Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) captures how happy a customer is at a specific moment—usually right after an interaction, purchase, or support ticket resolution. The standard question is: "How satisfied were you with your experience?" Responses are collected on a scale (often 1–5 or 1–7).

CSAT is calculated by dividing the number of satisfied responses (typically the top two ratings) by the total number of responses, then multiplying by 100. A CSAT of 80% or above is generally considered strong, though benchmarks vary by industry.

Because CSAT is transactional, it excels at pinpointing specific pain points in the customer journey. A sudden drop in CSAT after a product update, for instance, tells you exactly where to investigate. It is less useful for measuring long-term loyalty—that is where NPS comes in.

Best practice is to keep the survey short (one or two questions) and send it as close to the interaction as possible, while the experience is fresh in the customer’s mind.