % Promoters (9-10) − % Detractors (0-6)
Passives (7-8) aren't included in the calculation but matter for your overall customer health.
NPS benchmarks by industry:
- SaaS/Software: 30-40 is good, 50+ is excellent
- E-commerce: 40-50 is good, 60+ is excellent
- Financial Services: 30-40 is good, 50+ is excellent
- Healthcare: 35-45 is good, 55+ is excellent
Remember, NPS is most valuable when tracked over time. A rising NPS indicates improving customer relationships.
Interpreting CES Scores
CES is typically reported as an average score or as the percentage of customers who found the experience "easy" (scoring 5, 6, or 7 on a 7-point scale).
6-7
Your process is smooth — customers accomplish tasks easily
4-5
There's friction — investigate where customers struggle
1-3
Significant barriers exist — prioritize fixing the experience
Customer Satisfaction Survey Templates
Why start from scratch? Youform offers professionally designed customer satisfaction survey templates that you can customize and launch in minutes.
NPS Survey Template
The classic Net Promoter Score survey with the 0-10 scale, respondent categorization, and a follow-up question to understand the "why" behind each score.
CES Survey Template
Measure how easy it is for customers to complete tasks or resolve issues. Perfect for post-support and post-checkout experiences.
Client Satisfaction Survey
A comprehensive template for agencies and service businesses to gather detailed feedback from clients on project quality, communication, and overall satisfaction.
Each template is fully customizable — add your branding, modify questions, set up conditional logic, and connect to your favorite tools.
Best Practices for Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Collecting feedback is only valuable if you do it right. These best practices will help you maximize response rates and get actionable data.
📝 Keep It Short
Survey fatigue is real. The longer your survey, the fewer people will complete it — and those who do may rush through, giving you unreliable data.
Recommended length:
- CSAT: 1-3 questions
- NPS: 2-3 questions (the NPS question plus follow-up)
- CES: 1-2 questions
⏰ Timing Matters
The best time to survey depends on what you're measuring:
- Post-purchase CSAT: Within 24-48 hours, while the experience is fresh
- Support interaction: Immediately after ticket resolution
- NPS: Quarterly or after meaningful milestones
- CES: Right after the task in question
🔄 Follow Up on Feedback
Closing the feedback loop is what separates great companies from good ones.
For Detractors and low CSAT scores:
- Reach out personally within 24-48 hours
- Acknowledge their frustration
- Ask clarifying questions
- Share what action you're taking
For Promoters:
- Thank them for the positive feedback
- Ask if they'd be willing to write a review
- Invite them to referral programs
Youform lets you set up instant notifications for low scores so your team can respond quickly.
📈 Benchmark Over Time
A single survey is a snapshot. Real insights come from tracking trends.
- Establish your baseline: Run your first survey to understand where you stand
- Measure consistently: Use the same questions and scales so data is comparable
- Track by segment: Break down scores by customer type, product, or other factors
- Set improvement goals: "Increase NPS by 10 points in 6 months" is more actionable than "improve customer satisfaction"
Use Cases by Industry
Customer satisfaction surveys work across every industry, but the specific applications vary. Here's how different sectors use CSAT, NPS, and CES surveys effectively.
💻 SaaS and Software
For SaaS companies, customer satisfaction directly impacts MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) and churn rates.
Common survey touchpoints:
- Post-onboarding (Day 7, Day 30): CSAT to gauge initial experience
- After feature releases: CES to measure adoption friction
- Quarterly check-ins: NPS to track overall health
- After support tickets: CSAT for support quality
🛒 E-commerce and Retail
In e-commerce, post-purchase feedback drives repeat business and identifies logistics issues.
Common survey touchpoints:
- Post-delivery: CSAT for product and shipping satisfaction
- After returns: CES to measure return process ease
- Post-support: CSAT for customer service quality
- Periodic: NPS for overall brand loyalty
🏥 Healthcare
Patient satisfaction impacts both outcomes and compliance. Healthcare providers use surveys to improve care quality and patient experience.
Common survey touchpoints:
- Post-appointment: CSAT for care quality
- After procedures: CES for pre/post care communication
- Ongoing: NPS for overall provider relationship
- Post-discharge: CSAT for hospital stay experience
🏦 Financial Services
Trust is everything in financial services. Satisfaction surveys help identify friction and build long-term relationships.
Common survey touchpoints:
- After account opening: CES for onboarding ease
- Post-transaction: CSAT for service quality
- After loan/application processes: CES for process friction
- Annual: NPS for overall relationship health
Why Choose Youform for Customer Satisfaction Surveys
You have options when it comes to survey tools. Here's what makes Youform the right choice for measuring customer satisfaction.
♾️ Free Unlimited Surveys
Unlike most survey platforms, Youform's free plan includes unlimited forms and surveys, unlimited responses, all question types (including rating scales, NPS, and more), and custom branding. No artificial limits, no surprise charges.
🎨 Beautiful Design
Youform surveys are designed to look good and convert well. One question at a time, smooth transitions, mobile-optimized layouts — the experience feels modern and professional.
🔗 Powerful Integrations
Connect your satisfaction surveys to Slack, Google Sheets, Zapier (5,000+ apps), and webhooks. Automatically create tasks when you get a Detractor or add Promoters to your review request sequence.
✨ Simple and Transparent
No enterprise sales calls. No complex pricing tiers. No features hidden behind expensive plans. Youform is built for teams who want to collect customer feedback without overhead.
Over 70,000 users have created surveys with Youform, collecting more than 10 million submissions.
Start your free surveyFrequently Asked Questions
What is a good CSAT score?
A good CSAT score depends on your industry, but generally, scores above 80% are considered strong. World-class companies often achieve 90%+ CSAT scores. However, the most important thing is tracking your trend over time. A score of 75% that's improving is better than 85% that's declining. Benchmark against your own historical data and, when possible, industry standards.
How often should I send customer satisfaction surveys?
It depends on the survey type and touchpoint. CSAT surveys should be sent immediately after specific interactions (support tickets, purchases, etc.) when the experience is fresh. NPS surveys work best quarterly or after significant customer milestones to avoid survey fatigue. CES surveys are triggered by specific tasks. As a general rule, don't survey the same customer more than once per month for relationship-type surveys.
What's the difference between CSAT and NPS?
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) measures satisfaction with a specific interaction or experience — "How satisfied were you with today's support?" NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures overall loyalty and sentiment — "How likely are you to recommend us?" CSAT is tactical and transaction-focused, while NPS is strategic and relationship-focused. Most companies use both: CSAT for specific touchpoint feedback and NPS for overall customer health tracking.
How many questions should a satisfaction survey have?
Less is more. For maximum response rates, keep customer satisfaction surveys to 3-5 questions. The core satisfaction question (CSAT, NPS, or CES) plus one or two follow-up questions is usually ideal. Studies show that survey completion rates drop significantly after the 5-question mark. If you need more detailed feedback, consider splitting into multiple targeted surveys rather than one long form.
Can I customize the survey design?
Yes. With Youform, you can fully customize your customer satisfaction surveys to match your brand. Add your logo, choose custom colors and fonts, and create a consistent experience for respondents. You can also customize question text, add conditional logic to show different follow-up questions based on responses, and configure thank-you pages with personalized messages or next steps.
Start Measuring Customer Satisfaction Today
Your customers have opinions about your product and service. The question is whether you're listening. Customer satisfaction surveys give you direct insight into what's working, what's frustrating your customers, and where you can improve.
Join over 70,000 teams already collecting customer feedback with Youform. Start with a free survey today.
Create your free survey
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