How easy was it to complete your task? Product Survey Question
Understand how friction impacts task completion and pinpoint exactly where users struggle, so you can streamline workflows and reduce support costs.
Question type
Rating scale 1-7
Primary metric
Answer scale variations
| Style | Options |
|---|---|
| Typical choice | Very difficult Difficult Somewhat difficult Neutral Somewhat easy Easy Very easy |
| More emphatic | Extremely difficult Very difficult Difficult Neither easy nor difficult Easy Very easy Extremely easy |
| Experience-focused | Frustrating Challenging A bit challenging Acceptable A bit smooth Smooth Effortless |
| Time-based | Took way too long Took too long Took longer than ideal Took a reasonable time Took less time than expected Quick Very quick |
Follow-Up Questions
When users tell you something was "difficult," what specifically went wrong? A low CES score flags friction but doesn't pinpoint where users got stuck, which features confused them, or what actually blocked their progress. These follow-up questions help you identify the specific pain points that need fixing and understand whether the difficulty was about your product, unclear instructions, or something else entirely.
For users who reported difficulty, this open-ended question captures the specific obstacles they encountered. You'll discover whether they struggled with confusing UI, missing features, technical errors, or unclear instructions, giving you concrete issues to prioritize in your roadmap.
This categorizes friction by stage, helping you see whether users struggle with discoverability, usability, performance, error handling, or output quality. When you know which stage creates the most friction, you can focus improvements where they'll have the biggest impact.
This forward-looking question turns complaints into solutions. Users often have clear ideas about what would help them, whether it's better onboarding, shortcuts for common tasks, clearer error messages, or different workflow options.
When to Use This Question
SaaS Products: Survey users immediately after they complete a key workflow like exporting data or setting up an integration, using an in-app modal that appears within 30 seconds of task completion, because you'll capture their genuine experience while the friction points are still fresh and actionable.
E-commerce: Trigger this question right after checkout completion but before the order confirmation page, using a lightweight inline widget that doesn't interrupt the confirmation experience, because customers can accurately assess the entire purchase journey while they're still engaged and you can identify cart abandonment causes.
Mobile Apps: Ask within 2-3 uses after a user first completes a core action like creating their first post or sending their first payment, using a non-intrusive bottom sheet that slides up naturally, because new users have the clearest perspective on onboarding friction and you can fix adoption blockers quickly.
Web Apps: Survey users every 90 days after they perform recurring tasks like generating reports or managing team members, placing the question in the confirmation screen they already see, because regular users will reveal evolving pain points as your product grows and their usage patterns mature.
Digital Products: Send the survey 24 hours after customers complete a multi-step process like course enrollment or template customization, using email with a single-click response, because the slight delay lets frustration settle into constructive feedback while the experience remains memorable enough to provide specific improvement areas.
Related Questions
- How easy was it to get your issue resolved?
- How easy was it to find what you needed?
- How much effort did it take to complete your purchase?
- How simple was the onboarding process?
- How easy was it to import your data?
- How easy was it to set up your account?
- How simple was it to integrate with your tools?
- How easy was it to customize your dashboard?
- How much effort did it take to invite your team?
- How easy was it to export your data?
- How easy was it to change your plan?
- How much effort did it take to learn the product?
- How easy was it to get started?
- How much effort did it take to understand the analytics?
- How easy was it to configure the settings?
- How easy was it to migrate from your previous tool?
- How easy was it to use our product?
- How easy was it to contact us when you needed help?
- How easy was it to understand our instructions or documentation?
- How easy was it to find what you were looking for?
- How easy was it to reach our customer support team?
- How easy was it to get your issue resolved by our support team?