Using AI For Verbatim Analysis

4. LIKERT SCALE QUESTIONS

The Likert scale is a 5- or 7-point scale used to assess a respondent’s level of agreement with a statement or the intensity of their reaction to something.

The scale grows symmetrically, with the median number (e.g., a ‘3’ on a 5-point scale) representing a point of neutrality, the lowest number (always a ‘1’) representing an extreme opinion, and the highest number (e.g., a ‘5’ on a 5-point scale) representing the opposing extreme position.

Likert-type question examples:

• How strongly do you agree with the following statement: [company’s] payment method is easy and straightforward?

1 – Strongly disagree

2 – Somewhat disagree

3 – Neither agree nor disagree

4 – Somewhat agree

5 – Strongly agree

• How satisfied were you with your customer service experience?

1 – Very dissatisfied

2 – Somewhat dissatisfied

3 – Slightly dissatisfied

4 – Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

5 – Slightly satisfied

6 – Somewhat satisfied

7 – Very satisfied

When should we utilize Likert scale questions?

Because the responses are provided in a set sequence, Likert-type questions are also known as ordinal questions. Likert scale questions, like other multiple-choice questions, are useful when we already know what our clients are thinking. For example, if our open-ended questions reveal a complaint about a recent modification to your ordering procedure, we may utilize a Likert scale question to evaluate how the average user felt about the change.

5. RATING-SCALE QUESTIONS

Rating scale questions have responses that correspond to a number scale (such as rating customer support on a scale of 1-5, or likelihood to recommend a product from 0 to 10).

Rating questions include the following:

• On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to suggest us to a friend or colleague?
• On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rank our customer service?

When should we utilize rating questions?

A rating question is the way to go whenever we want to offer a numerical value to our survey and/or examine and compare patterns.

A common rating question is used to calculate Net Promoter Score^® (NPS^®): the question asks consumers to assess their probability of suggesting items or services to their friends or colleagues, and the findings allow us to look at the results historically to see if we’re improving or worsening. Customer satisfaction surveys and product reviews (such as Amazon’s five-star product ratings) also employ rating questions.

6. ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’ QUESTIONS

These are easy questions that demand a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.

Yes/No questions include the following:

• Was this article beneficial? (Yes/No)
• Were you able to locate what you were searching for today? (Yes/No)

When should we use ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions?

• Using ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions, we can easily categorize our replies. Assume we’re seeking to figure out what hurdles or objections are preventing individuals from trying our product. We may put a poll on our price page, ask folks if anything is holding them back, and then follow up with the part that said ‘NO’ by asking them to clarify.

• These inquiries are also excellent for getting our foot in the door. When we ask a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, the response takes relatively little effort. When a person commits to answering the first question, they are more likely to answer the subsequent ones.

WORDINGS OF QUESTION

The words and phrases used in a question are crucial in conveying the meaning and aim of the question to the respondent and ensuring that all respondents read the question in the same manner. Even little language adjustments can have a significant impact on the responses individuals offer.

A large amount of study has been conducted to assess the impact of different ways of asking questions and how to minimize disparities in how respondents understand what is being asked. The challenges surrounding question phrasing are extensive and cannot be completely addressed in this small space, but here are a few key points to consider:

To begin, it is critical to ask clear and detailed questions that each respondent will be able to answer. If a question is open-ended, responders should be aware that they can react on their own terms and what sort of response they should offer (an issue or problem, a month, number of days, etc.). Closed-ended questions should allow for all acceptable replies (i.e., the list of alternatives should be exhaustive), and the response categories should not overlap (i.e., response options should be mutually exclusive).

It’s also a good idea to limit yourself to one question at a time. Questions that ask respondents to evaluate more than one concept (known as double-barreled questions) – such as “How much confidence do you have in President Obama to handle domestic and foreign policy?” – are difficult for respondents to answer and frequently result in difficult-to-interpret responses. It would be more effective in this case to ask two separate questions, one about domestic policy and one about foreign policy.