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Customer Feedback Score (Post-activation)

Definition

Customer Feedback Score (Post-activation) measures the average rating or sentiment provided by customers after reaching a defined product activation milestone. It helps assess product satisfaction and value delivery in early stages.

Description

Customer Feedback Score (Post-Activation) captures how customers feel right after reaching their first "aha" moment, offering an early signal of onboarding quality and initial product satisfaction.

The relevance and interpretation of this metric shift depending on the model or product:

  • In SaaS, it surfaces reaction to setup, first use, or trial experience
  • In apps, it follows initial feature discovery or goal completion
  • In freemium, it helps identify when value clicks (or doesn’t)

A high post-activation score means early value landed. A low score may mean activation is superficial or unclear. Segment by persona, channel, or journey step to diagnose onboarding impact.

Customer Feedback Score (Post-Activation) informs:

  • Strategic decisions, like rebuilding onboarding flows or support nudges
  • Tactical actions, such as triggering CSM outreach for low-sentiment cohorts
  • Operational improvements, including trial UX tuning or product-led messaging
  • Cross-functional alignment, by syncing product, CS, and PMM on early value delivery

Key Drivers

These are the main factors that directly impact the metric. Understanding these lets you know what levers you can pull to improve the outcome

  • Activation Experience Quality: A frictionless, clear, and valuable activation flow leads to stronger early sentiment.
  • Onboarding Guidance and Outcome Clarity: Users rate higher when they understand what they accomplished and why it matters.
  • First Feature Value Delivery: Scores rise when users immediately see how the product solves their problem post-activation.

Improvement Tactics & Quick Wins

Actionable ideas to optimize this KPI, from fast, low-effort wins to strategic initiatives that drive measurable impact.

  • If post-activation feedback is weak, revise onboarding to emphasize outcome over setup (e.g., “You built your first workflow — now what?”).
  • Add confetti moments or success recaps at milestone completion, and then request feedback.
  • Run a test with in-app vs. email survey delivery post-activation, and compare response quality.
  • Refine onboarding copy to preview what success looks like — before asking for a score.
  • Partner with CS to follow up with low scorers and turn early frustration into personalized support.

  • Required Datapoints to calculate the metric

    • List of Activated Users (based on activation criteria)
    • Post-activation Feedback Responses
    • Score or Sentiment Data (numeric or tagged qualitative)
    • Timestamp or window for measurement

  • Example to show how the metric is derived

    • Activated users who responded: 250
    • Average score: 8.4

Formula

Formula

\[ \mathrm{Customer\ Feedback\ Score} = \frac{\mathrm{Sum\ of\ All\ Scores}}{\mathrm{Total\ Responses}} \]

Data Model Definition

How this KPI is structured in Cube.js, including its key measures, dimensions, and calculation logic for consistent reporting.

cube('ActivatedUsers', {
  sql: `SELECT * FROM activated_users`,
  measures: {},
  dimensions: {
    id: {
      sql: `id`,
      type: 'string',
      primaryKey: true
    },
    activationDate: {
      sql: `activation_date`,
      type: 'time'
    }
  }
})

cube('FeedbackResponses', {
  sql: `SELECT * FROM feedback_responses`,
  measures: {
    averageFeedbackScore: {
      sql: `score`,
      type: 'avg',
      title: 'Average Feedback Score',
      description: 'Average score provided by customers post-activation.'
    }
  },
  dimensions: {
    id: {
      sql: `id`,
      type: 'string',
      primaryKey: true
    },
    feedbackDate: {
      sql: `feedback_date`,
      type: 'time'
    },
    sentiment: {
      sql: `sentiment`,
      type: 'string'
    }
  }
})

cube('CustomerFeedbackScore', {
  sql: `SELECT * FROM customer_feedback_score`,
  joins: {
    ActivatedUsers: {
      relationship: 'belongsTo',
      sql: `${CUBE}.user_id = ${ActivatedUsers}.id`
    },
    FeedbackResponses: {
      relationship: 'belongsTo',
      sql: `${CUBE}.feedback_id = ${FeedbackResponses}.id`
    }
  },
  measures: {
    postActivationFeedbackScore: {
      sql: `${FeedbackResponses.averageFeedbackScore}`,
      type: 'number',
      title: 'Post-activation Feedback Score',
      description: 'Average feedback score after user activation milestone.'
    }
  },
  dimensions: {
    id: {
      sql: `id`,
      type: 'string',
      primaryKey: true
    },
    measurementWindow: {
      sql: `measurement_window`,
      type: 'time'
    }
  }
})

Note: This is a reference implementation and should be used as a starting point. You’ll need to adapt it to match your own data model and schema

Positive & Negative Influences

  • Negative influences

    Factors that drive the metric in an undesirable direction, often signaling risk or decline.

    • Activation Experience Quality: Poor activation experience with unclear steps or technical issues can lead to frustration, negatively impacting the Customer Feedback Score (Post-activation).
    • Onboarding Guidance and Outcome Clarity: Lack of clear guidance or understanding of the product's value proposition during onboarding can result in lower scores.
    • First Feature Value Delivery: If users do not perceive immediate value from the first feature they interact with, it can lead to dissatisfaction and lower scores.
    • Customer Support Responsiveness: Slow or unhelpful customer support during the activation phase can lead to negative sentiment and lower feedback scores.
    • Expectation vs. Reality: If the product does not meet the expectations set during marketing or sales, it can lead to disappointment and lower scores.

  • Positive influences

    Factors that push the metric in a favorable direction, supporting growth or improvement.

    • Activation Experience Quality: A seamless and intuitive activation process enhances user satisfaction, leading to higher Customer Feedback Scores (Post-activation).
    • Onboarding Guidance and Outcome Clarity: Effective onboarding that clearly communicates the product's benefits and outcomes can boost user confidence and result in higher scores.
    • First Feature Value Delivery: Immediate recognition of the product's value in solving user problems can lead to positive feedback and higher scores.
    • User Engagement and Interaction: High levels of user engagement and interaction with the product post-activation can reinforce satisfaction and lead to higher scores.
    • Personalization and Customization: Offering personalized experiences and customization options can enhance user satisfaction and result in higher feedback scores.

Involved Roles & Activities

Funnel Stage & Type

  • AAARRR Funnel Stage

    This KPI is associated with the following stages in the AAARRR (Pirate Metrics) funnel:

    Activation
    Retention

  • Type

    This KPI is classified as a Lagging Indicator. It reflects the results of past actions or behaviors and is used to validate performance or assess the impact of previous strategies.

Supporting Leading & Lagging Metrics

  • Leading

    These leading indicators influence this KPI and act as early signals that forecast future changes in this KPI.

    • Activation Rate: Activation Rate measures the percentage of users reaching a key milestone indicating initial product value realization. High activation rates are a strong predictor of subsequent positive Customer Feedback Score (Post-activation), as users who experience early value are more likely to be satisfied and leave favorable feedback.
    • Customer Satisfaction Score: Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) captures immediate post-interaction satisfaction. High CSAT during onboarding or activation predicts higher Customer Feedback Scores post-activation, as early satisfaction typically carries over into subsequent feedback.
    • Customer Health Score: Customer Health Score aggregates multiple leading signals (usage, support, sentiment) to forecast customer engagement and risk. A high health score during and after activation is a precursor to strong post-activation feedback, as healthy customers report higher satisfaction.
    • Product Qualified Accounts: Product Qualified Accounts (PQAs) identify accounts deeply engaged with the product. Early engagement and qualification are predictive of higher Customer Feedback Scores post-activation, as these accounts have realized meaningful value.
    • Customer Loyalty: Customer Loyalty indicates a customer's likelihood to remain engaged and advocate for the product. Early loyalty signals, such as repeat usage or willingness to recommend, correlate with higher post-activation feedback scores as loyal customers reflect positively on their experience.

  • Lagging

    These lagging indicators confirm, quantify, or amplify this KPI and help explain the broader business impact on this KPI after the fact.

    • Activation Cohort Retention Rate (Day 7/30): This measures ongoing engagement after activation. High retention rates in early cohorts confirm and amplify positive Customer Feedback Scores post-activation, validating that satisfied users continue to use the product.
    • Churn Risk Score: Churn Risk Score quantifies the likelihood of a customer leaving post-activation. Poor feedback scores often precede increased churn risk, and analyzing this relationship helps attribute feedback to broader account health risks.
    • Customer Engagement Score: Customer Engagement Score reflects how actively users interact with the product after activation. High engagement post-activation validates positive feedback, while low engagement provides context for negative feedback scores.
    • Percent of Accounts Completing Key Activation Milestones: This metric quantifies successful progression through activation. Accounts that complete more milestones typically provide higher post-activation feedback scores, confirming that depth of onboarding drives satisfaction.
    • Customer Feedback Retention Score: This measures how many customers who gave feedback remain retained. It helps confirm whether positive post-activation feedback actually correlates with long-term customer loyalty and retention.