How to Use the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) September 29, 2021 How to Use the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) September 29, 2021 CSAT is probably the most straightforward indicator out there. Yet despite its simplicity, CSAT remains a key satisfaction indicator that most companies use. Here is a complete overview of CSAT, to understand...
How to Use the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
September 29, 2021
How to Use the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
September 29, 2021
CSAT is probably the most straightforward indicator out there. Yet despite its simplicity, CSAT remains a key satisfaction indicator that most companies use. Here is a complete overview of CSAT, to understand how it works and its purpose.
What is the CSAT Satisfaction Indicator?
CSAT is an acronym for Customer Satisfaction Score. This indicator allows to measure customer satisfaction with your products or services. It is calculated based on the answers to a simple question: How would you rate your satisfaction with [Product X / Service Y / Other]? Companies often ask CSAT questions after a specific interaction. For example, after calling customer services, the customer receives an email asking if they were satisfied with the service provided. This question could also be asked after a purchase or visit to a website.
Even if CSAT only measures satisfaction, it far from a general indicator. In fact, it seeks to answer a very precise question.
How is CSAT Calculated?
Respondents to a CSAT-type question are invited to quantify their satisfaction on a answer scale that generally spans from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). This scale can also go from 1 to 4 if you don’t want to include a neutral answer. With regards to the design of the scale, you can use a numerical scale, stars or smiley faces, as long as they are easy to understand for respondents.The CSAT score is calculated by counting the number of satisfied or very satisfied respondents. It is expressed as a percentage. 100% represents maximum satisfaction. Depending on your answer choices, the methods used to transform answers into a percentage may differ slightly.
A satisfaction rate above 80% is generally considered to be very satisfactory.
But in order to gather more than a number, we recommend adding an empty field in which the respondent can justify or explain their score. This is an excellent opportunity to collect precious information about how to improve your business.
Actions to Implement after a CSAT Response
Some CSAT experts go as far as triggering specific actions depending on the customer score.
E.g.:
- If the customer is satisfied (gives a score of 4 or 5), they automatically send out an email inviting them to leave a positive review (or introducing them to their loyalty programme).
- If the customer is dissatisfied (score under 3), they automatically trigger an internal email alert so that customer services can quickly get in touch.
Why Choose CSAT as a Satisfaction Indicator
CSAT is a Simple Indicator
The main advantage of the CSAT score is its simplicity. The quality of a question can be measured by its level of ambiguity. A clear question, with no ambiguity, is better than a vague one. The CSAT model produces questions that everyone can understand. Unambiguous questions produce reliable answers.
Concise and simple questions also help to obtain high response rates. Such questions are easy to answer. Respondents rarely skip CSAT-style questions in a survey.
This indicator is also easy to understand internally. Your colleagues or managers will easily grasp the meaning!
CSAT, a Multi-Purpose Indicator
CSAT can be used to rate any service or product. Simply trigger it after an interaction, event or purchase of a product or service. You can use the same indicator to measure satisfaction at all points of contact with the customer or prospect. By comparing the different scores, you can rank your projects to redesign the customer relationship in order of priority.
CSAT, Fast and Quick to Calculate
CSAT can be calculated in real time. In fact, companies that want to improve their image regularly highlight their CSAT rate. For example, through advertising campaigns such as, “98% of our customers are satisfied with our service”.
With all these benefits, the customer satisfaction measurement indicator remains key. However, CSAT isn’t the only indicator out there. By asking other, well-targeted questions, you can strengthen your customer knowledge. Other indicators such as the NPS or CES can also meet your needs.
To find out more, read 4 Simple Ideas to Quickly Satisfy your Customers