Pro tips for creating NPS or CES surveys in HubSpot

Want to know how your customers really feel? NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CES (Customer Effort Score) surveys are brilliant tools for getting direct, actionable feedback. But there’s an art to doing them well.

Here are our top pro tips to create surveys your customers will actually answer—and that give you insights you can use.

✅ Keep it Short and Sweet

NPS and CES surveys work best when they’re quick to complete. Stick to one core question (e.g. “How likely are you to recommend us?” or “How easy was it to get your issue resolved?”) and one optional follow-up for comments.

💡 Pro tip: The fewer clicks, the better. Aim for under 30 seconds to complete.

✅ Send at the Right Moment

Timing matters. You’ll get the most helpful feedback when the experience is fresh. For NPS, send the survey a few days after a customer has onboarded, renewed, or made a purchase. For CES, send it immediately after a support ticket is closed or a live chat ends.

💡 Pro tip: Use HubSpot workflows to automate your sends based on triggers like closed tickets or completed forms.

✅ Make it Feel Personal

Generic emails get ignored. Personalise your survey using HubSpot tokens like the customer’s name or the name of the agent they spoke to. It helps your message feel more human and less like a marketing blast.

💡 Pro tip: Include your branding and tone of voice so it feels on-brand and trustworthy.

✅ Don’t Hide the Scale

Be clear about the rating scale:

• NPS uses 0–10 (with 9–10 being promoters)
• CES often uses a 1–7 scale

Explain what the numbers mean or use emojis or icons to make it more intuitive.

💡 Pro tip: Consider A/B testing language or design to see what gets better response rates.

✅ Follow Up on Feedback

This is the big one. Don’t just collect scores—act on them. Use HubSpot automation to:

• Trigger alerts when someone leaves a negative score
• Create tickets for unhappy customers
• Send a thank-you message to promoters

💡 Pro tip: Build a simple dashboard to track trends and share insights with your team.

✅ Ask “Why?”—But Make It Optional

The real gold is in the comments. Ask why someone gave their score, but don’t force it. A low-friction survey is more likely to get completed.

💡 Pro tip: Use these comments to improve processes and train your team—there’s usually a pattern.

Final Thought

NPS and CES surveys aren’t just about numbers—they’re about learning. Done right, they give you a clear window into the customer experience and help you build stronger, longer-lasting relationships.

Need help setting up feedback surveys in HubSpot? Let’s chat. We’ll make sure your surveys are not just smart—they’re strategic.