What is a top box score?
- Content Type:
- Glossary
Top box score Definition
The percentage of respondents who gave the highest or top score on a scale.
A top box score in market research is a key metric that represents the percentage of respondents who select the highest or most favorable response option on a survey or rating scale. It is used to measure the proportion of participants who express the highest level of satisfaction, agreement or preference, offering a clear view of exceptional performance or sentiment for a given attribute or question.
How does a top box score work?
Top box scores are derived from survey responses, typically on a Likert or similar scale (e.g., 1-5 or 1-7). The calculation focuses exclusively on the top score (e.g., "5 – Very Satisfied" or "7 – Strongly Agree") to determine the proportion of respondents who are highly satisfied or strongly aligned with a statement and the areas or attributes that are perceived as exceptional by the audience. For example, if 70 out of 100 respondents select the highest score on a satisfaction question, the top box score is 70%.
Top box scores measure the most favorable responses only, providing a snapshot of peak satisfaction or agreement levels and offering a focused view of areas excelling in customer perception.
Why are top box scores important?
Top box scores are crucial for identifying standout areas in customer experience, product satisfaction or brand performance. By highlighting the highest level of positive responses, this metric helps businesses understand what they are doing exceptionally well and where they can replicate success. Top box scores provide a clear and concise measure of peak customer satisfaction. The help prioritize efforts to maintain and enhance high-performing areas and offer a benchmark for assessing performance over time or against competitors.
Who relies on top box scores?
Top Box Scores are widely used by market researchers, to analyze customer sentiment and satisfaction; customer experience teams, to identify areas driving loyalty and advocacy product developers, to gauge satisfaction with specific features or offerings; marketing teams, to evaluate campaign effectiveness and brand perception.