Rating scale questions are a close-ended survey question that evaluates how the user responds to a question about a particular brand or product. The respondents are asked to choose from a number of options where the choices are between two extremes.

Rating scales are highly popular because they allow quantitative measures to be applied even on abstract sentiments. Things such as feelings, satisfaction, experience, and perception are difficult to quantify. But rating questions make it possible to measure feelings or experiences.

In this article, we will look at rating scales, discuss their types, and how to use them for effectiveness. The article will be interspersed with rating scale questions.

Types of rating scale

What is a rating scale? To answer that question, we must first discuss the type of rating scale.

Some of the most effective rating scales are the following:

 🗒 Ordinal scale:

It is a variable measurement scale that presents the choices in order. Even though the intervals between the scales may not be fixed, the scales are presented in their natural order.

#1. What is your experience with the Walmart store in your area?

1. Fantastic
2. Good
3. Average
4. Poor
5. Extremely poor

Even though fantastic and extremely poor are not fixed measures, you can observe that there is a clear hierarchy.

 📏 Interval scale:

It is similar to the ordinal scale, but the answers also follow an order and have a meaningful value between the intervals.

#2. How happy are you with our service?

1. Very satisfied
2. Somewhat satisfied
3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
4. Somewhat unsatisfied
5. Very unsatisfied

The difference between very satisfied and somewhat satisfied is similar to the intervals associated with somewhat unsatisfied and very unsatisfied.

 🎭 Graphic rating scale:

The popular Likert scale is an example of graphic rating scale questions. Depicted usually in a matrix, or a table, the respondent can either use numbers or a worded response (like satisfied) on the top of the matrix that corresponds with the list of items being asked. Another popular rating scale under this type is the smiley face rating scale.

#3. Kindly use the worded response against the corresponding question:

The respondent can choose the appropriate response based on their sentiment.

Here’s a neat rating scale survey created just for you with SurveySparrow.

You can sign up below to try all of our features and question types for FREE.

#4. Rate the employee on their productivity.

#5. How satisfied are you with our products?

 💬 Descriptive rating scale:

You don’t use numbers in this scale. Instead, you offer the respondents a set of descriptive statements. For an example of this rating scale, check out our blog: Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale: All You Need to Know.

#6. How happy are you with the chat with our customer support agent?”

Unhappy, Neutral, happy

#7. How difficult was it to use our new feature?

Difficult, Neutral, Easy.

#8. How likely are you to recommend this product to a colleague?

Extremely likely, likely, undecided, unlikely, extremely unlikely.

#9. How interested are you to become a part of our membership program?

Very interested, somewhat interested, neutral, somewhat disinterested, very disinterested.

#10. How would you rate the sturdiness of our products?

Excellent, neutral, poor

#11. Would you agree with the following statement-”The company listens to everybody’s opinion?”

Strongly disagree, disagree, not sure, agree, strongly agree.

#12. How often do you go out with your friends and family to a restaurant?

Daily, more than once a week, once a week, once a month, never.

#13. How would you rate your shopping experience on our website?

Terrific, good, average, poor, terrible.

#14. How do you rate your recent stay at our hotel?

Very unpleasant, unpleasant, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, pleasant, very pleasant.

#15. How satisfied are you with the internet’s speed?

Highly unsatisfied, unsatisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, satisfied, highly satisfied.

 🧮 Numerical rating scale:

In this type of rating scale, numbers are used. It is one of the most commonly used rating scales in the world.

#16. On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to shop at our store again?

The respondent can use any number based on how satisfied they are with the service, with 10 being the highest.

#17. How would you rate your recent experience at our outlet?

0-10 NPS scale with 10 being the most satisfied.

#18. How easy or difficult did you find the test?

Very difficult, difficult, neither easy nor difficult, easy, very easy.

#19. How would you rate your experience with SurveySparrow’s survey tool?

1-Awful, 3-Neutral, 5-Great.

#20. If you could assign a numerical value to show your interest in our latest premium product, what would be the number that you give on a scale of 1 to 10?

Use a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most interested.

⚖️ Comparative rating scale:

This type of rating scale is used when the researcher wants to compare two things.

#21. Rate Walmart in comparison to Costco:

Excellent

Good

Neutral

Poor

Terrible

#22. Of the websites that you visited today, which one do you prefer?

