Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is one of the most widely used feedback metrics in customer support. After an interaction closes, customers receive a short survey—commonly a single question such as "How satisfied were you with your support experience?"—and respond on a scaled rating.
How it is calculated:
CSAT (%) = (Number of positive responses ÷ Total responses) × 100
"Positive" is typically defined as the top one or two options on the scale (e.g., 4–5 on a 5-point scale).
Why it matters: CSAT provides a direct, near-real-time signal of customer sentiment at the interaction level, making it useful for coaching individual agents and identifying problematic issue types.
Key limitations:
- Response rates are often low (10–30%), introducing selection bias
- It captures satisfaction at a single moment, not overall relationship health
Pair CSAT with metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Effort Score (CES) for a fuller picture.