NPS, CSAT, and CES are the three core customer experience metrics. They sound similar, but they measure different things and answer different questions. Picking the right one (or running all three together) depends on what you're trying to learn and act on.
The one-line difference
- NPS measures loyalty. "Would you recommend us?"
- CSAT measures satisfaction. "How did this go?"
- CES measures effort. "Was it easy?"
Side-by-side comparison
| NPS | CSAT | CES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measures | Loyalty | Satisfaction | Effort |
| Scale | 0-10 | 1-5 | 1-7 |
| Output range | -100 to +100 | 0% to 100% | 0% to 100% |
| Formula | % Promoters − % Detractors | Satisfied ÷ Total × 100 | Easy ÷ Total × 100 |
| When to send | Periodically (relationship) or after key events (transactional) | Right after a specific interaction | After high-effort moments: resolutions, installs, onboarding |
| Best at predicting | Referrals, brand strength | Repeat purchase, immediate retention | Churn, expansion |
| Best for | Executive reporting, brand health | Service quality, agent performance | Process and friction reduction |
A simple decision tree
- Is this about the overall relationship? Use NPS.
- Is this about a specific interaction where you mainly care if it went well? Use CSAT.
- Is this about an interaction where effort matters (support, sign-up, install, renewal, billing)? Use CES.
- Running a mature CX program? Use all three with different sends.
How to combine all three in one program
The most effective CX programs don't pick one. They layer them.
- Relationship NPS twice per year, sent to your full active customer base.
- Transactional CSAT after every closed work order, support ticket, or onboarding completion.
- CES after the high-effort moments specifically: install, renewal, resolution, account changes.
AwareCX runs all three from the same builder and the same audience, with cooldowns so a customer who just got an NPS survey isn't immediately hit with a CSAT.
How AwareCX blends them
AwareCX combines all three into a single Portfolio Health Score so leadership has one number to track. When all three metrics are present, the blend is 50% NPS, 30% CSAT, 20% CES. When only one or two metrics are running, the weighting shifts automatically. The full formula and the operational dashboards built on top of it are documented in Analytics & Reporting.