Introduction

Creating an effective survey involves finding the right balance between gathering essential information and keeping the survey concise. The goal is to capture key insights about your products and improve the sales and service experience without overwhelming your customers.

To achieve this, we recommend including at least two Overall Satisfaction (OSAT) questions to measure satisfaction with both the product and the dealer. Additionally, incorporating Net Promoter Score (NPS) questions can help gauge customer loyalty. Collecting email addresses is also beneficial for building marketing and promotional contact lists.

With these foundational elements, you can create a survey that not only provides valuable feedback but also enhances your understanding of customer needs and expectations.

Common Survey Question Types

1. Overall Satisfaction (OSAT) Questions: 
Typically, these are 5 or 6 response choice questions. They assess customer satisfaction with the product, its performance, and the dealer's service. A six choice question is optional that includes an "N/A" option, which is not available in the five choice format. OSAT results are calculated using a mean score, which is the average of the given responses.

6 response question:

5 response question:

Reporting: Results are presented as a mean score. 

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Questions: 
These 11-point scale questions measure the likelihood of customers recommending the product or dealer. The NPS is calculated as Promoters minus Detractors divided by Total Responses. In Advanced Surveys, NPS questions can be formatted either as a radio button question or as an NPS question type. 

Radio Button Type:

NPS Question Type:

Reporting: NPS is reported as a score derived from the responses. 

3. Multiple Choice Questions: 

Multiple choice questions offer predefined response options, providing two different formats:

    Radio Buttons: Allow the respondent to choose only one answer.

    Checkboxes: Enable the respondent to select multiple answers.

Each format helps in gathering specific types of data, whether you need a single choice or multiple selections from the respondents.

Reporting: Results are displayed as percentages. 

4. Free Text Area: 
This allows customers to provide additional comments or feedback. Note: Do not make free text areas a required field. There is a 4000 character limit on free text responses. 

Legacy survey Example:

Advanced Survey Example:

5. Validated Free Text Area: 
Used to collect contact information like emails or phone numbers, this field ensures the information is automatically updated in the registration record. Including this in every survey is a best practice.

Legacy Survey Example:

Advanced Survey Example:

Triggers

You can customize which questions trigger a notification based on specific responses to gather real-time updates on customer satisfaction. When a response triggers a hot alert or perfect score, an email will be sent to a specified dealer or manufacturer contact according to your preferences.

OSAT:
Perfect Score: 5
Hot Alert: 3,2,1,0

NPS:
Perfect Score: 9,10
Hot Alert: 6,5,4,3,2,1,0

Any responses that do not fall into a hot alert/perfect score will be recorded as a "Completed" Response.

Customization Options

Make Question Required: Respondents must answer this question before they can click "Next" or "Finish." All required questions will be marked with a "*". Please keep in mind you cannot make personal information questions required.

Other Option (Advanced Surveys): When enabled, this option allows respondents to provide a custom answer in a small single-line text box connected to the "Other" answer choice, instead of having a separate question for it. 

N/A Option (Advanced Surveys): When enabled, the "N/A" (Not Applicable) option will appear as the last answer choice. Even if the answers are randomized, "N/A" will remain the final option.

Randomize Choices (Advanced Surveys): The order of answer choices will be randomized for each respondent viewing the survey.

FAQs

What is the main goal of creating an effective survey?

The goal is to gather essential customer insights while keeping the survey concise. A well-designed survey helps you understand product performance and the sales/service experience without overwhelming customers.

What foundational elements should every survey include?

• At least two Overall Satisfaction (OSAT) questions (product and dealer).
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) questions to measure customer loyalty.
• A field for email collection to support marketing and promotional outreach.

What is the purpose of using OSAT (Overall Satisfaction) questions in a survey?

OSAT questions measure customer satisfaction with the product, its performance, and the dealer’s service. They typically use 5- or 6 point scales, and results are reported as a mean (average) score based on all responses. 

What is the difference between a 5 choice and 6 choice OSAT question?

A 5 choice OSAT question offers five satisfaction levels.

A 6 choice OSAT question adds a “Not Applicable (N/A)” option, which is only available in that format.

How is Net Promoter Score (NPS) measured?

NPS uses an 11 point scale (0–10) to gauge how likely customers are to recommend the product or dealer. The score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. 

How can NPS questions be formatted?

As either a radio button question or a dedicated NPS question type in Advanced Surveys. 

What types of multiple choice questions can be included in a survey?

Surveys may use:

•    Radio buttons for single choice answers

•    Checkboxes for multiple selection answers

Both types are reported as percentages. 

Can customers leave written comments in the survey?

Yes. A free text area allows customers to type additional comments. However, it should not be required, and responses are limited to 4,000 characters.

What is a validated free text area?

It’s a field used to collect contact details like email addresses or phone numbers. These entries are validated and automatically added to the customer’s registration record, which makes including one in every survey a recommended best practice.

What are triggers, hot alerts, and perfect scores?

Triggers notify a dealer or manufacturer when certain responses are received. They allow real-time visibility into customer satisfaction by sending “hot alert” or “perfect score” emails to designated contacts. 

What responses trigger alerts for OSAT?

• Perfect Score: 5

• Hot Alert: 3, 2, 1, 0

What responses trigger alerts for NPS?

• Perfect Score: 9, 10

• Hot Alert: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0

What if a response doesn’t trigger a hot alert or perfect score?

It is recorded as a Completed response.

Can questions be made required?

Yes—most survey questions can be marked as required, forcing respondents to answer before proceeding. However, personal information questions cannot be required. Required questions are marked with an asterisk (*).

What customization options are available in Advanced Surveys?

Advanced Surveys can include:

•    Other option: Allows customers to type an alternative response directly into a connected text box

•    N/A option: Adds a permanent “Not Applicable” choice

•    Randomized choices: Randomizes answer order (except N/A, which always stays last).