Website A | Website B

#23. Which feature do you find the most useful in our software?

Anonymous surveys | Reports & Analytics dashboard

As we can see in the rating scale examples above, a comparative rating scale allows the researcher to make sense of the resulting data with respect to another product or company.

⭐️ Other rating scale questions examples:

Let us look at a few more rating question examples.

#24. How unlikely or likely would you recommend the game to your friends?

Not at all likely=1, Extremely likely=5.

#25. How cluttered or organized is the home page of the latest website that you visited?

1=cluttered, 5=organized.

#26. How trustworthy or untrustworthy is the website?

1=Not at all, 5=Very trustworthy.

#27. How interested or disinterested are you in purchasing accessories for your new car?

1=Not at all interested, 3=Neutral, 5=Extremely interested.

#28. Please rate your agreement with the following statement:” I am aware of all the features and functionalities available in SurveySparrow’s online survey tool.”

1=Strongly disagree, 3=Not sure, 5=Strongly agree.

#29. Now that you have gone through the features available, how likely are you to install the app on your phone.

1=Not at all likely, 5= very likely.

#30. How difficult was it to log in to the app?

1=Extremely difficult, 5= Extremely easy.

#31. How easy or difficult it is to set up your account?

1=very difficult, 5=very easy.

#32. How often would you have to use your product?

Daily, more than once a week, once a week, once a month, never.

#33. Which of the following describes your experience with online shopping store A?

Clear, helpful, expensive, professional, and inspiring.

#34. How satisfied are you with your in-store experience?

Highly unsatisfied, unsatisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, satisfied, highly satisfied.

#35. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement-” The ability to send anonymous surveys is important for gathering feedback from employees.”

Strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree.

#36. Is it important to have KPIs to measure your marketing performance?

1=Not important at all, 5=Extremely important.

#37. Which of the following best describes your experience with our customer service team?

Excellent, professional, difficult, dissatisfying, inaccessible.

#38. How satisfied are you with our prices?

Highly unsatisfied, unsatisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, satisfied, highly satisfied.

#39. How much do you like our products?

1=Low, 5=High.

#40. How would you rate our service delivery?

5-star rating with 1-star being the lowest.

#41. Do features or pricing influence your purchasing decision?

 🛠 Rating scale questions: Features | Pricing

#42. Do you base your purchasing decisions on how popular the brand is?

5=Very much, 1=Not at all.

#43. Which of the following describes your purchasing experience at Walmart?

• Exciting
• Professional
• Easy-to-use
• Difficult
• Inaccessible
• Dissatisfying

#44. If you tried contacting us earlier, please tell us if that experience was easy?

1=Very easy, 3=Neither easy nor difficult, 5=Very difficult.

#45. How easy did you find it to use our solution to get discounts on restaurants?

Scale of 1 to 10.

#46. The organization trains its employees to keep them updated with the latest trends in the industry?

Strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree.

#47. Which of the following best describes your experience with airliner A?

Very unpleasant, unpleasant, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, pleasant, very pleasant.

#48. Do the employees have all the resources required to do a great job?

Strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree.

#49. How would you rate our customer onboarding process on a scale of 1-5?

Use a rating scale of 1 to 5 as answer options.

#50. Did you find what you were looking for in our app?

Yes | No

#51. Would you pay for more features or use the free app?

 📊 Rating scale questions: More features | Free app | Customer research

#52. How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Person A is a highly-qualified specialist.

Strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree.

#53. Please rate your attitudes towards the brand Starbucks.

1=Not at all favorable, 7=Extremely favorable. N/A= No knowledge about the existence of the brand.

#54. When purchasing products, do you watch a video demonstration?

Never, rarely, sometimes, often, always.

#55. When thinking about your experience on website A compared to Amazon, how would you rate the search attribute?

Much worse than Amazon, Almost the same, much better than Amazon.

#56. When thinking about a Kindle Paperwhite, how would you rate its effectiveness for voracious readers?

1=Highly effective, 5=Least effective.

#57. How would you rate your manager in terms of punctuality?

1=Late, 3=Punctual.

#58. To what degree do the properties of a software change?

Not at all, partially, entirely.

