In Ghana’s banking and telecoms markets, customers can switch providers with little effort. A new account takes minutes to open, many people already carry more than one SIM card, and mobile money has made it easy to move funds between services. In markets like these, understanding why customers stay or leave is a commercial priority.
A well-designed customer satisfaction survey tells you how customers feel, what drives their loyalty, and where to invest to keep them. This guide covers the main metrics, the right methods for Ghana, and how to turn results into action.
The three metrics that matter most
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
CSAT asks customers how satisfied they are with a product, service or interaction, usually on a 1 to 5 scale. It is reported as the share of customers who choose the top two answers. CSAT is useful for measuring specific touchpoints, such as a branch visit, a call to customer service or a mobile app transaction.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
NPS asks: “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” on a scale from 0 to 10. Customers who answer 9 or 10 are promoters, 7 or 8 are passives, and 0 to 6 are detractors. NPS is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, giving a score between minus 100 and plus 100. It is a good overall measure of loyalty and is easy to track over time.
Customer Effort Score (CES)
CES asks how easy it was to get something done, such as resolving a complaint or completing a transfer. High effort is a strong predictor of churn, which makes CES especially useful for service processes.
Most programmes combine NPS for overall loyalty with CSAT or CES for specific journeys.
Find the drivers, not just the score
A score alone tells you where you stand, not what to do. The real value comes from understanding what drives it. Ask customers to rate specific aspects of the service, such as:
- Banks: waiting time in branches, ease of using the app, charges and fees, loan processing, staff courtesy, complaint resolution, ATM availability.
- Telcos: network coverage and call quality, data speed and value, mobile money reliability, customer care response, ease of buying bundles, transparency of charges.
Statistical analysis, such as regression or correlation analysis, then shows which of these have the strongest link with overall satisfaction or NPS. The result is a priority list: improve the factors that matter most to customers and where you currently score lowest.
Choosing the right method in Ghana
| Method | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone interviews | Reaches customers across regions quickly, using your customer list | Keep interviews short; call at convenient times |
| SMS or USSD surveys | Very fast and cheap for one or two questions | Limited depth; low response from some groups |
| Online or in-app surveys | Immediate feedback after a transaction | Over-represents digitally active customers |
| Face-to-face exit interviews | Rich feedback at branches or service centres | Captures only customers who visit in person |
| Focus groups and in-depth interviews | Explains why customers feel as they do | Not statistically representative |
For a representative picture of your whole customer base, telephone interviews with a random sample from your customer list often work well in Ghana. Offer interviews in the languages your customers prefer, not only English.
Survey design tips
- Keep it short. Ten minutes is plenty for a telephone survey.
- Ask the headline question first, before detailed questions influence the answer.
- Include an open question such as “What is the main reason for your score?” The answers are often the most useful part of the survey.
- Segment your sample so you can compare customer types, such as retail and SME banking customers or prepaid and postpaid subscribers.
- Survey competitors’ customers too, if you want to know how you compare in the market.
- Repeat it regularly, with the same questions, so you can track change over time.
Turning results into action
- Share results widely, not only with marketing. Operations, IT and branch teams own many of the drivers.
- Prioritise two or three improvements based on driver analysis, with clear owners.
- Close the loop with detractors. Where customers agree to be contacted, follow up to resolve their issues.
- Track the same metrics in the next wave to see whether changes worked.
Protecting customer data
Using customer lists for research means handling personal data. Share only the fields needed, use secure transfer, and make sure your research partner complies with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). Respondents should know who is calling, why, and that taking part is voluntary.
Frequently asked questions
How often should we run a satisfaction survey?
Many organisations track key metrics every quarter or every six months, with transactional surveys running continuously after key interactions.
What is a good NPS?
It depends on the industry and market. The most useful benchmark is your own score over time and how you compare with direct competitors measured the same way.
Should we run the survey ourselves?
Internal surveys are cheaper but customers may answer less honestly, and results can be questioned. An independent firm adds objectivity and analytical depth.
Measure what keeps your customers
Pinnacle Gate designs and runs customer satisfaction and loyalty research for companies in Ghana, with driver analysis that shows where to invest. Request a proposal to discuss your customers.
