# CSAT

CSAT, or Customer Satisfaction Score, is a metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a specific product, service, or interaction. It is collected through a simple survey question, usually asking customers to rate their satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 5. CSAT is the most direct way to capture how a customer feels at a specific moment.

**Formula:** (Number of satisfied customers / Total responses) × 100

## How is CSAT calculated?

The most common method is to ask customers to rate their satisfaction on a 5-point scale, then calculate the percentage who chose the top two scores (4 or 5):

| Step            | Action                                                                              |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Survey          | Ask: "How satisfied are you with [your purchase / this interaction / our service]?" |
| Scale           | 1 = Very Unsatisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied                                            |
| Count satisfied | Count responses rated 4 or 5                                                        |
| Calculate       | (Satisfied responses / Total responses) × 100                                       |

For example, if 80 out of 100 customers rate 4 or 5, your CSAT is 80 percent.

## Why does CSAT matter?

CSAT gives you a fast, clear signal of whether customers are happy at a specific touchpoint. It is the only metric that directly asks the customer how they feel, which makes it valuable for pinpointing problems in a purchase flow, a support interaction, or a product feature. It is part of good [customer support metrics](/customer-support-metrics-and-kpis) that tell you where experience breaks and where it works.

## Related terms

- [CX glossary](/glossary): browse all customer experience terms.
- [NPS](/glossary/nps): measures loyalty and likelihood to recommend.
- [Customer Effort Score](/glossary/customer-effort-score): measures how easy an interaction was.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a good CSAT score?

It varies by industry. Retail and ecommerce typically see scores of 75 to 85 percent, while software and financial services land in the 70 to 80 percent range. Track the trend over time to see whether satisfaction is rising or falling.

### How is CSAT different from NPS?

CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction or transaction. NPS measures overall loyalty and the likelihood a customer will recommend your brand. CSAT is transactional, NPS is relational.

### When should you send a CSAT survey?

Send it immediately after the interaction you want to measure: post-purchase, after a support ticket closes, or after a feature interaction. The closer to the moment, the more accurate the response.

## See it work

Helpfeel is built to improve the scores that matter. We set up and tune your help center so customers get answers instantly, which makes every interaction smoother. [See how the done-for-you model works](/platform).