What is a good CSAT score?

Most industries land between 70 and 85 percent. Above 85 is excellent, below 60 signals a real service problem. Compare to peers in your category before judging.

How do you calculate CSAT?

Take the number of satisfied responses (scores 4-5 on a 5-point scale) and divide by the total number of responses, then multiply by 100. The result is a percentage between 0 and 100.

When should I use CSAT instead of NPS?

CSAT measures a specific interaction (a closed work order, a support call, an install). NPS measures overall loyalty. Use CSAT to grade a moment and NPS to grade the relationship.

What scale does AwareCX use?

AwareCX uses the standard 1-5 scale. Scores of 4-5 are satisfied, 3 is neutral, 1-2 is dissatisfied. The percentage is rounded to the nearest whole number across every screen.

How quickly after the interaction should I send a CSAT survey?

Within 24 hours while the experience is fresh. Send too late and the response rate drops and recall gets fuzzy.

What is CSAT? Formula, Scale, and Benchmarks Explained

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is the fastest way to measure how a specific interaction made a customer feel. It's a percentage between 0 and 100 calculated from a simple satisfaction rating, and it answers a different question than NPS: did this moment go well?

The CSAT question

"How satisfied were you with [your recent interaction / service / experience]?"

Respondents pick a number from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). Some teams use a 1-7 or 1-10 scale; AwareCX uses the 1-5 scale because it produces the cleanest decision boundary and the highest response rates.

The three response bands

Satisfied · scores 4-5

These customers had a good or great experience. They count toward your CSAT percentage.

Neutral · score 3

Neither happy nor unhappy. Counted in the total but excluded from the satisfied count.

Dissatisfied · scores 1-2

A bad experience. Highest priority for follow-up and recovery.

The CSAT formula

CSAT % = (Satisfied responses ÷ Total responses) × 100

Worked example

You send a post-service CSAT survey and receive 80 responses:

60 satisfied (4 or 5)
14 neutral (3)
6 dissatisfied (1 or 2)

CSAT = (60 ÷ 80) × 100 = 75%. Solid, but the 20 non-satisfied responses are where the next improvement lives.

CSAT benchmarks

CSAT %	Band	What it means
85-100%	Excellent	Consistently great service moments
75-84%	Good	Above the cross-industry average
60-74%	Average	Real friction in the experience
Below 60%	At risk	Service quality is the headline problem

When to use CSAT vs NPS

The shortest way to think about it:

CSAT grades a moment. Send after a specific event.
NPS grades the relationship. Send periodically, independent of any event.
CES grades effort. Send after high-friction events like resolutions or installs.

See the full breakdown in NPS vs CSAT vs CES.

Common CSAT mistakes

Sending days after the event. Response rate falls off a cliff after 48 hours.
Mixing transactional and relationship questions. Keep CSAT focused on the moment.
Hiding the dissatisfied responses. They are the most actionable feedback you'll ever get.
Surveying every interaction. Sample or rotate to avoid survey fatigue.

How AwareCX uses CSAT

AwareCX runs CSAT as a first-class metric with the same workflow as NPS: automated sends, score rollups, account dashboards, and detractor routing into ResolveCX. CSAT and NPS responses contribute to a single Portfolio Health Score so leadership has one number to track.