VC & PE Glossary
What Is CSAT?
Updated
Definition
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) measures how satisfied customers are with a product, interaction, or support ticket — usually via a short post-experience survey.
Useful for: Founders, Investors
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) captures how happy customers feel after a specific interaction — support ticket, onboarding call, or purchase — typically through a one-question survey.
How it works
The classic prompt: “How satisfied were you with [experience]?” Respondents pick a scale (1–5 or 1–7). CSAT = (number of satisfied responses ÷ total responses) × 100, where “satisfied” usually means top-two box scores.
Teams trigger CSAT surveys after ticket closure, implementation milestones, or checkout. Unlike NPS (loyalty and referral intent), CSAT is transactional — it reflects a moment, not overall brand attachment.
Operational targets vary by industry. B2B SaaS support teams often aim for high CSAT on resolved tickets while separately tracking time-to-resolution and escalation rates.
Investors rarely lead with CSAT in diligence, but sharp drops after a pricing change or product launch explain future logo churn in cohort reviews.
Why it matters
- Founders: Segment CSAT by customer tier, product module, and agent. A high headline score can hide pain in your largest accounts.
- Investors: Pair CSAT trends with logo churn and expansion data. Satisfaction erosion is an early warning before contracts fail to renew.
Common mistake
Surveying only delighted moments — skipping cancelled trials or failed implementations — which inflates CSAT while hiding systemic product gaps.
Related ideas
See also NPS, logo churn, KPI, and customer success metrics.
Related terms
- KPI — A KPI — key performance indicator — is a measurable metric tied to a specific business goal, used to track whether a company is on track and to align teams and investors on what "good" looks like.
- Logo Churn — Logo churn measures the rate at which customers — counted by account or company logo — cancel or stop paying in a period, regardless of how much revenue they contributed.
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Common questions
Short answers for founders, LPs, and operators