A Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a product, service or specific interaction, expressed as the percentage of respondents who rate their experience positively. CSAT is collected with one short survey question, usually right after a purchase, a delivery or a support conversation.
How CSAT is measured
The classic CSAT question, asked in a short online survey, is "How satisfied were you with your experience today?", answered on a 1–5 scale:
- 5 — Very satisfied
- 4 — Satisfied
- 3 — Neutral
- 2 — Unsatisfied
- 1 — Very unsatisfied
Some companies use a 1–3, 1–7 or 1–10 scale, emoji faces or stars. Whatever the scale, only the top answers count as "satisfied" (4 and 5 on a 5-point scale).
CSAT formula and example
CSAT (%) = (number of satisfied responses ÷ total number of responses) × 100
Example: you send a satisfaction survey after 500 orders and receive 200 answers. 90 customers answer 5 and 64 answer 4, so 154 are satisfied. CSAT = 154 ÷ 200 × 100 = 77%. Neutral and negative answers stay in the total but not in the satisfied count.
What is a good CSAT score?
Benchmarks vary by industry, but a CSAT between 75% and 85% is generally considered good and above 90% excellent (Zendesk). Data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which scores sectors on a 0–100 index, puts most US sectors in the 70s or low 80s (Dovetail). The most useful benchmark is your own trend: compare the same question, at the same touchpoint, over time.
CSAT vs NPS vs CES
| Metric | What it measures | Typical question | Scale and result |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSAT | Satisfaction with a specific interaction | "How satisfied were you with...?" | 1–5; % of 4s and 5s |
| NPS | Loyalty and likelihood to recommend | "How likely are you to recommend us?" | 0–10; % promoters minus % detractors (-100 to +100) |
| CES | How easy it was to get something done | "How easy was it to solve your issue?" | Usually 1–5 or 1–7; average or % of "easy" answers |
CSAT is a short-term, touchpoint metric; NPS reflects the overall relationship. Many teams track both.
Limits of CSAT and how to improve it
A CSAT score tells you how customers feel, not why. Add one open question ("What could we do better?"), keep the survey short and send it soon after the interaction. Read the comments, fix recurring issues and close the loop with unhappy customers — see customer feedback. For question ideas, read our guide to customer satisfaction surveys or start from Mailpro's customer satisfaction survey tool.
Mailpro and customer satisfaction
Measure your CSAT with a Mailpro survey
Build a short satisfaction survey, send it after each purchase or support conversation and track the results in one place. Hosted in Switzerland.