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NPS vs CSAT

NPS asks how likely a customer is to recommend you, from 0 to 10, and reports promoters minus detractors. CSAT asks how satisfied they were, usually from 1 to 5, and reports the share who answer 4 or 5. Use NPS to track the relationship over time, CSAT to check a single interaction. Neither number says why; the comments do.

NPS and CSAT side by side

Both are one question with a scale and an optional comment box. Everything else differs.

 NPS (Net Promoter Score)CSAT (customer satisfaction score)
QuestionHow likely are you to recommend us?How satisfied were you with this (order, ticket, visit)?
Scale0 to 10Usually 1 to 5
GroupsDetractors 0 to 6, passives 7 and 8, promoters 9 and 10Satisfied 4 and 5; 1 to 3 are not
Formula% promoters − % detractorsAnswers of 4 and 5 ÷ all answers × 100
Result−100 to +100, written without a percent sign0 to 100 %
MeasuresThe relationship: would they put their name to you?A moment: did this go well?
Likely range with 100 answersAbout 15 points either wayAbout 8 points either way at a CSAT of 80 %
CalculatorNPS calculatorCSAT calculator

What NPS measures

NPS asks about the future: would this customer recommend you? It sums up everything they have seen of you, so it moves slowly and suits a regular check, for example every quarter.

Only the ends countPassives (7 and 8) count in the total but add nothing to the difference. A customer moving from 6 to 7 raises NPS; one moving from 7 to 8 does not.
It swings more than it looksBecause it is the difference of two shares, its range is wide. With 100 answers it is about 15 points either way, with 400 about 8.
More on NPSCalculate your NPS from counts or an export.

What CSAT measures

CSAT asks about the past: how did this go? It is usually tied to one touchpoint, so you send it right after the ticket, the delivery or the visit, and you can tell which part of the experience it describes.

Share or averageMany teams report the share of 4s and 5s. Some report the average rating instead. Both are fine; name which one you use and keep it.
3 is not satisfiedNeutral answers count in the total, not as satisfied, so a survey full of 3s has a low CSAT.
More on CSATCalculate your CSAT with the average rating and its likely range.

When to use which

Pick by the decision you want to make, not by which number looks better in a report.

Use CSAT to fix a processAfter a support ticket, an onboarding call or a delivery. A drop points at one step you own.
Use NPS to track the relationshipA regular survey of all customers, by plan or region. It shows whether the whole experience is getting better.
Use both, each for its own jobMany teams run CSAT on touchpoints and NPS every quarter. Keep the two apart in reports: they answer different questions and should not be averaged together.
Do not switch mid-streamChanging from one to the other breaks your trend line. If you change, run both for a while so you have an overlap.

Can you convert NPS to CSAT?

No. There is no formula from one to the other, and any table that claims one is a guess.

Different questionsRecommending and being satisfied are not the same. A customer can be happy with a ticket and still not recommend you.
Different cut-offsAn 8 counts as zero in NPS. The same customer might give a 4 for satisfaction, which counts in full for CSAT. A group of only 8s has an NPS of 0, whatever their CSAT.
Different shapesRescaling a 1 to 5 answer onto 0 to 10 does not tell you how that person would have answered the other question. To know both numbers, ask both questions.

Both have comments, and that is where the reasons are

Whichever score you run, the follow-up question (what is the main reason for your score?) holds the why. The step most teams skip is linking each reason to the score instead of only counting it.

In 4,000 public clothing reviews rated 1 to 5 stars, fit or size came up most. “Doesn’t look flattering” came up half as often but cost the average rating more. How to analyze survey comments.

Complaints mentioned most

  1. 1Fit or size32 %
  2. 2Doesn’t look flattering15 %
  3. 3Fabric10 %

What costs the most

  1. 1Doesn’t look flattering−0.14
  2. 2Fit or size−0.09
  3. 3Fabric−0.06

Share of reviews on the left. On the right, stars each theme costs the average rating. Data: Women’s E-Commerce Clothing Reviews, public domain (CC0). An effect is an association, not proof of cause.

Questions

Which is better, NPS or CSAT?

Neither in general. NPS fits a regular check on the whole relationship; CSAT fits a check right after one interaction, such as a support ticket or a delivery. Many teams run both, each for its own job.

Is NPS the same as customer satisfaction?

No. NPS asks whether a customer would recommend you; CSAT asks how satisfied they were. A satisfied customer can still be a passive or a detractor in NPS.

Can you convert CSAT to NPS?

No. They come from different questions on different scales with different cut-offs. To know both, ask both questions.

Should NPS be 0 to 10 or 1 to 10?

0 to 10. Detractors are 0 to 6, passives 7 and 8, promoters 9 and 10. A 1 to 10 scale shifts those groups and the result is no longer comparable.

Is 90 % customer satisfaction good?

It depends on the touchpoint, the channel and the timing. Compare it with your own earlier CSAT for the same touchpoint, and check whether a change is larger than the likely range.

Find out which reason costs you the most

The score says how many customers are unhappy. The comments say why. Leverboard measures which reason costs the most, for NPS on 0 to 10 and for 1 to 5 ratings, from a CSV or Excel export.

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Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score and NPS are trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld.