What is a customer satisfaction score

Your support team closes a ticket in four minutes. The customer rates the experience two out of five. Speed did not matter. The answer did not solve the problem. The customer satisfaction score captures that gap in a single number.

Unlike broad loyalty metrics, a customer satisfaction score focuses on one moment. Here is what CSAT means, how the formula works, and when to use it.

What is a customer satisfaction score?

A customer satisfaction score measures how satisfied a customer is with a specific interaction, purchase, or service experience. It is typically collected through a single question asked immediately after the interaction.

The CSAT meaning is straightforward. You ask how satisfied the customer is, they rate their experience, and you calculate a percentage of satisfied responses.

The customer satisfaction score formula

CSAT uses a simple calculation. Divide the number of satisfied responses by the total number of responses, then multiply by 100.

What counts as satisfied depends on your scale. On a five point scale, ratings of four and five usually count as satisfied. On a three point scale, only the top rating counts.

Example: 80 out of 100 respondents rate four or five. Your CSAT score is 80 percent.

When to use CSAT

CSAT works best for measuring specific touchpoints rather than overall brand loyalty.

1. After support interactions

Send a one question survey when a support ticket closes. Low scores point to training gaps or process problems.

2. After purchases

Ask about the buying experience, delivery, or product quality separately. Each touchpoint gets its own score.

3. After onboarding

Measure whether new customers feel confident using your product after their first week.

CSAT is one piece of the broader customer satisfaction metrics toolkit. Compare it with net promoter score for loyalty and customer effort score for ease of use.

Start measuring CSAT at one touchpoint, like post purchase or support resolution, and expand once you have a baseline. A single score tracked consistently beats five scores collected sporadically across your business.

Frequently asked questions