What is CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)? The Ultimate Guide
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What is Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)?
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a key performance indicator used to measure how satisfied customers are with a company's products, services, or experiences. It's one of the most straightforward and widely used metrics for gauging customer satisfaction.
CSAT is typically measured by asking customers a variation of this question: "How would you rate your satisfaction with [product/service/experience]?" Customers then respond using a rating scale, which can vary in format.
Common CSAT Rating Scales:
1-5 Scale
1-7 Scale
1-10 Scale
Emoji Scale
How to Measure CSAT
CSAT can be measured at various touchpoints throughout the customer journey:
Post-Purchase
Measure satisfaction immediately after a customer makes a purchase
Post-Interaction
Assess satisfaction after customer service interactions or support tickets
In-App/Website
Gather feedback during or after using specific features or completing tasks
Periodic Surveys
Send regular surveys to gauge overall satisfaction with your product or service
The timing of your CSAT survey is crucial. For the most accurate results, measure satisfaction as close as possible to the experience you're evaluating, when it's still fresh in the customer's mind.
CSAT Calculation
The CSAT score is typically calculated as the percentage of satisfied customers (those who selected 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale, or 6 and 7 on a 7-point scale):
CSAT = (Number of satisfied responses ÷ Total number of responses) × 100
Example Calculation:
Let's say you received 200 responses to your CSAT survey using a 5-point scale:
- 50 customers rated 5 (Very Satisfied)
- 70 customers rated 4 (Satisfied)
- 40 customers rated 3 (Neutral)
- 25 customers rated 2 (Dissatisfied)
- 15 customers rated 1 (Very Dissatisfied)
Number of satisfied responses (4 and 5): 50 + 70 = 120
Total number of responses: 200
CSAT = (120 ÷ 200) × 100 = 60%
A CSAT score of 60% means that 60% of your customers are satisfied with your product, service, or specific experience. Industry benchmarks vary, but generally, a good CSAT score is 75-85%, while scores above 85% are considered excellent.
Benefits of CSAT
Customer Satisfaction Score offers several advantages as a feedback metric:
Simple and Easy to Implement
CSAT surveys are straightforward to create and deploy, with minimal customer effort required to respond.
Versatile Application
Can be used to measure satisfaction with specific interactions, features, or overall experience.
Actionable Insights
When combined with follow-up questions, CSAT provides specific feedback for improvements.
Trend Tracking
Regular CSAT measurement allows you to track satisfaction trends over time and evaluate the impact of changes.
Benchmarking
CSAT is widely used across industries, allowing for meaningful comparisons with competitors.
Limitations of CSAT
While CSAT is valuable, it's important to understand its limitations:
- 1
Short-Term Focus: CSAT typically measures immediate satisfaction rather than long-term loyalty or relationship strength
- 2
Response Bias: Customers with extremely positive or negative experiences are more likely to respond, potentially skewing results
- 3
Cultural Differences: Interpretation of satisfaction scales varies across cultures and demographics
- 4
Limited Predictive Power: High satisfaction doesn't always translate to customer loyalty or repeat business
CSAT vs. NPS
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) are both valuable metrics, but they measure different aspects of the customer experience:
CSAT
Measures: Satisfaction with specific interactions or experiences
Timeframe: Short-term, immediate feedback
Question: "How satisfied are you with [experience]?"
Best for: Evaluating specific touchpoints and experiences
NPS
Measures: Customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend
Timeframe: Long-term relationship assessment
Question: "How likely are you to recommend [company/product]?"
Best for: Predicting growth and customer advocacy
When to Use Each:
For a comprehensive view of customer experience, use both metrics together:
- Use CSAT to measure satisfaction with specific interactions and identify immediate improvement opportunities
- Use NPS to gauge overall loyalty and relationship strength over time
CSAT Best Practices
To get the most value from your CSAT program, follow these best practices:
Keep It Simple
Use clear, concise language in your CSAT surveys. The simpler the survey, the higher the response rate.
Ask Follow-Up Questions
Always include an open-ended question after the CSAT rating to understand the reasons behind the score:
"What specifically made you satisfied/dissatisfied with your experience?"
Be Specific
Ask about specific aspects of the customer experience rather than general satisfaction:
Instead of "How satisfied are you with our service?" try "How satisfied are you with the response time of our customer support team?"
Measure at the Right Time
Send CSAT surveys immediately after relevant interactions when the experience is fresh in the customer's mind.
Act on Feedback
Implement a closed-loop feedback system to address issues raised in CSAT surveys, especially for dissatisfied customers.
Voice-First CSAT Collection
Traditional CSAT surveys are typically conducted via email, SMS, or in-app prompts. However, voice-first CSAT collection offers several unique advantages:
Benefits of Voice-First CSAT Collection
Contextual Understanding
Voice captures tone and emotion, providing deeper context for satisfaction ratings
Higher Response Rates
Voice surveys can achieve higher completion rates than text-based surveys
More Detailed Feedback
Customers typically provide more detailed explanations verbally than in writing
Natural Conversation Flow
AI agents can ask follow-up questions based on responses for deeper insights
With Fydback's voice-first approach, you can collect CSAT feedback through automated phone interviews, allowing for a more natural and engaging feedback experience. Our AI agents can ask the standard CSAT question, record the score, and then engage in a meaningful follow-up conversation to understand the reasoning behind the score.
Voice-First CSAT Implementation Example
AI Agent:
"On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is very dissatisfied and 5 is very satisfied, how would you rate your recent experience with our customer support team?"
Customer:
"I'd give it a 4."
AI Agent:
"Thank you for your rating. Could you tell me what you liked about your experience and what could have been improved to make it a 5?"
Customer:
"The agent was very knowledgeable and solved my problem quickly. However, I had to wait on hold for about 10 minutes before speaking with someone, which was a bit frustrating."
Conclusion
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a powerful metric for measuring immediate customer satisfaction with specific interactions or experiences. While it has limitations, when implemented correctly and supplemented with qualitative feedback, CSAT can provide valuable insights to drive customer experience improvements.
By adopting a voice-first approach to CSAT collection with Fydback, you can enhance the quality and depth of customer feedback, leading to more actionable insights and better business outcomes.
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