Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) is a metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a product, service, or specific interaction. Customers answer a short rating question—usually on a scale like 1–5—and the score is the percentage of respondents who chose a positive rating.
There are other ways to , such as NPS and CES, but their metrics can be more complicated to interpret. CSAT is the simplest and most direct of the three.
What are customer satisfaction scores (CSAT)?
Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) are the primary way businesses measure customer satisfaction. The measurement is a numerical score used to gauge the with the company, their purchase, or any interactions they’ve had with the business.
Customers generally don’t mind completing because they’re quick and easy. They typically feature short questions with a choice of numerical answers.
For example, a may ask: “How satisfied were you with the response you got from our customer service representative?” or “How would you rate your experience shopping with us today?” The customer rates their satisfaction by choosing a numeric value ranging from extremely dissatisfied to extremely satisfied. The scale may run from one to five, one to ten, and so on.
How does CSAT differ from NPS and CES?
measures to a brand or company. NPS surveys also use simple questions, based on how likely you’d be to recommend a business to others. Respondents usually fall into one of three categories:
- Promoters: those with a high likelihood of making a recommendation
- Passives: customers who are satisfied with the company but aren’t committed to remaining loyal
- Detractors: those who are dissatisfied and wouldn’t recommend the company to anyone
(CES) measures the customer’s perceived ease of use of a product or service. You may see questions like “How easy was it to use product XYZ?” with numerical scores ranging from easy to difficult.
All three metrics matter, but they measure different things. CSAT measures short-term customer satisfaction with a product or service. NPS focuses on brand loyalty, and CES measures the ease of use of a particular product or service.
How do you measure CSAT?
To measure CSAT, you create a question that can be answered using a range of numerical responses. These questions are metric-based, not open-ended, and don’t require a lengthy answer.
They’re short, to the point, and quick for the customer to complete. CSAT surveys often list a scale of responses from very satisfied to very unsatisfied, with each level of satisfaction assigned a numerical score.
For example: How satisfied were you with XYZ’s response to your problem?
- Very unsatisfied
- Unsatisfied
- Neutral
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
The customer chooses the number that best describes their level of satisfaction. CSAT surveys often appear at checkout after a purchase, as an add-on to a customer service call, or as a pop-up on a website.
The best way to get an accurate measurement is to survey as soon as possible after the experience, while the customer’s feelings about it are still fresh.
Customer satisfaction score calculation
One reason CSAT is so popular is how easy the score is to calculate. Using the 1–5 scale above, you count all your positive responses (those rating 4 or 5).
Divide the sum of positive responses by the total number of responses collected, then multiply by 100. The result is the percentage of customers who are satisfied with your product or business.
When should you measure CSAT?
There are three situations in which you should typically measure CSAT. As noted above, collecting this information as soon as the experience is complete gives you the most accurate data.
1. After key customer lifecycle moments
Customer lifecycle moments mark the end of a customer interaction, such as ordering, onboarding, or completing a return. Collect this information as soon as possible after customers complete the action so they can give honest, up-to-date responses.
2. Prior to renewal
If your product involves memberships or subscriptions, don’t wait until it’s time for the customer to renew. Gathering satisfaction data before renewal gives you enough time to correct negative situations or rectify issues.
3. After customer support or education interactions
Surveying customers shortly after they deal with customer support accomplishes two things: you confirm your representatives are providing proper service, and you confirm the customer is happy with the service provided.
If your business provides education, surveying satisfaction tells you how easily the customer connected with the material.
What is a good customer satisfaction score?
A perfect CSAT score would be 100%—every customer either satisfied or very satisfied. That’s rarely realistic, so you’ll need to decide what an acceptable score is for your business.
Most businesses target a score between 75% and 85%. A 75% CSAT score means three out of four customers are satisfied. Benchmarks vary by industry, but most still fall within this range.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index publishes benchmarks by industry, and most sectors—from automobiles and hotels to software and internet retail—score in the 70s or low 80s.
What are the pros and cons of CSAT?
Any metric that measures something as subjective as satisfaction has trade-offs. CSAT is just one part of a system for measuring a business’s success.
Pros of CSAT
- CSAT is easy to measure, simple to use, and can be administered across several channels
- Customers don’t spend excessive effort or time answering lengthy surveys, so you get a higher
- You can tailor questions with the rating formats that work best for your customers, from numbers to emoji scales
- It’s widely used, making it easy to compare your ratings with similar businesses
Cons of CSAT
- CSAT scores are simple and don’t offer much detail about the reasons behind the scores
- Single-question surveys and responses can be unreliable
- The score often measures only the last touchpoint of a customer’s experience, not the entirety of their interactions with the company or brand
- Because different industries have different standards, there can be confusion about what “bad” or “good” scores are
CSAT example
To better understand CSAT scores, consider a simple example: dog food. To rate the customer’s satisfaction with your product, you might ask:
How satisfied were you with Yummy Dog Chow?
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- No opinion
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
Customers responding with a four or five count as satisfied. (See the calculation above.) You could use other related questions with similar scales to measure satisfaction with a recent visit to your site or storefront, using your website, or reading a newsletter. You could also assess satisfaction with issue resolution or overall satisfaction with any purchased product.
How to use CSAT
CSAT scores may be the key to improving customer perception of your brand. Gathering data at key touchpoints shows how well you’re meeting your . Finding negatives or pain points along the customer experience helps you understand what customers want and improve in those areas.
CSAT data can also help with customer loyalty and retention. It’s easy to assume everyone enjoys the same experiences—but if your customer, the person who wants and needs your product, doesn’t share that enjoyment, CSAT scores can prompt the shift.
CSAT scores can be a marketing tool as well. If you consistently rate higher than industry standards, you can use it to your advantage: “Our customer satisfaction ratings are 5% higher than other dog food brands.”
Linking CSAT to revenue
Harvard Business Review research found that improving customer satisfaction helps a business retain 74% of its current customers for another year. is key to increasing your bottom line. The same research found that satisfied customers spent more—up to 140% more—than customers who reported a poor experience.
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