A good CSAT score is generally one where most of your customers say they are satisfied, and the higher the share, the better. CSAT is the percentage of customers who rate you 4 or 5 out of 5 in a satisfaction survey. What counts as good depends on your industry, your survey wording and how many people respond.
At a glance
- The percentage of respondents who rate you 4 or 5 out of 5 is your CSAT (SurveyMonkey).
- SurveyMonkey says a good CSAT score typically ranges from 70% to 85% and varies by industry.
- Formula: satisfied responses (4s and 5s) divided by total responses, multiplied by 100.
- A common banding treats 85% and above as excellent, 75 to 84% as good, 60 to 74% as needing improvement and below 60% as poor. These are guidelines, not universal standards.
- CSAT usually uses a 1 to 5 scale and is sent straight after an interaction, whereas NPS uses 0 to 10 and is sent periodically (Qualtrics).
What is a good CSAT score?
A score of 75 to 85% is usually seen as good, and above 85% as excellent. Industry and survey method can shift what “good” means, so treat any single figure with care.
The banding below is a common one. SurveyMonkey puts a typical good range at 70% to 85%, which shows that sources differ a little.
| CSAT score | Rating |
|---|---|
| 85% and above | Excellent |
| 75 to 84% | Good |
| 60 to 74% | Needs improvement |
| Below 60% | Poor |
Treat the bands as guidelines
The cut-off points move slightly from one source to the next. Scoring 74% is not a disaster and 76% is not a triumph. Use the bands to get your bearings, nothing more.
Your own trend matters most
A single number tells you little. Climbing from 68% to 79% over a few months says far more about your service than any league table. Measure the same way each time so you can trust the comparison.
What does CSAT stand for and what does it measure?
CSAT stands for customer satisfaction score. It measures how satisfied customers are with one specific interaction, product or service.
The usual survey question is simple: “How satisfied were you with your experience?” Customers answer on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is very unsatisfied and 5 is very satisfied. Because it is tied to a single moment, it shows you where service works and where it slips.
When to ask
Send it after something has just happened. Good moments include a support chat, an appointment, a booking or a purchase.
Examples for UK small businesses
- A dental practice asking patients about their visit.
- An estate or letting agent asking after a viewing.
- A tradesperson asking after a quote or a finished job.
- A gym asking new members about their first week.
How do you calculate a CSAT score?
Divide the number of 4 and 5 ratings by the total number of responses, then multiply by 100. The result is your CSAT percentage.
The formula is: (satisfied responses ÷ total responses) × 100. This is the method set out by SurveyMonkey.
A worked example
Say you collect 100 responses and 82 customers rate you 4 or 5. Divide 82 by 100 to get 0.82, then multiply by 100. That’s 82%. It sits in the good band.
CSAT out of 5 and out of 10
On a 1 to 5 scale, count the 4s and 5s as satisfied. With a 1 to 10 scale there is no single rule, so decide which ratings count as satisfied and write it down. Many people count 8 to 10, but whatever you pick, keep it the same every time and say so when you share the figure. Otherwise your scores cannot be compared.
A spreadsheet shortcut
In Excel or Google Sheets, put the ratings in column A. For a 1 to 5 scale, this gives the percentage: =COUNTIF(A:A,”>=4″)/COUNT(A:A)*100. For a 1 to 10 scale, change the 4 to your cut-off.
Watch your sample size
If only ten people reply, one unhappy customer moves your score by ten points. With small numbers, look at the comments as well as the percentage, and avoid reading too much into a single month.
What is a good CSAT score by industry?
Most industries sit between about 74% and 84%, so compare yourself with your own sector rather than one global figure.
The figures below are indicative only. They come from research that is mostly US-based and may be dated, so check them against a current source before relying on them.
| Sector | Indicative CSAT |
|---|---|
| Banking | 80% |
| 80% | |
| 81% | |
| 77% | |
| 84% | |
| 74% |
UK small business benchmarks are scarce
Good UK figures for small firms are hard to find, and sector numbers change from one source to another. We would rather say that plainly than invent a neat number for your trade.
Set a baseline, then improve it
If you run a law firm, accountancy, trade business, lettings agency, dental practice or gym, start by collecting your own scores for a few weeks. That gives you a baseline. Then aim to beat it a little each quarter. Even with few responses, a steady record of your own is more useful than a borrowed average.
Chati is built for UK small and growing businesses such as dental practices, solicitors, trades, agents, vets, hotels and gyms, so these are the businesses we have in mind here. You can see how we fit different sectors on our industry guides.
What is the difference between CSAT and NPS?
CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific experience, while NPS measures overall loyalty and how likely someone is to recommend you.
| CSAT | NPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Measures | Satisfaction | Loyalty |
| Focus | A specific interaction | The overall relationship |
| Question | How satisfied were you? | How likely are you to recommend us? |
| Scale | Usually 1 to 5 | 0 to 10 |
| Timing | Straight after an interaction | Periodically |
| Score range | 0 to 100% | -100 to +100 |
The timing and scale differences are covered in more detail by Qualtrics.
How NPS is worked out
Customers who score 9 to 10 are promoters, 7 to 8 are passives and 0 to 6 are detractors. Subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. The answer sits between -100 and +100.
A word on CES
Customer effort score (CES) is a third measure. It asks how easy it was to get something done. It’s useful if you suspect your booking or enquiry process is clumsy.
When to use each
Use CSAT to check individual moments, such as a chat or an appointment. Use NPS now and then to take the temperature of the whole relationship.
When and how often should you send a CSAT survey?
Send it right after the interaction, while the experience is fresh, and keep it to one or two questions.
Good trigger points
- After a support chat or email reply is closed.
- After an appointment, viewing or site visit.
- Once a booking is confirmed or a job is completed.
- Once a purchase has been delivered.
Avoid survey fatigue and leading questions
Do not ask the same person after every small contact. Ask a neutral question such as “How satisfied were you with your experience?” rather than “How great was our service?”. Leading wording pushes scores up and tells you nothing.
Add a comment box
An optional comment box costs customers a few seconds and gives you the reason behind a low score. Those comments are often more useful than the number.
Why is my CSAT score low and how can I improve it?
Low scores usually come from slow replies, unclear answers and handoffs that go nowhere, so fix response speed and answer quality first.
Read the low-score comments
Pull out every 1, 2 and 3 rating and read the comments. Group them into themes such as waiting time, unclear pricing or no reply out of hours. Two or three themes will usually account for most complaints.
Close the loop
Contact unhappy customers, thank them and fix what you can. A quick, honest reply can turn a bad experience into a decent one, and it shows other customers you are listening.
Give faster, consistent answers
Many small businesses lose satisfaction in the gaps: the enquiry that arrives at 9pm, or the same question answered three different ways by three different people. This is where a chatbot can help. Chati answers customers from your own website and shows its sources, so people can see where an answer came from. When it is unsure, it hands the chat to your human team rather than guessing.
It is trained on your own data with custom integration, so answers reflect your business rather than generic text. Chati comes from a team that has been developing apps since 2009. Read more on how it works. See costs on our pricing page.
Be realistic about what a chatbot does
A chatbot supports good service. It does not guarantee a particular score. If your prices are unclear or your team is slow to follow up, fix that too.
Common mistakes when reading CSAT scores
The biggest mistakes are small samples, comparing different scales and ignoring who did not respond.
Response bias and small samples
People with strong feelings, good or bad, are the most likely to reply. A handful of responses can make your score look better or worse than it really is. Treat early numbers as a rough guide.
Mixing methods
Some firms report the percentage of 4s and 5s. Others report an average rating, such as 4.2 out of 5. These are different figures. Do not compare one with the other, and do not switch method halfway through the year.
Chasing a number
If staff feel pressure to hit a target, they may ask only happy customers or nudge people to score high. That makes the figure look nice and the service no better. Use the score to find causes, then fix them.
Would you like faster, sourced answers for your customers with a human team behind them? Get to know us and contact Chati to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate CSAT out of 10?
Decide which ratings count as satisfied, such as 8 to 10. Divide the number of those responses by the total, then multiply by 100. State your cut-off so scores stay comparable.
Is a 4 out of 5 CSAT score good?
It depends on the method. For an average rating, 4 out of 5 is equivalent to 80%, which falls in the good band. If you mean a single customer’s rating, a 4 counts as satisfied.
What is a good CSAT score for customer support?
The general guide of 75 to 85% applies, with above 85% seen as excellent. Compare against your own earlier scores as well as outside figures.
How many survey responses do I need for a reliable CSAT score?
There is no single magic number, but more is better. With very few responses, one unhappy customer can swing the score a lot, so read the comments alongside the percentage.
Can a CSAT score be too high?
It can look suspicious. A near-perfect score may point to leading questions, a tiny sample or only happy customers being asked. Check how the survey is run before celebrating.
What are the 5 levels of customer satisfaction?
Across a typical 1 to 5 scale they run from very unsatisfied, unsatisfied and neutral to satisfied and very satisfied. Only the top two count towards the CSAT percentage.
Is CSAT or NPS better for a small business?
The easier place to start is usually CSAT, as it is quick to send after each interaction and shows what to fix. NPS can be added later to track loyalty over time.
