Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

What is a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score?

CSAT, or Customer Satisfaction Score, is a metric that gauges how happy your customers are with a specific interaction, product, or service. It’s typically measured by asking customers to rate their satisfaction on a scale, often from 1 to 5. The scores are then averaged to give you an overall CSAT score.

Think of CSAT as a quick snapshot of how well you’re meeting customer expectations at any given moment. It’s a simple but powerful tool to help you understand where you excel and where improvements can be made.

How to Calculate CSAT

CSAT is calculated by asking customers a simple question via text, chat, phone, or email after an interaction, such as, “How satisfied were you with your experience?” Customers respond by rating their satisfaction on a scale—often 1 to 5, with 1 being very unsatisfied and 5 being very satisfied. Once you have the responses, you calculate the percentage of satisfied customers (those who rated 4 or 5) using this formula:

CSAT (%) = (Number of satisfied customers / Total number of respondents) × 100

For example, if 80 out of 100 customers gave you a 4 or 5, your CSAT score would be 80%. This percentage tells you how well you’re meeting customer expectations.

Why CSAT Scores Are Important

CSAT scores give you a clear, straightforward measure of how satisfied your customers are with your service or product. A high CSAT score shows that you’re meeting or exceeding customer expectations, which is key to building long-term relationships and fostering loyalty. A low score can highlight areas where you need to improve, helping you catch issues before they turn into bigger problems, like churn or negative reviews.

Tracking CSAT enables you to stay ahead of customer dissatisfaction, make data-driven improvements, and ensure that your business consistently delivers a great customer experience. It also promotes sustainable growth because satisfied customers are more likely to recommend your business to others.

Terms Related to CSAT

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Scores) FAQs

What is a good CSAT score?

A good CSAT score generally falls between 75% and 85%, depending on your industry. Some businesses may aim higher, while others in more complex fields might find 70% perfectly acceptable. The key is to compare your score to industry benchmarks and track your own progress over time.

How often should businesses measure CSAT?

You should measure CSAT after key customer interactions—like after a support ticket is closed or a purchase is made. The goal is to get feedback at moments that matter most to the customer experience. Regularly collecting this data helps you spot trends and make quick improvements.

What is the difference between CSAT and NPS?

CSAT measures short-term satisfaction with a specific interaction, while NPS (Net Promoter Score) gauges long-term customer loyalty by asking how likely a customer is to recommend your business to others. Both are important, but CSAT focuses more on individual touchpoints, giving you actionable insights into specific areas.

How can businesses improve their CSAT scores?

Improving CSAT starts with listening to your customers. Look at the feedback behind the low scores to identify pain points. From there, you can make targeted improvements, like faster support response times, better product features, or more personalized service. Regularly following up with customers and closing the feedback loop is key.

Improve Your Contact Center To Measure CSAT Scores

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The information provided in this glossary definition does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice, nor does it necessarily represent Bandwidth's products or business practices. This page is for general informational purposes only.
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