What Is CSAT – and How Does It Differ from NPS?
What is CSAT?
CSAT stands for Customer Satisfaction Score – and it’s a direct measure of satisfaction following a specific interaction, such as:
- After a support call
- Post-onboarding
- After a service delivery
Typical CSAT Question:
“How satisfied were you with your experience?”
→ Response scale from 1 to 5 (or 1–7 / 1–10)
CSAT Calculation:
Example:
What is the Difference Between CSAT and NPS?
| Aspect | CSAT | NPS |
|---|---|---|
|
Measures |
Satisfaction with a specific experience |
Overall loyalty and willingness to recommend |
|
Question Type |
“How satisfied were you with…?” |
“How likely are you to recommend…?” |
|
Time Focus |
Short-term (immediate reaction) |
Long-term (customer relationship) |
|
Scale |
Typically 1–5 or 1–10 |
Always 0–10 |
|
Usage Timing |
After specific interactions |
Ongoing / strategic intervals |
When Should You Use CSAT?
CSAT is ideal when you want to:
- Evaluate service quality immediately after contact
- Gather touchpoint feedback (e.g., onboarding, support)
- Capture immediate dissatisfaction for fast action
Example:
After a support session, you send:
“How satisfied were you with the help you received from our support team?”
→ CSAT = 88%
→ Low score → Reach out to the customer directly
When Is NPS More Relevant?
NPS is ideal when you want to:
- Measure overall customer loyalty
- Compare across markets and segments
- Predict churn and willingness to recommend
Use NPS quarterly or after 90 days into a customer relationship.
Why You Should Use Both in B2B
CSAT and NPS complement each other.
Used together, they give you both:
- Tactical insight (How did the last experience go?)
- Strategic understanding (Are we heading towards churn or loyalty?)
SurveyGauge helps B2B companies implement both metrics effectively, using CSAT for touchpoints and NPS for overall customer health.
Real-World Example
- A customer receives support → CSAT = 4/5
- Two weeks later, NPS is measured → 6/10
- Comment: “Support was good, but we lack clarity in your dashboard.”
→ Insight: The specific experience was good, but the product is holding back satisfaction
→ Action: Schedule a follow-up meeting and provide product training
Conclusion
- CSAT measures satisfaction with specific experiences
- NPS measures overall loyalty and recommendation potential
- Use both in combination, especially in B2B, where customers have long lifespans and multiple touchpoints
A well-balanced feedback program provides you with the overview, prioritization, and ability to take action on insights – regardless of where you measure in the customer journey.
Ready to Measure Both CSAT and NPS – and Turn Insights into Results?
SurveyGauge helps B2B companies design complete feedback strategies.
We combine technology and consultancy, ensuring you get data and impact.
Book a Demo – and see how we can help.