CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score): definition, calculation and sample questions

Do you hear about CSAT everywhere, but don't really know what it is? 🤷

No need to panic! We'll tell you all about the Customer Satisfaction Score, that magical indicator that tells you in real time whether your customers are happy or not.

Spoiler: it's probably the simplest and most powerful indicator of customer satisfaction. And in this comprehensive guide, you'll discover how to calculate it, how to ask the right questions, and above all how to use it to transform your customer service.

CSAT: a simple definition

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) is an indicator that measures your customers' satisfaction with a particular aspect of their experience.

Unlike NPS, which measures overall loyalty, or CES, which measures effort, CSAT focuses on immediate satisfaction after a specific interaction.

In plain English:

You ask your customers a simple question: "Are you satisfied with [this interaction]?"

They answer on a scale (often from 1 to 5, or with emojis 😊😐😠).

Calculate the percentage of satisfied customers.

Tadaaaa! You've got your CSAT score. 🎉

Why is CSAT so important?

CSAT is your customer service thermometer. It tells you in real time whether what you're doing is working or not.

Here's why you should measure it:

• Instant feedback: you know immediately if the customer is satisfied with the interaction they've just had.
• Easy to understand: you don't need a PhD in statistics to interpret a CSAT score
• Actionable: you can identify exactly what's going wrong (an agent, a process, a type of request).
• Predictive: a falling CSAT often heralds future churn
• Universal: all industries use CSAT, enabling benchmarking

At Klark, our customers have seen their CSAT scores soar after automating their responses: response time halved, accuracy up, satisfaction skyrocketing. 🚀

How to calculate CSAT (formula and example)

The CSAT formula is biblically simple:

CSAT = (Number of positive responses / Total number of responses) × 100

Case in point:

You send out a CSAT questionnaire to 1,000 customers after an interaction with your support team.

You get :

• 150 responses "Very satisfied
• 350 Responses "Satisfied
• 300 Responses to "Neutral
• 150 Responses to "Dissatisfied
• 50 Responses "Very dissatisfied

Calculation :

Positive responses = 150 + 350 = 500

CSAT = (500 / 1,000) × 100 = 50% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE

How to interpret this score?

• 80% or more = Excellent! Your customers are very satisfied 🎉
• 70-79% = Good, but room for improvement
• 60-69% = Average, need to dig deeper to understand problems
• 50-59% = Beware, half of your customers are not satisfied ⚠️
• Less than 50% = Red alert! Immediate action required 🚨

The different types of CSAT scales

There are several ways to measure CSAT. Here are the 3 most popular:

1. Numerical scale (most common)

"On a scale of 1 to 5, are you satisfied with your experience?"

• 1 = Very dissatisfied
• 2 = Dissatisfied
• 3 = Neutral
• 4 = Satisfied
• 5 = Very satisfied

Variant: Some companies use a scale of 1 to 10 for greater granularity.

2. The symbolic scale (emojis/smileys)

Perfect for mobile and in-store satisfaction kiosks:

😠 😐 🙂 😊 😍

Simple, visual, fun. Response rates are often better than with numbers.

3. Text scale

"How would you rate your experience?"

• Very satisfied
• Somewhat satisfied
• Neutral
• Somewhat dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

More explicit than numbers, but takes up a little more visual space.

Sample CSAT questions (copy and paste)

Here are some examples of ready-to-use CSAT questions for different situations:

After an interaction with customer support :

• "Are you satisfied with the response you received?"
• "How would you rate the quality of the assistance you received?"
• "Has your problem been satisfactorily resolved?"

After a purchase :

• "Are you satisfied with your shopping experience?"
• "How would you rate your satisfaction with the delivery of your order?"
• "Does the product you received meet your expectations?"

After an in-store visit :

• "Were you satisfied with the welcome provided by our teams?"
• "How would you rate your in-store experience?"
• "Did you easily find what you were looking for?"

After using a product/service :

• "Are you satisfied with the functionality of our product?"
• "Does our service meet your needs?"
• "Would you recommend our solution to a colleague?" (careful, it's close to NPS here)

Pro tip: Always add an open-ended question after your CSAT question:

"Why did you give this rating?" or "What could we improve?"

That's where the real nuggets of insight lie! 💎

When and how to send a CSAT questionnaire?

