The 1 to 5 rating scale is a 5-point Likert scale that is commonly used to collect customer feedback, performance appraisals for employee engagement or to assess product features. It is used to measure degrees of satisfaction, agreement, and performance quality on a 5 point scale where the midpoint is 3.  

 At Merren, we’ve seen first-hand how this scale can transform insights for businesses be it customer satisfaction metrics to employee engagement (performance appraisal rating scale). 

In this blog, we will explore why the 1 to 5 rating scale is a must-have in your survey toolkit, its common uses, universal appeal, and examples that give a high survey response rate. We will also discuss the various types of 1 to 5 rating scale and where it is used. 

What is the 1-to-5 Rating Scale Survey?

A 1-to-5 (poor to excellent) rating scale survey is a common feedback technique where respondents evaluate their experience or satisfaction on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). 

This simple 1-5 survey scale is effective for measuring customer satisfaction (CSAT), conducting market research, assessing employee performance for appraisals, or product usability in general. The scale is visualized as follows: 

1. Very dissatisfied
2. Dissatisfied
3. Neutral
4. Satisfied
5. Very satisfied

Quick recommendation: Add an “N/A” or “No opinion” option for questions some respondents may not be able to answer.

Why is the 1 to 5 rating scale popular? 

The 1-to-5 scale is popular because it is neither too broad nor too narrow. Respondents have enough room to express various degrees of sentiment without too many choices. The 1-to-5 scale strikes the perfect middle ground. It is ideal for capturing customer feedback across multiple industries of retail, hospitality, FMCG, ecommerce among the rest.

Advantages of Using the 1-to-5 Rating Scale Survey

1. 1. Simple and universal:
      Every customer can understand the 1-to-5 rating scale survey without any technical knowledge. The straightforward scale gets a high response rate, making it easier to gather data quickly. In many ways, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication is having a simple structure encourages participation. This is crucial for obtaining reliable feedback.

   2. Quantifiable with actionable data:
      Each response is easy to analyze: calculate averages, identify trends, and make decisions based on real-time data. You can quickly spot customer pain points or measure satisfaction. For instance, calculating an average rating gives an instant snapshot of how a product or service is performing. Use this data to improve products, services or overall experiences.

   3. Versatile use in CX and EX:
      The 1-to-5 rating scale is used for both customer experience and employee experience. This versatile scale is applicable for various use cases (healthcare assessments or retail feedback). This rating scale can be used for both external customer insights and for internal metrics (evaluating employee satisfaction or understanding departmental performance).

   4. Minimal bias in data collection:
      People are familiar with the scale. There is minimal confusion on the questions or metrics. They are highly likely to respond to either of the emotional metrics associated with the experience. Due to the balanced nature of the scale, there is less risk of responding to extremes. This gives a reliable data format to researchers. 

Downsides of the 1-5 rating scale: 

Response bias can seep in 

This straightforward scale is prone to central tendency bias (i.e., people choosing the middle value). Encourage honest responses by including a neutral midpoint and designing questions to minimize ambiguity. 

Limited differentiation:

For more granular insights, combine 1-to-5 ratings with open-ended follow-up questions. This way, if someone gives a “3,” you can understand the specific reasons behind their rating.

Dealing with non-responses: 

Non-responses are common, but you can minimize it by reducing survey length and making the survey mobile-friendly. Ensure that all questions are easy to understand, and always offer a “prefer not to answer” option to avoid forcing responses.

When to use the 1 to 5 rating scale?

1-to-5 rating scales are most effective when the goal is to collect standardized feedback. It should be quantified and compared across respondents. Ideal scenarios include:

• Customer satisfaction surveys: Gathering customer feedback about a recent product or service experience.
  Example: How satisfied are you with our customer service?

1. Poor
2. Fair
3. Good
4. Very Good
5. Excellent
   

• Employee engagement: Measures employee sentiment about workplace initiatives, team dynamics, or satisfaction with the organisation.
• Product usability testing: This scale understands how users perceive a product- useability, intuitiveness, or overall appeal.
• Healthcare assessments: Evaluating patient satisfaction or comfort levels in a medical setting.
• Event feedback: Gathering opinions about events such as conferences or webinars, focusing on various elements like content quality and organization.