#59. On a scale of 1-5, how likely are you to use feature A in our app?

Extremely likely, likely, undecided, likely, extremely likely.

#60. Was the quality of service satisfactory or dissatisfactory on a scale of 1-10?

Use a scale of 1-10.

How to create perfect rating scale questions

When the rating scale questions you draft is confusing, the results you will get will also be poor. Here is how you can create the best rating scale questions.

1. Choose an appropriate rating scale:

We have discussed different types of the rating scale, you need to choose the ones that fit your objectives. If you want to understand how satisfied your customers are, then you can choose the NPS or CSAT scale.

2. Offer the right response options:

Figuring out the right response options is as important as the above step. The respondents should be able to easily choose what they want to answer. The response should not be confusing and have the most valid answers for people who have differing opinions and experiences. Use the five or a seven-point rating scale based on your objectives.

3. Use the right distribution channels:

The survey tool that you use for this exercise will determine the effectiveness of your entire exercise. Not only should it reach the right audience, but it should also make the process of survey taking a memorable experience for them. With a tool like Surveysparrow, you can get responses in real-time.

How to use rating scales to measure customer experience

Net Promoter Score (NPS):

One of the most popular tools to measure customer experience, NPS is used to represent the loyalty potential of a customer. It asks a single question to a customer.

“On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our product to your friends or family?”

Customers are assigned specific categories based on the score that they offer.

Detractors: These are people who give a score of 0-6. They are the ones who are more likely to churn because they are dissatisfied with your products.

Neutrals: These are customers who respond with a 7 or 8. They are satisfied, but not too overtly invested in your products. They might move to a different brand if they find a better product.

Promoters: These are customers who give you a rating of 9 or 10. They are extremely happy with your offering and are likely to recommend your products to their friends and family.

CSAT:

The Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a customer satisfaction metric that measures customer happiness with respect to their experience, product, or service, by asking a simple question.

“How happy were you with our service?”

The respondents are requested to answer on a numerical scale of 1-5 or 1-10.

Customer Effort Score (CES):

The CES metric evaluates the efforts that a customer has to take an action when engaging with your brand. It could be anything from getting in touch with your customer support agent to getting refund for product returns. The scale of a CES question varies from very difficult to very easy, depending on the issues that need to be addressed.

Advantages of rating scale

It is extremely useful for quantitative and qualitative observation, even to collect data. There are several type of rating scales, and they can be adapted for qualitative and quantitative observation.

For businesses that want to collect feedback in terms of numerical value, numerical rating scale is great. If you want to represent the actions graphically using images, then you can use graphical rating scale. A smiley rating scale works best when you want to collect data related to a user’s experience with a product or service.

Let us look at some of the other advantages as well:

• Helps simplify data collection and analysis in research.
• Reduces the chances of survey bias and survey responses dropouts.
• Survey respondents don’t have to spend a lot of time trying to understand the survey questions or even the choices available.
• Using rating scale for data collections helps save time.
• It is also a great way for opinion sampling.

Disadvantages of a rating scale

There are several limitations when it comes to rating scale. You cannot gather specific data about the experiences of the respondents. You may be able to collect information about the chances of a customer buying a product or service, but you will never get to know the reason for their behavior.

Let us look at some of the other disadvantages:

• It addresses the focus of the research comparatively rather than on an individual basis. Rating scale will only tell you about the feelings and perceptions of the respondent, but it doesn’t shine light on the reason behind this perception.
• It is susceptible to variations.
• Since rating scales are easy to use, there are chances that it can be misrepresented, especially if the process is not handled by a data analyst professional.
• Rating scales are subject to limited reliability.

Wrapping up

Choosing a rating scale is an important part of the research process. Finding the wrong one will help your research as some rating scales are good for some types of research while it can be poor for a particular one.

But before you make the all-important decision, ensure that you determine your objectives clearly. Do not confuse your respondents by using different scales for different questions. Not every question has to have a scale. You can also include questions with open comments to break the monotony of rating scales alone.

If you are looking for an online survey tool to distribute your rating scale questions, you’ve come to the rigth place. SurveySparrow is one of the best survey tools in the market. It has some of the most advanced features and functionalities.

Kate Williams

Content Marketer at SurveySparrow