Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a metric, usually gathered through a short post-interaction survey, that measures how satisfied a customer was with a specific support experience. It’s typically collected right after a conversation ends, asking a simple question like “How satisfied were you with this support experience?” on a numeric or emoji-based scale.
CSAT is one of the most widely used support metrics because it’s simple to collect, easy to understand, and tied directly to a specific interaction rather than the overall customer relationship.
How CSAT Is Calculated
CSAT is typically calculated as:
(Number of satisfied responses ÷ Total number of survey responses) × 100
“Satisfied” responses usually count the top one or two options on the survey scale (for example, “satisfied” and “very satisfied” on a 5-point scale).
Why CSAT Matters
- Provides a direct, interaction-level read on support quality
- Easy to track over time and compare across agents or channels
- Highlights specific interactions or agents that need coaching
- Correlates closely with retention and repeat purchase behavior
Scores above 80% are generally considered strong, though what counts as good varies by industry and channel.
CSAT vs NPS
CSAT measures satisfaction with one specific interaction; Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures overall loyalty to the brand and willingness to recommend it. A customer can have a high CSAT for a single support ticket while still holding a lower overall NPS based on their broader relationship with the company, or vice versa.
When Businesses Track CSAT
- Measuring the quality of individual support interactions
- Evaluating agent or outsourced team performance
- Identifying which channels or issue types produce the lowest satisfaction
- Reporting support quality to leadership or clients
Improve Your CSAT With Helplama
Helplama agents are trained and coached against CSAT targets, with regular performance reviews built into every engagement. See how we measure support quality.