When not to use the rating scale of 1-5?

While the 5-point rating scale is versatile, there are situations where it may not be the best choice. Avoid using this scale if:

• When you need highly detailed feedback: For topics that need in-depth feedback, such as complex customer journeys or highly technical products, open-ended questions are more effective.
• When you need a longer rating scale: When you need a detailed range of responses, such as in performance evaluations or detailed customer satisfaction analysis, a 1-to-10 rating scale can be more appropriate.
• When there are sensitive topics: Respondents may feel uncomfortable quantifying deeply personal experiences, such as trauma or severe dissatisfaction. In such cases, use a qualitative approach.

The 1 to 5 Performance Rating Scale (for HR)

A 1 to 5 performance rating scale is used in employee evaluations. It has five levels that map to clear expectations, evidence, and outcomes; common labels for fair and consistent scoring.

Example of the 1 to 5 performance rating scale:

Best Practices for HR Teams

• Define clear behavioral examples for each level.
• Train managers to reduce bias and ensure calibration.
  
• Hold review meetings to align ratings across departments.
  
• Keep documentation for transparency and fairness.

Types of 1-to-5 Rating Scale Surveys

A 1 to 5 rating scale is useful when you need a quick, clear snapshot of people’s attitudes or levels of satisfaction. Here are different survey types that use the 5-point rating scale.  

1. Emoji scale or smiley face scale

The 1 to 5 emoji face rating scale is common across ecommerce and retail industries- consider people shopping on websites and mobile applications. It is a fun way of collecting customer feedback from people who prefer visual metrics over numerical scales.  

Scale description: 

The scale has 5 smiley faces or emojis that denote the following: 1: frowning emoji, 2: sad emoji, 3: neutral emoji, 4: smiling emoji, 5: emoji with heart eyes.

2. 5-star rating scale 

The 5-star rating surveys are very commonly used in e-commerce and review platforms. People are asked to rate a product or service using the star rating scale. 5 stars denote positive feedback,1 star indicates negative feedback and 3 star denotes a neutral experience.

3. Likert scale

The Likert scale measures degree of agreement or disagreement on a statement or question. It measures the satisfaction level on certain products or services. A lengthy Likert scale takes more effort to answer, especially 7-point and 10-point Likert scales. A 5-point Likert scale measures experiences in an in-depth format without confusing respondents.  

Scale description: 

The 5-point rating scale is as follows: 1: very dissatisfied, 2: dissatisfied, 3: neutral, 4: satisfied, 5: very satisfied.

4. Customer satisfaction scale

A 1-5 satisfaction rating scale is a very common scale used to track satisfaction metrics. Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) and customer effort score (CES) are common examples.  

The 5-point scale goes from very dissatisfied,dissatisfied, neutral to satisfied, and very satisfied.

5. Numerical rating scale

The 5-point numeric rating scale is used for quick and simple assessments. Respondents can rate their experience on this straightforward scale that represents lowest to highest rating (1 to 5). All numeric rating scale is a quantitative type of survey.

6. Frequency rating scale

This type of rating scale measures how often a behavior or action occurs. For example, asking “How often do you use our product?” on a scale of 1 to 5 allows businesses to understand product usage patterns. This is ideal to know how customers engage with a product in its lifetime.

6 Best Practices to Design the 1-to-5 Rating Scale

1. Be clear and specific:
   Define each point on your scale clearly. This reduces ambiguity and helps respondents understand the meaning of each rating.

2. Use balanced labels:
   Provide balanced options that range from negative to positive, including a neutral midpoint. This balance helps to capture the full range of responses while minimizing any biases that might influence the results.

3. Avoid leading questions:
   Always craft questions in a neutral tone. Leading questions can guide respondents towards a particular answer. This results in biased and unreliable data. Neutral sentences can bring honest and unbiased feedback.

4. Test your scale:
   Conduct a pilot test with sample respondents to ensure they understand both the questions and the scale. Use their feedback to refine any vague elements. Improve clarity and usability before publishing your survey. 

