1. Service Satisfaction Rate
SUPPORT STAFF
EXCELLENCE
T
he customer service satisfaction rate, or CSAT as it’s often
called, intends to measure a customer’s satisfaction with the
service received.
In its simplest form, CSAT is expressed as a percentage between 0
and 100, with 100% representing complete customer satisfaction.
There can be a large variance between the CSAT rates of companies
in a given industry, or at the same company over time. Many
companies that boast high customer satisfaction are those with
CSAT scores in the upper 80’s or 90’s, though how this is measured
can be very tricky.
CSAT is often determined by a single question in follow-up surveys
along the lines of “How would you rate your overall satisfaction
with the service you received?” This is often graded on a scale of
one to five, with a score of one representing“very dissatisfied”and
five representing“very satisfied.”All surveys are then averaged for
a composite CSAT score. Some organizations set their standard at a
4-out-of-5; any customer who provides a score of 3 or less triggers a
callback from a manager or QA team member.
This methodology doesn’t take into account that many mildly
satisfied or mildly dissatisfied customers don’t tend to complete
surveys. It also fails to differentiate specific factors that contribute to
customer satisfaction such as good value (the quality and quantity of
the service for its price), how closely the customer’s expectations are
met, and how valued the customer feels at the end of a transaction
with this company. This lack of detail can skew CSAT results in either
direction.
As with other metrics, one of CSAT’s most useful purposes is to track
the correlation between changes in training or procedures and the
satisfaction of customers. As long as the method used to measure
satisfaction does not change between pre- and post-change surveys,
CSAT can help companies determine the effect of new initiatives on
their customers’satisfaction.
To improve CSAT, representatives
should be encouraged to:
Build rapport from the
beginning of the customer
contact with a friendly,
professional communication
style.
Use positive language that
reflects an attitude of service.
Be polite and focus on what can
be done to help the customer
rather than what cannot.
Consider ways to add value
to the customer contact such
as pointing the customer to
additional online resources,
demonstrating tips to get the
best value from a product or
service, or the ability to track the
progress on a service ticket from
the company’s website.
For more information contact:
Impact Learning Systems International
☎ 800.545.9003
☎ 805.781.3283
info@impactlearning.com
www.impactlearning.com