Questionnaire Design

A questionnaire is a primary data collection instrument. It contains a structured set of questions in alignment with the objectives of the study. Hence, “A questionnaire is a systematic and structured instrument of collecting primary qualitative and quantitative data for the objectives of the study from respondents”.

A questionnaire generally contains a series of questions that can be answered in writing, verbal, or digital form. The questionnaire captures clear information with a low degree of bias.

Types of Questionnaire

The questionnaire can be structured or unstructured. A structured questionnaire generally contains multiple-choice, dichotomous, and rating-scale questions. An unstructured questionnaire can be an open-ended or free-response instrument. A closed-ended questionnaire doesn’t give respondents the freedom to answer, while an open or free-ended questionnaire provides respondents the freedom of answering.

For example

1. The customer satisfaction survey is collected through a questionnaire at a restaurant. Some of the questions the questionnaire has

   1. Rate your level of satisfaction with our service? rating scale question

      1(least satisfied) – 5 (most satisfied)

   2. Would you recommend our restaurant? dichotomous question

      Yes

      No

   3. Which of the cuisine you like?

      1. Italian

      2. Punjabi

      3. Others

2.     How shall we improve our service? Open or free-ended question

3.     Select the areas where our service needs improvement, closed-ended question

Speed of service

Taste

Ambiance

How to design a questionnaire

Designing a questionnaire is an expert’s job. A well-drafted and structured questionnaire provides clean data. Neatly captured data allows the analyst to draw clear and well-defined evidence-based conclusions and vice versa. Hence, a questionnaire shall be drafted with utmost care. The following are the key insights one should take care of while drafting a questionnaire;

1. Use simple or clear language

   1. How satisfied are you with the food quality? Good Question

   2. Evaluate gastronomic excellence using jargon. Bad Question

2. Avoid Double-Barreled Questions

   1. How satisfied are you with the food quality? Good Question

   2. How satisfied are you with the food and service at Double Barrel

3. Use appropriate question type

   1. How often do you visit our restaurant? Closed-ended

   2. Rate your satisfaction with staff behaviour, Likert Scale

   3. Would you recommend our restaurant, Dichotomous

   4. What improvement would you suggest Open Ended

4. Logical Flow of questions shall be maintained

   Easy questions --> Core satisfaction questions --> Demographics

5. Keep the questionnaire short

   8 – 12 questions, apart from demographics, an appropriate questionnaire size

6. Ensure neutrality

   1. How would you rate our service? Good Question

   2. How excellent was our service? Bad Question

7. Include all relevant dimensions

   For example; in a restaurant satisfaction survey include food quality, service, ambiance and price

8. Avoid Leading Questions

   1. Don’t you think the food is excellent Bad Questions

   2. How would you rate the food quality Good Question

9. Avoid Ambiguous Questions

   1. Was the service Good Bad Question

   2. How satisfied are you with the service speed Good Question

10. Avoid too many open ended question not more than 3 questions

11. Avoid sensitive questions early

    1. What is your income? (avoid asking in the beginning)

12. Avoid overlapping questions

13. Avoid complex language

    1. Evaluate temporal efficiency of service delivery Bad Question

    2. How fast is the service Good Question

Sample Questionnaire

Restaurant Satisfaction Survey

1. How often do you visit our restaurant?

   ☐ First time ☐ Occasionally ☐ Regular

2. Rate (1 – 5) your level of satisfaction with;

   Food quality

   Service speed

   Staff behavior

   Ambience

   Value for money

3. Would you recommend our restaurant?

   ☐ Yes ☐ No

4. Rank the following (1 = Most Important):

   1. Food quality

   2. Price

   3. Service

   4. Ambience

5. What did you like most?

6. What improvements would you suggest?