Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a metric used to gauge customer satisfaction with a product or service. It’s one of the most commonly used customer feedback metrics because it’s simple to measure and interpret.
What is CSAT?
CSAT is typically measured by asking customers a simple question, such as:
“How satisfied are you with our product?”
Respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being “Very Unsatisfied” and 5 being “Very Satisfied.” The CSAT score is then calculated as the percentage of respondents who chose the highest rating (e.g., 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale).
CSAT = (Number of Satisfied Customers / Total Number of Responses) × 100
For example, if you have 100 respondents and 80 of them selected 4 or 5, your CSAT score would be:
CSA = (80 / 100) x 100 = 80%
When to Use CSAT
Form with the satisfaction score can be triggered in two cases—either a specific interaction with a product (for example, immediately after a customer purchases a product or used a particular feature) or on an ongoing basis (as a part of collecting customer feedback over time).
In the first case, CSAT can help measure short-term satisfaction with a specific aspect of the product (i.e., checkout experience). In the second case, CSAT can help track satisfaction over time and identify trends.
5 Tips & tricks to make the most of CSAT
1. Keep it simple
Limit the number of questions in your CSAT survey. Often, a single satisfaction question with a open-ended follow-up question (“What’s the reason for your rating?”) triggered on score selection is sufficient.
2. Segment your analysis
Break down CSAT scores by customer segments (e.g., by customer type) to identify patterns and areas for improvement for different segments of your users. Focus on your primary customer segment (segment has a high impact on business revenue)
3. Benchmark performance
Compare your CSAT scores against industry benchmarks or historical data to assess how well you’re performing and identify trends. You need to conduct a competitive analysis to understand how your business performs in comparison to other businesses in your niche.
4. Link CSAT to business outcomes
Track the relationship between CSAT and key business metrics like customer retention, repeat purchase rates, or revenue. Understanding this correlation can help justify investments in customer experience improvements.
5. Act on feedback quickly
CSAT provides immediate insights, so use the data to make quick adjustments where necessary, such as addressing service issues or improving product features. Use CSAT to prioritize your product backlog during task grooming.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Over-Reliance on CSAT Alone
While CSAT is valuable, it should be used in conjunction with other metrics like NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CES (Customer Effort Score) for a more holistic view of customer satisfaction.
Ignoring negative feedback
Pay close attention to low ratings and the associated feedback (consider the answer to the follow-up question that comes together with CSAT). These can be early warning signs of broader issues that need addressing.
Survey fatigue
Avoid over-surveying your customers. Triggering CSAT surveys too often can lead to lower response rates and annoyed customers.
Tools for Tracking CSAT
Some popular tools for CSAT:
- SurveyMonkey. Easy-to-use platform with customizable CSAT survey templates.
- Qualtrics. Comprehensive platform for customer feedback, including CSAT, with advanced analytics.
- Zendesk. Integrates CSAT surveys directly into customer service interactions, making it easy to measure satisfaction post-interaction.
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Customer Satisfaction Score: Essential Guide was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.