How to Design Effective Customer Feedback Surveys: Best Practices & Questions for SaaS

Customer feedback surveys are essential tools for understanding customer satisfaction and improving your products or services. If you're a founder, a marketer, or a customer success manager, you definitely had to create a customer survey at least once. And while you might think, "How hard can it be to create a survey? Just ask relevant questions - it’s not rocket science," designing one that minimises bias, prevents survey fatigue, and collects meaningful data is often more complex than it seems.

This article will guide you through the most commonly used feedback surveys in SaaS, top customer feedback survey questions and best survey design practices, to help you gather actionable insights that drive positive changes for your SaaS.

Importance of Customer Feedback Surveys

Customer feedback surveys aren’t just about collecting opinions, they’re a direct line to understanding what your customers truly think and expect. They help measure satisfaction, uncover pain points, and highlight opportunities to improve. But feedback is only valuable if you act on it.

Not only does consistent use of customer feedback mechanisms help businesses to fix issues, but also  build stronger relationships and foster loyalty through improved relationships with satisfied customers. By actively listening and responding to feedback, you create a better experience for existing customers, before they become major problems. At the same time, continuous improvement also helps attract new customers. This means lower churn, steady growth and higher customer and client retention.

Types of Customer Feedback

Various types of customer feedback surveys serve unique purposes in understanding customer satisfaction. In the SaaS industry, CSAT, NPS, and CES are prominent metrics for evaluating customer experiences, each offering valuable insights into different facets of the customer journey.

CSAT surveys measure customer satisfaction with a product or service at a specific point in time. NPS surveys gauge customer loyalty by assessing the likelihood of recommending the product to others. CES surveys evaluate the ease of interaction with the product or service, focusing on reducing customer effort.

Using CSAT, NPS, and CES can lead to actionable insights that enhance customer experiences and improve business outcomes.

Most Common Customer Feedback Surveys in SaaS

Customer feedback surveys drive growth in the SaaS industry by providing insights for product improvements and enhanced user experiences. CSAT, NPS, and CES are the most commonly used surveys, each with unique benefits.

Different stages of the customer journey require different survey approaches. Here are the most widely used survey types in SaaS:

CSAT Surveys

A Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) survey measures customer satisfaction data with products, services, or experiences, focusing on specific interactions. Typically, a customer satisfaction survey uses a five or seven-point rating scale. High scores suggest lower customer churn and improved revenue. For example, as a SaaS company, you can send out CSAT surveys after customer support interactions to ensure quality issue resolution.

CSAT surveys often include multiple-choice questions for quantitative survey data, open-ended questions for deeper insights, and demographic questions to understand audience segments.

Example questions:

• "How satisfied are you with the [specific feature] you just used?"
• "Did our recent update to the reporting dashboard meet your expectations?"

Net Promoter Score (NPS) Surveys

Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys measure customer loyalty by asking about the likelihood of recommending the product or service. NPS simplifies feedback to just one question. As it is quite a low-effort survey, customers are more likely to respond. At the same time, it is an easy way for companies to measure loyalty and overall satisfaction as a result.

NPS surveys categorise customers into promoters, passives, and detractors. Analysing these segments helps develop targeted strategies for improving satisfaction and retention.

Example questions:

• "On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [Product] to a friend or colleague?"
• "What is the primary reason for your score?"

Customer Effort Score (CES) Surveys

Customer Effort Score (CES) surveys help measure how easy (or frustrating) it is for customers to complete key tasks. Using a 7-point Likert scale, a CES survey be deployed at different touchpoints in the SaaS customer journey, whether it’s onboarding, reporting a bug, or renewing a subscription.

The goal? Minimise friction and make experiences smoother. Lower effort often means happier customers and better retention. For example, Shopify, an e-commerce giant, sends CES surveys right after users complete store setup to spot pain points early.

Example questions:

• "On a scale of 1-7, how easy was it to set up your integration with [third-party service]?"
• "How much effort did you have to put into resolving your issue?"

Feature Adoption Surveys

SaaS companies use feature adoption surveys to understand usage patterns and feature reception. For example, Figma sends surveys when users try new prototyping features to evaluate utility and usability.

Example questions:

• "How useful did you find the new commenting feature?"
• "What workflow challenges did this feature solve for you?"
• "What could make this feature more valuable to your work?"

Churn Exit Surveys

Exit surveys are crucial for subscription-based products or services, as they provide clarity into why customers cancel or downgrade. It is always sad to see customers leave, but at least it's an opportunity to gain insights that will help you improve. Based on data collected from churn surveys, companies often identify opportunities for improvement and take actions.

Example questions:

• "What was the primary reason for canceling your subscription?"
• "What features were missing that would have kept you as a customer?"
• "Would you consider returning if we addressed your concerns?"

Product-Market Fit Surveys

Product-Market Fit (PMF) surveys are widely used in SaaS, especially for early-stage startups and and companies iterating on their product-market fit.

This type of surveys is designed to measure perceived value of the product and whether users would be disappointed if they lost access to it. Therefore, if you want to validate the purpose of your product before scaling, want to do a post-launch evaluation, or are looking to pivot/refine your feature set - consider deploying a PMF survey.

Example questions:

• "How would you feel if you could no longer use [Product]?"
• "What type of person do you think would benefit most from [Product]?"
• "What primary benefit do you receive from [Product]?"

Designing Effective Customer Feedback Surveys

Effective customer feedback and customer surveys require clear objectives, a mix of question types,  neutral phrasing, and more. However, survey design principles are often overlooked, as many people create surveys without scientific approach in mind.

In reality, there are many nuances that can make or break your survey results - from selecting the right question types to avoiding bias. Furthermore, many struggle with phrasing questions correctly, structuring their surveys, and keeping respondents engaged. That’s why we’re diving into the best practices of survey design, and we hope it will help you create surveys that yield truly meaningful insights.

Clear and Unbiased Questions

Clear and concise survey questions improve completion rates and maintain interest. Each survey question should serve a clear purpose to avoid unnecessary length and ensure relevance. By all means avoid vague terms or jargon that might be interpreted differently by different respondents.

SaaS application: Instead of asking "How do you like our dashboard?", ask "How easily can you find key metrics on the analytics dashboard?"

Questions can cover overall experience, service quality, or specific product features to gauge customer satisfaction survey questions.

Avoiding Leading Questions

It's easy to unintentionally phrase questions in a way that pushes respondents to answers that align with our assumptions. Therefore, neutral phrasing is vital for genuine feedback.  Ensuring neutrality leads to more accurate and actionable feedback.

SaaS application: Instead of "How much do you love our new AI feature?", ask "How useful do you find the AI recommendation feature for your workflow?"

Balanced Mix of Question Types

A well-designed survey should incorporate multiple question formats. A mix of question types in customer feedback and customer satisfaction surveys serve different purposes and help balance qualitative and quantitative data. For example, if you only use multiple choice questions in your survey, you might get structured data that’s easy to analyse, but you risk missing out on deeper insights.

Key question types include Likert scale questions, binary questions, and open-ended questions.

Likert scale questions measure opinions on aspects like satisfaction and agreement.

Open-ended questions collect detailed feedback beyond predefined choices. However, this type of survey questions should be incorporate in surveys strategically, as they may be harder to analyse, especially when they don’t add significant value.  

Binary questions (yes/no) are effective for quick responses and maintaining high response rates. Combining different question types gathers both quantitative and qualitative insights, enhancing survey effectiveness.

SaaS application: Use multiple-choice questions for quantifiable data on feature usage and preferences, rating scales to measure satisfaction across product areas, open-ended questions to uncover unexpected insights and feature requests, and conditional questions to create personalised paths based on user roles or previous answers.

Ask About One Thing at a Time

Double-barrelled questions that ask about multiple concepts in one question create user confusion, leading to ambiguous responses and data interpretation challenges. The golden rule is to always ask about one single concept per question.

SaaS application: Instead of "How satisfied are you with our onboarding process and documentation?", split into two questions:

1. "How satisfied are you with our onboarding process?"
2. "How helpful is our product documentation?"

Anchor Your Rating Scales

Anchoring rating scales is a simple rule that most of people ignore when creating surveys. When you add a rating form element in your customer survey, scales (like 1–5) should be clearly anchored with defined labels for each point. This ensures respondents interpret the scale consistently and that results are meaningful. For example, specify that "1 = Very Dissatisfied" to "5 = Very Satisfied."

Use Balanced Response Options

When your response scales aren't balanced, you introduce measurement bias that can lead to flawed business decisions. This is especially critical for SaaS companies where retention and product development decisions rely heavily on customer feedback data. Therefore, make sure to always provide equal numbers of positive and negative options and include a neutral midpoint in your surveys.

