How to measure Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

What is Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)?

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a straightforward way to gauge how happy your customers are with your products or services. You can use CSAT to get feedback on various aspects of your business, such as customer service and recent purchases.

CSAT typically involves asking customers a simple question like, "How satisfied were you with your experience?" Responses can be scaled from 1-3, 1-5, or even 1-10, providing a quick pulse check on customer satisfaction. An 80% or higher score is generally considered good, though benchmarks can vary by industry.

What does measuring CSAT do for your business?

Identify strengths and weaknesses:

CSAT helps you pinpoint what makes your customers happy or unhappy, allowing you to make improvements where it matters most. Knowing your CSAT can also help you benchmark against competitors and strive for better performance.

Increase customer retention:

Happy customers are loyal customers. By tracking satisfaction, you can fine-tune every part of the customer journey to reduce churn rates and ensure your customers stick around. From the first interaction to post-purchase support, a great experience keeps customers coming back.

Boost sales and revenue:

Satisfied customers are more likely to spend more and recommend your business to others. Let’s not forget, word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways for your business to gain exposure while building trust with new customers!

How measuring CSAT transformed real-life businesses: Apple case study

Consider a case study from Apple, one of the world’s most valuable brands. Apple places a high emphasis on customer satisfaction, regularly measuring CSAT through surveys and feedback forms after product purchases and support interactions. By analysing CSAT scores, Apple identified that customers highly valued personalised service and product knowledge at their retail stores. In response, Apple enhanced its employee training programs, ensuring that staff could provide expert advice and support. This focus on customer satisfaction helped Apple maintain a CSAT score of 81%, contributing to its long-term success.

So, how do you measure CSAT?

Customer surveys:

Surveys are the most direct method to measure CSAT. They offer a safe space for customers to share their feedback anonymously, allowing businesses to collect valuable insights. Surveys can be delivered via various channels and provide quantitative data on customer satisfaction. Here are some questions you can include:

• "How satisfied are you with our service?"
• "How would you rate the quality of our product?"
• "How likely are you to recommend our business to others?"

Follow up with open-ended questions for more detailed feedback:

• "What did you like most about your experience?"
• "What can we improve?"

Using survey software like Milieu Insight’s Canvas is a convenient way to reach many customers quickly and directly. With Canvas, even beginners can easily conduct tailored surveys, integrating their email list, social media following, and first-party data to connect with their key audience. The platform also offers efficient data reporting and analysis with a significance testing tool. However, to keep your audience engaged and encourage higher response rates, limit your surveys to a maximum of 15 questions.

Focus groups and advisory boards:

Focus groups and advisory boards gather a small group of customers to discuss their experiences and feedback in detail. Selecting a diverse group provides a range of perspectives and deep insights into customer sentiments and areas for improvement. Focus groups are particularly effective for exploring new product ideas or understanding complex customer behaviours, while surveys are better suited for quantifying general satisfaction levels.

Social media:

Social media platforms are a great way to get customer feedback. Monitor mentions, comments, and direct messages to gauge customer satisfaction. Social listening tools can help track sentiment and identify common themes in customer feedback, helping you understand how consumers interact with your brand.

Customer churn:

Customer churn, or the rate at which customers stop transacting with your business, is a critical indicator of satisfaction. Analyse churn rates to identify patterns and understand what might be driving customers away. A lower churn rate means your business is retaining more customers, which is useful for making better strategic decisions.

There are also specific methods to measuring CSAT

Net Promoter Score (NPS):

NPS measures customer loyalty by asking how likely customers are to recommend your business to others on a scale of 0 to 10. It categorises customers into promoters, passives, and detractors, providing insight into overall satisfaction and loyalty. NPS can boost long-term relationships while pinpointing your business’s problem areas.

Customer Effort Score (CES):

CES assesses how easy it is for customers to complete a transaction or use your services. It’s like asking your customers to rate how easy or difficult it is to do business with you. Their answers provide insight into areas of friction, with simpler processes leading to higher satisfaction. This metric is crucial for improving customer support and service processes.

Post-purchase surveys:

Post-purchase surveys are given to customers after a purchase. These surveys ask customers to rate their satisfaction with the buying experience, providing immediate feedback to understand the customer journey and identify pain points.

Customer Satisfaction measurement tools

To streamline the process of measuring CSAT, consider using dedicated tools like Milieu Insight’s Canvas 2.0. Allowing you to create tailored surveys with ease, the platform offers customizable features, diverse question types, and advanced analytics to visualise and interpret data effortlessly. With real-time data collection and automated reporting, Canvas 2.0 ensures accurate and reliable insights, empowering you to make data-driven decisions with confidence.

Conclusion

Measuring customer satisfaction is essential for understanding and enhancing the customer experience. Dive into tools like CSAT, NPS, CES, and post-purchase surveys to uncover what truly makes your customers happy and loyal. Implement these strategies to keep your customers smiling and coming back for more. After all, a happy customer is your best brand ambassador!  Take the first step today with tools like Milieu Insight’s Canvas 2.0, and transform feedback into actionable insights for business growth.