Metrics & KPIs
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)
CSAT measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction, scored from a single survey question on a 1-5 or 1-10 scale.
CSAT measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction, scored from a single survey question on a 1-5 or 1-10 scale.
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) is a metric that measures how satisfied a customer is with a specific interaction, product, or service. It is calculated from a single survey question — typically "How satisfied were you with this experience?" — answered on a 1-5 or 1-10 scale, then expressed as the percentage of respondents who selected the top one or two ratings.
CSAT is the most widely used customer experience metric in contact centers because it's simple to measure, easy for customers to answer, and ties directly to specific interactions a QA team can act on.
The standard CSAT formula:
CSAT % = (Number of "Satisfied" responses ÷ Total responses) × 100
Where "Satisfied" responses are typically defined as ratings of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale, or 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale.
Example: 100 customers respond to a CSAT survey. 78 give a 4 or 5 rating. CSAT = 78%.
| Industry | Average CSAT | Top-Quartile CSAT |
|---|---|---|
| BPO (general) | 78% | 88%+ |
| FinTech / Banking | 82% | 90%+ |
| E-commerce | 75% | 85%+ |
| Healthcare | 80% | 90%+ |
| Telecom | 70% | 82%+ |
Top-quartile contact centers achieve 85%+ CSAT consistently. Below 70% is generally considered a problem area requiring root-cause analysis.
CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction. NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures overall loyalty and likelihood to recommend. CES (Customer Effort Score) measures how easy it was for the customer to resolve their issue. Each metric answers a different question — high-performing contact centers track all three.
Manual QA samples 2-5% of calls and provides coaching weeks after the conversation. By the time a low-CSAT pattern is identified, dozens or hundreds of similar interactions have already happened. AI-powered QA scores 100% of calls in real time, surfacing the specific behaviors that drive low CSAT — long hold times, unresolved issues, agent tone — and routing flagged calls for same-day coaching. Contact centers that move from sampling to 100% automated call scoring typically see CSAT lift 5-15 percentage points within 90 days because coaching is faster, more targeted, and based on every interaction rather than a sample.
A good CSAT score depends on industry. For BPOs and contact centers, 80% is solid, 85%+ is strong, and 90%+ is top-quartile. Below 70% indicates systemic issues that need investigation.
CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction or experience. NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures overall loyalty and likelihood to recommend on a 0-10 scale. CSAT is interaction-level; NPS is relationship-level.
Within 24 hours of the interaction. Response rates and accuracy drop significantly after 48 hours. Most contact centers trigger CSAT surveys via SMS or email within minutes of call completion.
Yes — modern AI QA platforms predict CSAT from call audio by analyzing sentiment, agent tone, customer affect, hold time, and resolution outcome. Predicted CSAT is useful when survey response rates are low (typical contact center surveys see 5-15% response rates).
Last updated: April 2026