SaaS application: For satisfaction questions, use balanced scales like:

• Very dissatisfied (1)
• Somewhat dissatisfied (2)
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3)
• Somewhat satisfied (4)
• Very satisfied (5)

Avoid Absolute Wording

Absolute wording in survey questions refers to using extreme, rigid terms like “always,” “never,” “all,” “only,” “every,” or “none.” These words force respondents into black-and-white answers, and make it harder for you to capture nuances, as people’s experiences are rarely absolute.

SaaS application: Avoid questions leading to response bias:

Instead of "Do you often/always use our reporting feature?" it is better to ask "How often do you use our reporting feature?" (with frequency options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never)

Best Practices for SaaS Customer Feedback Surveys

1. Keep Surveys Short and Focused

Respondent attention spans are limited, especially for business users. Limit in-app surveys to 2-3 minutes (5-7 questions) and email surveys to 5-7 minutes (10-15 questions).

For example, Dropbox's NPS survey contains just two questions: the NPS rating and one open-ended follow-up.

2. Use Simple, Direct Language

Avoid technical jargon unless you're certain all users understand it. Even for technical products, use plain language that both technical and non-technical stakeholders can understand.

For example, instead of "How satisfied are you with our API documentation?", ask "How easy is it to find the information you need when integrating our product with your systems?"

3. Consider Survey Timing Carefully

It's not a secret that the timing of a survey can significantly affect response rates and quality of data. This way, we recommend triggering surveys based on user behaviour rather than arbitrary time intervals.

Example cases:

• Trigger a feature satisfaction survey after a user has used that feature 5+ times
• Send onboarding surveys X days after account creation
• Time NPS surveys to avoid sensitive periods (like immediately after a service outage)

4. Segment Your Audience

Different user groups have different needs and experiences. Segment surveys by user role, plan tier, usage patterns, and company size. This will allow you to ask each segment more tailored questions and receive more valuable insights as a result.

For example, a CRM platform might ask sales representatives different questions than sales managers, focusing on individual productivity for reps and team performance for managers.

5. Use Branching Logic

Not all questions are relevant to all respondents. Use conditional logic to show relevant follow-up questions based on previous answers.

For example, if a user rates a feature poorly, automatically display questions about specific pain points. If they rate it highly, ask what they find most valuable.

6. Test Your Survey

We know it is a time-consuming and even a somewhat annoying step, but surveys do need to be tested before they are sent out to respondents. First, go through the survey on your own and check for possible errors. Additionally, you can conduct small-batch testing with your colleagues or even a small set of users before full rollout.

For example, before sending an NPS survey to your entire user base, test it with 50-100 users and analyse both the responses and completion rates.

7. Close the Feedback Loop

Respondents should see that their feedback matters. As a SaaS business, you can communicate how their feedback influenced your roadmap and decisions.

For example, Weavely sends emails to users who requested specific features when those features launch, directly linking their feedback to product improvements.

Avoiding Survey Fatigue

Survey fatigue happens when customers are bombarded with too many survey requests, or when surveys contain dozens of pages with questions of the same type.

With the overwhelming volume of emails, newsletters, surveys, promotions, and in-app notifications people receive these days, it’s no surprise that they don’t have the time to open and engage with every request. If you ask your users for feedback, especially in long formats, after each interaction with your platform, don’t expect high response rates or engagement. To avoid survey fatigue, it’s crucial to maintain the right balance between survey frequency and length.

In this section, we’ll explore the optimal frequency for surveys and highlight the importance of keeping them short and focused for maximum effectiveness.

Optimal Survey Frequency

Survey distribution timing depends on the number of touchpoints users have with your product, frequency of interactions, and intended use of results. For example, if you want to check how helpful your customer support is, it makes sense to send out a survey right after customers have interacted with your support team. However, not all data collection requires such an immediate approach.  

If you are looking to gather feedback about a new feature on your platform, consider conducting a survey at least a week after release. And if you want to monitor the net promoter score for your SaaS, it is generally advised to conduct this survey on a quarterly or even semesterly basis.

Keeping Surveys Short and Focused

The longer the survey, the higher the chances that respondents will abandon it before completion. To maximise response rates, aim for concise surveys that only ask essential questions to keep survey respondents engaged. Prioritise clarity and relevance, every question should serve a direct purpose

A good rule of thumb is to keep surveys under 5 minutes whenever possible. If you need to collect more in-depth feedback, consider breaking up longer surveys into separate, more targeted ones.

