4 Questions CSMs Should Ask to Gather Quantitative Results
Four quantitative questions CSMs should add to customer check-ins — from the NPS question to goal-attainment percentages — to gather measurable, trackable data.
TL;DR
- CSMs need both qualitative data (satisfaction, sentiment) and quantitative data (usage rates, survey scores) to make the best strategic decisions for customers.
- Four quantitative questions to add to check-ins: the NPS question (0-10 likelihood to recommend), the percentage of outlined goals being met, how the product compares to past products or competitors, and a 1-10 sentiment ranking.
- Asking customers to rank sentiment numerically turns a qualitative feeling into a measurable metric you can track over time.
As a CSM, you work with qualitative and quantitative data when tracking customer success metrics. On the qualitative side, there are indicators such as customer satisfaction, sentiment, and other ad-hoc information that customers share. On the quantitative side, however, much of the information gathered comes from on-platform performance or surveys.
To make the best strategic decisions for your customers, CSMs need access to a healthy mix of qualitative and quantitative data. No matter how often you ask your customers how they’re feeling or what they think, you need to gather numbers and tangible data points to move your goals along. While looking at your platform usage rates, log-in numbers, and other on-platform data is a great start, you should also ensure you’re asking measurable quantitative questions in your customer conversations.
Questions to ask to gather quantitative results
Here are a few quantitative questions to add to your ongoing customer check-ins moving forward:
**1. On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this product or service to a friend or colleague? **
Otherwise known as the NPS question, this is a great question to ask your customers while on a call to give them the space to discuss as a group and ask any follow-up questions.
**2. What percentage of your outlined goals are being met with the current program design? **
When you kick off a customer account, you will have a list of goals the customer brings to the table that they want to achieve with your product or service. Ask your customers for a hard percentage of how well they think the current program design is helping them achieve these goals to ensure you’re on the right track.
**3. How would you compare your current product to past products or competitors? **
This is a great question to keep in mind for an annual review or check-in with a customer, as it can open up a larger conversation around product features and enhancements. Just make sure you track their feedback qualitatively (percentages or ratings) so that you can measure customer feedback from one meeting to the next.
**4. Where would you rank your current sentiment level on a score of 1 – 10? **
While this question is getting more into the qualitative side of things, giving customers the ability to rank their sentiment and how they are currently feeling about your product gives the metric a quantitative result and can give your team visibility into how customer sentiment grows and/or changes over time.
Want to learn more?
You can learn more about gathering and using customer data with these additional resources from ClientSuccess:
- Webinar: Guide to Customer Success Metrics
- eBook: Ultimate Guide to Customer Success Metrics
- Toolkit:Customer Success Metrics Toolkit
Frequently Asked Questions
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