What does the lowest rating label mean to you?
Check that the low endpoint refers to the intended negative experience.
Survey design and interpretation / Survey guide
Survey methods · Worked example
Top-two-box scores: count the eligible ratings
Calculate a top-two-box percentage with explicit rating direction, valid-answer count and not-applicable exclusions.
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WHAT TO READ · WHAT TO TEST
Observation
Synthetic counts on a low-to-high five-point satisfaction scale are 1,1,2,3,5; three separate cases are not applicable.
Interpretation boundary
A top-two-box share depends on the chosen labels and denominator. It is not NPS, a validated scale or evidence that numeric codes have equal distances.
Next experiment
Use the top labels 4 and 5 as eight favourable ratings among 12 valid ratings; report the three not-applicable cases separately.
Illustrative scenario. These are not real response counts or findings.
A useful starting point
Free-text pilot questions
A worksheet combines five satisfaction categories with three not-applicable records. Verify which labels are favourable before counting and pilot the meaning of those labels.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate.
What does the highest rating label mean to you?
Verify the high endpoint’s direction rather than relying on numeric code alone.
Which two labels would describe a favourable experience, and why?
Test how people interpret the selected favourable categories.
What would you choose if you had not experienced the service?
Keep non-exposure separate from neutral experience.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate. What does the lowest rating label mean to you? What does the highest rating label mean to you? Which two labels would describe a favourable experience, and why? What would you choose if you had not experienced the service?
Download the questions as text ↓
Examples to adapt, rather than a validated research instrument.
Before you send it
Check what your wording assumes.
How satisfied are you? Choose any number.
What does the highest rating label mean to you?
The pilot tests label meaning before treating a code as a favourable attitude.
Choose the response format
Make room for the explanation.
| Question | Suggested format | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| What does the lowest rating label mean to you? | Optional short open text | Check that the low endpoint refers to the intended negative experience. |
| What does the highest rating label mean to you? | Optional short open text | Verify the high endpoint’s direction rather than relying on numeric code alone. |
| Which two labels would describe a favourable experience, and why? | Optional short open text | Test how people interpret the selected favourable categories. |
| What would you choose if you had not experienced the service? | Optional short open text | Keep non-exposure separate from neutral experience. |
Make questions optional where appropriate. If you add a rating scale, label its endpoints, keep one idea per question, and retain a follow-up for reasons. These examples are not a validated measurement instrument.
From question to next step
Make the feedback useful.
Set the decision
Pilot scale wording before fielding the main survey with people who have and have not experienced the service.
Invite relevant voices
Use the top labels 4 and 5 as eight favourable ratings among 12 valid ratings; report the three not-applicable cases separately.
Choose an action
After revising ambiguous labels, pilot both endpoints again; do not directly compare scores collected under different labels.
A worked interpretation example
From a comment to a practical next step.
Illustrative scenario. These are not customer results.
Keep the finding specific
Synthetic counts on a low-to-high five-point satisfaction scale are 1,1,2,3,5; three separate cases are not applicable.
Choose an action to test
Use the top labels 4 and 5 as eight favourable ratings among 12 valid ratings; report the three not-applicable cases separately.
Check the experience again
After revising ambiguous labels, pilot both endpoints again; do not directly compare scores collected under different labels.
Read the answers carefully
Limits to preserve
A top-two-box share depends on the chosen labels and denominator. It is not NPS, a validated scale or evidence that numeric codes have equal distances.
Score note: eight of 12 valid ratings select the two stated favourable labels, approximately 66.7%; three not-applicable cases remain separate.
Run a focused feedback cycle
Plan the invitation, review and follow-up.
When and whom to ask
Pilot scale wording before fielding the main survey with people who have and have not experienced the service.
Who reviews the finding
The questionnaire owner approves endpoint labels; the analyst retains the valid-answer rule.
What to check after a change
Review changed label interpretation before deciding whether later numeric summaries are comparable.
Handle responses carefully
Pilot questions are free text. This worksheet’s scale counts are manually supplied examples, not a claim about native rating-field or scoring availability.
A worked measurement study
Inspect the data. Trace the decision.
Every record here is synthetic. Use the rule to review your own evidence before taking action.
Invented records · inspect every count
| Scale label or disposition | Synthetic count |
|---|---|
| 1: very dissatisfied | 1 |
| 2: dissatisfied | 1 |
| 3: neither | 2 |
| 4: satisfied | 3 |
| 5: very satisfied | 5 |
| Not applicable | 3 |
On small screens, scroll a wide table sideways to see all columns.
Download example data (.csv) · Download method worksheet (.json)
Try the arithmetic
Local calculation sandbox
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Work through the rule
Valid ratings = 1+1+2+3+5=12. Top two = 3+5=8. Top-two-box = 8÷12×100≈66.7%. Three not-applicable cases are disclosed outside the rating denominator.
Score note: eight of 12 valid ratings select the two stated favourable labels, approximately 66.7%; three not-applicable cases remain separate.
Keep evidence and inference separate
Observed
Category labels and counts
Supports a labelled eight-of-12 share.
Unknown
Comparability with another scale
Do not equate top-two-box with NPS or an unlabeled average.
Next check
Pilot endpoint meaning and exclusion policy
Preserve the rule when comparing later waves.
Before you send it
Questions, answered.
Why not divide by all 15 records?
This worked rule measures favourable ratings among valid ratings; not applicable is disclosed separately. State a different denominator if you choose one.
Can the top two mean unfavourable?
Yes, if the scale direction is reversed. Read labels before mapping codes.
Is this an NPS calculation?
No. This is a category-share example on a specified satisfaction scale.
Can I load this example automatically?
No. Copy or download the free-text pilot questions and adapt them in your draft. The registration link does not import them. The calculation worksheet is a separate manual example; verify supported fields and features in your account.
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