Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Calculator
Compute Customer Satisfaction Score from your 5-point survey responses. Compare to industry benchmarks.
What CSAT Measures
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) is the percentage of respondents who rate their experience 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. The question is typically: 'How satisfied are you with [product/service/interaction]?' CSAT measures point-in-time satisfaction — often used after specific interactions (support ticket resolution, demo, onboarding milestone).
CSAT differs from NPS in three ways: (1) CSAT measures satisfaction; NPS measures advocacy intent. (2) CSAT is typically transactional; NPS is relationship. (3) CSAT range 0-100%; NPS range -100 to +100. Source: ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) 2026 benchmarks. Last updated: May 2026.
When to Use CSAT
Best for: (1) Post-support ticket. (2) Post-demo. (3) After onboarding milestones. (4) After feature releases. (5) Periodic relationship check-ins. Not best for: long-term loyalty (use NPS), product-fit assessment (use Product/Market Fit Survey, PMF), or financial outcomes (use cohort retention).
Industry Benchmarks 2026
| Industry | Median CSAT |
|---|---|
| SaaS / B2B Software | 78-82% |
| E-commerce | 80-85% |
| Hospitality | 83-88% |
| Telecom / ISP | 62-68% |
| Airlines | 70-75% |
| Healthcare | 73-78% |
Top-Box vs Top-Two-Box
Top-box = % responding 5 only. Top-two-box = % responding 4 or 5. Standard CSAT is top-two-box. Top-box-only is a stricter metric — companies obsessed with 'delight' (Disney, Apple) prefer top-box because customers rating 4 may not return, while customers rating 5 actively recommend. Both have merit; pick one and stick with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good CSAT score?
Industry-dependent. SaaS: 78-82% median, 90%+ excellent. Telecom: 62-68% median (low industry baseline). Compare to your industry, not absolute thresholds. Track changes over time more than absolute number.
CSAT vs NPS \u2014 which to use?
Use BOTH if budget allows. CSAT for specific transactions (post-support, post-demo). NPS for overall relationship health. Some teams use only NPS; others use only CSAT. The decision depends on what you want to measure and how often.
How often should I send CSAT surveys?
Transactional CSAT: triggered by the event (immediately after support ticket close, demo, etc.). Relationship CSAT: monthly to quarterly. Don't over-survey \u2014 fatigue causes response rates to drop and biases results.
Should I respond to negative CSAT responses?
Always. Within 24-48 hours. Have a senior person reach out to detractors, understand the issue, and attempt resolution. Studies show 50-70% of detractor outreach converts to neutral or positive \u2014 and often surfaces systemic issues marketing wouldn't see otherwise.
Can I include free-text questions?
Yes. Always. The numerical score tells you WHAT, the open text tells you WHY. Standard format: 'How satisfied are you?' (5-point) + 'What's the main reason for your score?' (open). Code the responses by theme to identify patterns.
What sample size do I need for reliable CSAT?
100+ responses for \u00b15% margin of error. 400+ for \u00b12.5%. Below 30 responses, the margin of error is too wide for meaningful comparison. Don't celebrate month-over-month changes within margin of error.