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.