How to Run Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Surveys
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys measure how happy users are with specific interactions or experiences. Unlike NPS which measures overall loyalty, CSAT captures point-in-time satisfaction that helps you optimize individual touchpoints.
Select measurement touchpoints
Choose specific interactions to measure: onboarding completion, support resolution, feature usage, or billing events. Each touchpoint gets its own CSAT survey.
Design the survey question
Use the standard "How satisfied were you with [specific experience]?" with a 1-5 or 1-7 scale. Add one optional open-ended follow-up for context.
Trigger surveys immediately after the experience
Send CSAT surveys within minutes of the measured interaction. Delayed surveys get less accurate responses as memory fades.
Set response goals
Aim for 20-30% response rates for in-app CSAT. If rates are lower, simplify the survey or improve the trigger timing.
Analyze by touchpoint
Compare CSAT scores across different touchpoints to identify your strongest and weakest experiences. This reveals specific areas for improvement.
Act on low scores
For each low-scoring touchpoint, investigate root causes and implement fixes. Re-measure after changes to validate improvement.
Pro Tips
- CSAT works best for transactional experiences; use NPS for overall relationship measurement.
- Track CSAT trends over time, not just point-in-time scores.
- Segment CSAT by user attributes to understand if certain groups have worse experiences.
- Celebrate high CSAT scores with the team to reinforce customer-centric behavior.
Conclusion
CSAT surveys provide granular insight into specific user experiences that NPS alone cannot capture. By measuring satisfaction at key touchpoints, you build a detailed map of your user experience quality and can target improvements where they matter most.
Ready to get started?
Try Produktly free and implement what you learned in this guide.
Start free trial