CSAT
Customer Satisfaction Score
Quick definition
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction, product or experience, usually from a short survey question.
Formula
CSAT = Satisfied Responses ÷ Total Responses × 100
Formula variables
- Satisfied Responses
- Responses you define as satisfied, for example the top two points on a five-point scale.
- Total Responses
- All valid responses to the same question.
Worked example
- Responses
- 400
- Rated 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale
- 312
312 ÷ 400 × 100
Result: 78%
78% of respondents gave one of the top two ratings. The figures are illustrative.
How definitions differ
- Scale and 'satisfied' definition
- Surveys use different scales (such as 1–5, 1–7 or emoji faces), and companies differ on which responses count as satisfied. The same answers can therefore give different scores.
- Average score
- Average Rating = Sum of Ratings ÷ Number of Responses
- Some teams report the mean rating instead of the share of satisfied responses. The two numbers are not interchangeable.
How to interpret it
CSAT reflects satisfaction with a particular moment such as a purchase or a support interaction, so it is best used close to that moment and tracked consistently.
Unlike a loyalty measure, it does not say whether customers will stay or recommend you.
When it is useful
- Measuring satisfaction after specific interactions.
- Comparing teams, channels or touchpoints measured the same way.
- Spotting changes after a process change.
Limitations
- No universal scale or threshold exists, so results from different surveys are not comparable.
- Only people who respond are counted.
- It captures sentiment at one moment.
Common mistakes
- Comparing scores from different scales.
- Changing the definition of a satisfied response midway through a period.
- Ignoring the response rate.