Sample Customer Feedback Survey Questions

Effective survey questions are the foundation of any feedback system. We compiled a list of carefully crafted questions organised by category to help you capture actionable insights from your users.

User Experience Questions

User experience questions measure how customers interact with your SaaS platform's interface, functionality, and overall usability:

• "How easy was it to accomplish your goal today in our application?"
• "Which feature do you find most intuitive to use?"
• "What aspect of our interface causes you the most friction?"
• "How would you rate the speed and performance of our application?"

These questions help identify usability issues that might not be apparent from usage analytics alone, allowing your UX team to prioritise enhancements that directly impact overall satisfaction.

Product-Specific Questions

Product value questions assess how well your SaaS solution delivers on its core promises.

• "To what extent has our product helped you achieve [specific outcome]?"
• "What business problem does our product solve most effectively for you?"
• "How has our solution impacted your team's productivity?"
• "What feature provides the most value to your workflow?"

These insights connect product usage to business outcomes, helping your team understand which features  meet customer expectations, truly drive customer success and retention.

Support Interaction Questions

The quality of your customer support has a huge impact on customer retention, or unfortunately churn in some cases. Deploying post-customer support surveys is a great way to monitor how effectively the customer service team and customer service representatives address customer needs. It is also useful in identifying training opportunities and knowledge gaps for your customer support employees.

Support surveys typically include questions like:

• "How quickly was your issue resolved?"
• "Did our support team provide a complete solution to your problem?"
• "How knowledgeable was the support representative about your specific issue?"
• "What could we have done to make the support experience better?"

These questions gauge the quality of customer support and identify areas for improvement. Feedback on service interactions ensures support teams meet customer expectations and enhance overall satisfaction.

Conclusion

Customer feedback surveys are a powerful tool for SaaS companies to measure customer satisfaction, understand customer experiences, and drive continuous improvement. By leveraging CSAT, NPS, and CES surveys, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer sentiment and loyalty. Designing effective surveys involves clear and concise questions, a balanced mix of question types,  avoiding leading questions and absolute wording to ensure genuine unbiased feedback.

Implementing changes based on customer feedback and effectively communicating these changes to customers fosters trust and loyalty. Avoiding survey fatigue by optimising survey frequency and keeping surveys short and focused ensures high response rates and valuable feedback. By following these survey design best practices, SaaS companies can enhance their customer satisfaction and drive long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common types of customer feedback surveys used in the SaaS industry?

The most common types of customer feedback surveys used in the SaaS industry are CSAT (Customer Satisfaction), NPS (Net Promoter Score), and CES (Customer Effort Score). These metrics enable businesses to assess customer satisfaction and loyalty effectively.

How often should I send customer feedback surveys to avoid survey fatigue?

The ideal survey frequency depends on user interactions with your product and the purpose of the feedback. Immediate surveys work best for assessing customer support experiences, while feedback on new features should be gathered at least a week after launch. For broader metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), a quarterly or semi-annual cadence is generally recommended to track long-term trends effectively.

What are some best practices for designing effective customer feedback surveys?

To design an effective customer feedback survey, ensure questions are clear, unbiased, and aligned with your objectives. Use a mix of question types - multiple-choice for structured data, Likert scales for sentiment, and open-ended questions for deeper insights, while avoiding double-barrelled or leading questions. Anchor rating scales, provide balanced response options, and steer clear of absolute wording like “always” or “never” to capture more accurate responses. A well-structured survey improves engagement and delivers meaningful insights for better decision-making.

How can I effectively communicate changes made based on customer feedback?

Communicate changes based on customer feedback by using multiple channels like email updates, newsletters, and social media posts. This approach not only demonstrates your appreciation for customer input but also reinforces your commitment to continuous improvement.

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Resources:

https://books.google.be/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ctow8zWdyFgC&oi=fnd&pg=PR15&dq=survey+design+best+practices&ots=fhgG7E_lYe&sig=tC4O_lhWouRT7VBthkT0tmRb8og#v=onepage&q=survey%20design%20best%20practices&f=false

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/survey-best-practices/

https://www.pewresearch.org/writing-survey-questions/

https://www.surveysensum.com/blog/survey-frequency