5. Add open-ended questions:
   Pair your 1-to-5 rating questions with one open-ended question to capture the reason for the rating. Capture qualitative data so that respondents can express the reason behind their ratings.

6. Optimize for high response rate:
   Ensure that the scale is user-friendly, especially for online surveys. Avoid cluttered layouts with a simple design. Ensure mobile-friendly surveys to encourage higher completion rates.

Alternatives Of The 1 To 5 Rating Scale

If the 1 to 5 (poor to excellent) rating scale isn’t the right fit for your feedback needs, consider these alternatives:

1. 1-to-10 rating scale: Provides a broader range for respondents to express more granular opinions. Useful for detailed performance reviews and complex satisfaction metrics.
2. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures the likelihood that a customer would recommend a product or service, typically on a scale from 0 to 10. This is useful for assessing product recommendation and customer loyalty.
3. Open-ended questions: Allow respondents to provide more nuanced, qualitative feedback in their own words. Best for gathering insights when you need detailed responses.
4. Likert scales (with expanded options): Scales that offer 7 or more points can capture more variation in sentiment. It is useful for gauging subtle changes in attitudes.
5. Semantic Differential scales: Use bipolar adjectives (e.g., satisfied vs. dissatisfied) to gauge where respondents fall on a spectrum. This is effective to understand perceptions and brand associations.
6. Dichotomous scale: Dichotomous scale is a simple yes/no rating scale that pairs statements to positive vs negative options. It is useful to get quick, polarized specific answers in a short span of time.

How to Effectively Use the 1-to-5 Scale in Your Surveys

Provide context for the scale:
Define what each point on the scale represents. For example, “1 = Not Helpful,
5 = Extremely Helpful” gives respondents a clear idea of what each option means. This will reduce ambiguity and improve data quality.

Use standardized scales:
Wherever possible, use a generic scale for multiple questions. This keeps things simple for respondents—they won’t need to adjust to new definitions each time. This makes the survey experience smoother and reduces cognitive fatigue.

Keep scale order consistent:
Maintain a consistent order throughout the survey (e.g., always use low-to-high or bad-to-good). Consistency reduces confusion and helps respondents provide more reliable answers.

Avoid mixing scale types:
Mixing 3-point, 5-point, and 7-point scales in the same survey can be confusing. Stick to one type for clarity and coherence.

Include a “no response” option:
Adding an option for “No Response” or “Not Applicable” can improve data quality. Forcing respondents to answer when they have no opinion can skew results. Give them an option to skip or indicate that they have no answer. This will keep data reliable.

Craft clear, specific questions:
Keep questions simple and straightforward. Avoid double-barreled questions like “How satisfied are you with our product and support?”. Stick to one topic at a time so respondents know exactly what they are answering.

Segment your audience for deeper insights:
Break your audience into segments based on demographics or behavior. This allows you to see different trends that may not be visible in overall data. For instance, what “3” means to one group may differ from another. Segmentation can help you understand your results better.

Common Challenges of a 1-5 Rating Scale

• Response bias: This scale, even though straightforward, is prone to central tendency bias (i.e., people choosing the middle value). Encourage honest responses by including a neutral midpoint and designing questions to minimize ambiguity. 
• Limited differentiation: For more granular insights, combine 1-to-5 ratings with open-ended follow-up questions. This way, if someone gives a “3,” you can understand the specific reasons behind their rating.
• Dealing with non-responses: Non-responses are common, but you can minimize it by reducing survey length and making the survey mobile-friendly. Ensure that all questions are easy to understand, and always offer a “prefer not to answer” option to avoid forcing responses.

Conclusion: 

The 1-to-5 rating scale remains one of the most effective tools for gathering meaningful feedback. When used effectively, this (poor to excellent) rating scale can uncover trends, pinpoint issues, and highlight opportunities for improvements.

At Merren, we’re all about making feedback collection easy and insightful. Ready to transform your feedback strategy? Try Merren’s multichannel survey tools today and take your feedback collection to the next level.