What Is Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and Why It Matters

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a key metric used to gauge how happy customers are with a product, service, or specific interaction. Typically measured through a post-interaction survey, CSAT provides a snapshot of immediate satisfaction by asking customers to rate their experience, often on a scale of 1 to 5.

The results can help brands identify what’s working, and where they might be falling short. In a crowded market, keeping a pulse on customer sentiment is critical for maintaining loyalty and improving long-term success.

Benefits of Tracking CSAT

Offers a direct and easily digestible indicator of customer sentiment

Helps teams pinpoint areas for improvement in real time

Can be used to benchmark performance across products, teams, or time periods

Drives accountability across customer-facing departments

Considerations When Using CSAT

It only measures short-term satisfaction and may not reflect long-term loyalty

Results can be skewed by timing or emotional context of the interaction

May require high response rates to be truly actionable

Should be paired with other metrics for a more complete view of customer experience

How to Measure CSAT

CSAT is usually collected via a quick survey sent after a customer interaction. The survey typically asks:

“How satisfied were you with your experience today?”

Customers respond using a scale, often from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). Some businesses may simplify it further with emoji scales or thumbs up/down. The key is to make it fast and frictionless so customers are more likely to respond.

Calculating CSAT

To calculate CSAT, tally up the number of satisfied responses, usually those who answered 4 or 5, and divide that by the total number of responses. Then multiply by 100 to get your percentage.

CSAT (%) = (Number of Satisfied Responses ÷ Total Responses) x 100

For example, if 80 out of 100 customers gave a 4 or 5, your CSAT score would be 80%.

CSAT vs. NPS vs. CES

While CSAT measures the level of satisfaction a customer has in a service or product, other scores can be used to measure other aspects of customer experience.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score is used to measure customer loyalty. A survey focused on gauging NPS is most likely to ask from 1–10:

“How likely are you to recommend [brand/product/service] to a family member, friend, or colleague?”

Compared to CSAT, NPS is more likely to indicate long-term satisfaction and overall brand loyalty. Low scores suggest a need for improvement in customer experience, while higher scores reflect a strong brand connection.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

Customer Effort Score measures how easy it was for a customer to accomplish a task, like resolving an issue or completing a purchase. A typical CES question might be:

“How easy was it to interact with our company today?”

While the other two scores focus on satisfaction and loyalty, CES highlights the friction (or lack thereof) in a customer journey. Lower effort often means a better experience, and a higher likelihood of return customers. It's especially valuable for identifying pain points in customer support or onboarding.

Final Thoughts

CSAT is a powerful tool, but it’s most effective when used alongside metrics like NPS and CES to paint a more complete picture of customer experience. While CSAT gives you a pulse on how a customer felt in the moment, NPS reveals long-term loyalty, and CES uncovers hidden roadblocks. Taken together, these metrics help teams identify what customers value most, and where they may be falling short.

For brands aiming to improve retention, loyalty, and satisfaction, investing in a customer feedback loop becomes essential. Start by measuring CSAT, but don’t stop there. Layer in NPS and CES to get ahead of issues and build experiences that truly resonate.

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