NPS vs CSAT vs CES: How to Measure Customer Satisfaction?

In an increasingly competitive market, measuring customer satisfaction has become essential for businesses that want to stand out and build customer loyalty. Among the many available metrics, three stand out in particular: NPS (Net Promoter Score), CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score), and CES (Customer Effort Score).

But what are the differences between these three metrics? Which one should you choose for your business? And how can you use them effectively to improve your customer experience? In this article, we explain everything!

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Why is measuring customer satisfaction important?

Before diving into the details of each metric, let's recall why measuring customer satisfaction is so important. Customer satisfaction is directly linked to loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and your business growth. A satisfied customer is more likely to:

• Stay loyal to your brand and make repeat purchases
• Recommend your business to their network
• Leave positive reviews on online platforms
• Accept paying a higher price for your product or service

Conversely, a dissatisfied customer risks turning to the competition and sharing their negative experience, which can significantly harm your reputation. That's why it's crucial to regularly measure your customers' satisfaction and act quickly in case of dissatisfaction.

NPS (Net Promoter Score): What is it?

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is one of the most widely used customer satisfaction metrics in the world. Developed by Fred Reichheld in 2003, it measures your customers' likelihood to recommend your business to others.

The NPS question

NPS is based on one single question: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company (or product/service) to a friend or colleague?"

Based on their answer, customers are divided into three categories:

• Promoters (9-10): highly satisfied and loyal customers who actively recommend your business
• Passives (7-8): satisfied but not enthusiastic customers, who may turn to competitors
• Detractors (0-6): dissatisfied customers who can harm your reputation through negative comments

Calculating NPS

The NPS calculation is straightforward: NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors. The score ranges from -100 to +100. A positive NPS is generally considered good, a score above 50 is excellent, and a score above 70 is world-class.

When to use NPS?

NPS is particularly well-suited for:

• Measuring overall satisfaction and long-term customer loyalty
• Benchmarking your performance against competitors or industry averages
• Identifying your brand ambassadors and directing them to your online review platforms
• Detecting at-risk customers (detractors) to intervene quickly

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score): What is it?

The Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measures your customers' immediate satisfaction following a specific interaction with your business. It is the most direct metric for evaluating whether a particular experience met the customer's expectations.

The CSAT question

The typical CSAT question is: "How would you rate your satisfaction with [interaction/purchase/service]?" Responses are generally given on a scale of 1 to 5 (from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied") or using emojis.

Calculating CSAT

CSAT is calculated by dividing the number of positive responses (4 or 5 stars) by the total number of responses, then multiplying by 100. A CSAT score of 80% means that 80% of your customers declared themselves satisfied or very satisfied.

When to use CSAT?

CSAT is ideal for:

• Evaluating satisfaction after a purchase or transaction
• Measuring the quality of a customer service interaction
• Quickly identifying pain points in your customer journey
• Comparing satisfaction levels across departments or products

CES (Customer Effort Score): What is it?

The Customer Effort Score (CES) is a relatively recent metric, introduced by Gartner in 2010. It measures the level of effort a customer had to exert to interact with your business, resolve a problem, or complete a task.

The CES question

The typical CES question is: "To what extent did our company make it easy for you to resolve your issue?" Responses are generally given on a scale of 1 to 7, from "very difficult" to "very easy."

Calculating CES

CES is calculated by taking the average of all scores received. The higher the score, the easier the interaction was for the customer. A high CES is correlated with better customer retention and reduced service costs.

When to use CES?

CES is particularly relevant for:

• Evaluating the ease of use of your products or services
• Measuring the efficiency of your customer service and problem-resolution processes
• Identifying friction points in the customer journey
• Optimizing your internal processes to reduce the effort required from customers

NPS, CSAT, CES: What are the differences?

These three metrics differ mainly in what they measure and when they are used. Here is a summary of the key differences:

• NPS: Measures overall loyalty and likelihood to recommend. Ideal for a long-term view. Measured independently of any specific interaction.
• CSAT: Measures immediate satisfaction following a specific interaction. Easy to understand and communicate. Ideal for short-term measurements.
• CES: Measures ease of interaction. Particularly relevant for customer service and self-service processes. A strong predictor of retention.

According to Gartner research, 94% of customers who reported a low-effort interaction said they would buy from the company again. CES is therefore an excellent predictor of customer retention.

How to choose between NPS, CSAT, and CES?

The choice between these three metrics depends on your strategic objectives and the type of interaction you want to evaluate. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice:

Use NPS if you want to:

• Measure your customers' overall loyalty
• Identify your ambassadors to direct them to your online review platforms
• Track the evolution of customer satisfaction over time
• Benchmark against your competitors

Use CSAT if you want to:

• Evaluate a specific interaction (purchase, customer service call, etc.)
• Get quick and easy-to-analyze feedback
• Measure satisfaction for a specific product or service

Use CES if you want to:

• Measure the ease of use of your products or services
• Evaluate the efficiency of your customer service
• Identify and reduce friction points in the customer journey

In practice, many high-performing businesses use a combination of all three metrics for a comprehensive view of the customer experience. For example, NPS can be sent periodically to assess overall loyalty, while CSAT and CES are used after specific interactions.

Best practices for measuring customer satisfaction

Regardless of the metric you choose, here are some best practices to maximize the effectiveness of your customer satisfaction measurement program:

• Automate the sending of your surveys to ensure regular and systematic collection of feedback
• Send the survey at the right time: right after the interaction for CSAT and CES, or periodically for NPS
• Close the loop: quickly contact dissatisfied customers to resolve their issue and turn detractors into promoters
• Share results with your teams to motivate them and raise awareness of the importance of customer satisfaction
• Track the evolution of your scores over time to measure the impact of your improvement actions

How InputKit helps you measure customer satisfaction?

InputKit is a comprehensive solution that allows you to automate customer feedback collection via NPS, CSAT, and CES. With InputKit, you can:

• Automatically send your surveys by email or SMS at the right moment in the customer journey
• Centralize all your feedback in an intuitive dashboard
• Identify dissatisfied customers in real time to intervene quickly
• Direct your promoters to your online review platforms (Google, Facebook, etc.) to boost your digital reputation
• Measure the impact of your actions on customer satisfaction with detailed reports

With InputKit, measuring and improving customer satisfaction has never been easier. Our solution adapts to all industries, whether you're in healthcare, retail, B2B services, or any other field.

Schedule your free InputKit demo now to start measuring your customers' satisfaction!

In summary, NPS, CSAT, and CES are three complementary metrics that allow you to measure different facets of customer satisfaction. NPS measures overall loyalty and likelihood to recommend, CSAT evaluates immediate satisfaction following a specific interaction, and CES measures the ease of interacting with your business. By combining these three metrics and acting on the results, you can significantly improve your customers' experience and foster their long-term loyalty.