Timing is everything:

• Immediately after interaction: while the experience is fresh in the customer's mind
• No more than 24 hours later: beyond that, memories fade and response rates plummet.
• Not too often: avoid bombarding your customers with questionnaires after every micro-interaction.

The best channels :

• Email: perfect for support or post-purchase interactions
• Site pop-up: ideal after a chat session or visit
• SMS: fast, excellent open rate (careful timing)
• In-app: for mobile applications
• Physical terminals: for retail (the famous smileys)

Best practices :

• Keep the questionnaire ultra-short (2-3 questions max)
• Be transparent about data use
• Always thank the customer for his time
• Personalize the message ("Bonjour Antoine" rather than "Cher client")
• Test different sending times to optimize response rates

CSAT vs NPS vs CES: what are the differences?

These three indicators measure customer satisfaction, but from different angles:

Ideally? Use all three! They complement each other and give you a 360° view of customer satisfaction.

To find out more about all these indicators, read our complete guide to measuring customer satisfaction.

How can you improve your CSAT score?

A disappointing CSAT score? Here are the most effective action levers:

1. Reduce response time

It's mathematical: the faster you respond, the happier your customers will be.

With Klark, our customers have reduced their response times by 50% by automating answers to frequently asked questions.

2. Improve response quality

A fast but incorrect answer = worse than a slow but correct answer.

Make sure your agents have access to an up-to-date knowledge base to provide the right information.

3. Train your teams

Empathy, active listening, problem-solving: these are skills that can be learned.

Invest in ongoing training for your staff.

4. Customize interactions

"Bonjour Madame" vs "Bonjour Sophie, I see this is your 3rd order with us".

Guess which approach gets the best CSAT scores? 😉

5. Solve problems right from the start

A customer who has to contact you 3 times for the same problem = CSAT in free fall.

Aim for a high First Contact Resolution (FCR) rate.

6. Automate intelligently

AI like Klark's can handle simple requests instantly, freeing up your agents for complex cases.

Result: speed + quality = rising CSAT.

7. Act on negative feedback

A customer who gives you a poor CSAT score = an opportunity to catch up.

Contact him quickly, understand the problem, propose a solution. You can turn a detractor into a promoter.

Mistakes to avoid with CSAT

❌ Mistake #1: Focusing solely on the score

Numbers don't tell the whole story. It's the qualitative comments that reveal the real problems.

❌ Mistake #2: Measuring only one contact point

Measure CSAT at different points in the customer journey to identify where things go wrong.

❌ Mistake #3: Not segmenting results

An overall CSAT of 75% is fine. But if you discover that the CSAT is 90% for agent A and 60% for agent B, you have a concrete avenue for improvement.

❌ Mistake #4: Asking too many questions

A 15-question questionnaire = 90% abandonment rate. Stick to 2-3 questions max.

❌ Mistake #5: Doing nothing with the results

Measuring without acting = losing your customers' trust. They'll stop responding to your questionnaires.

Tools for measuring CSAT

Here are the best tools for creating and analyzing your CSAT questionnaires:

• SurveyMonkey: the Swiss army knife of surveys, simple and powerful
• Typeform: visually stunning, excellent completion rate
• Google Forms: free and efficient (but less sexy)
• Qualtrics: for large companies with advanced needs
• Zendesk, Freshdesk: native CSAT integrations in your support tools
• Klark: we automatically analyze the sentiment in your conversations to detect satisfaction without even needing to send out a questionnaire 😉

Conclusion: CSAT, your compass for satisfaction

The CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) is the simplest and most direct indicator of whether your customers are satisfied with your services.

Here's a recap of what you need to know:

• CSAT measures immediate satisfaction after a specific interaction
• Formula: (Positive responses / Total responses) × 100
• A good score = 80% or more
• Ask right after the interaction (crucial timing)
• Always complete with an open-ended question ("Why?").
• Combine CSAT with NPS and CES for a complete picture
• Above all: act on results!

And if you want to improve your CSAT at source by offering faster, more accurate answers to your customers, find out how Klark can transform your customer service.

Because at the end of the day, the best CSAT is the one that tends towards 100%. And with the right tools, it's possible. 🚀

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About Klark

Klark is a generative AI platform that helps customer service agents respond faster, more accurately, without changing their tools or habits. Deployable in minutes, Klark is already used by over 50 brands and 2,000 agents.