Measuring customer satisfaction isn’t just about ticking a box or firing off a survey. If you want real answers—not just a pile of numbers—you need to do it right. This guide is for anyone who’s heard about “CSAT” scores, maybe got a nudge to use Delighted, and wants practical advice on actually making sense of the results.
If you’re tired of fluffy advice and want to know what actually works (and what’s a waste of time), keep reading. This isn’t magic, but it is doable.
What’s a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Survey, Really?
Let’s get the basics out of the way. A CSAT survey is a way to ask your customers, “How happy are you with us?” Usually, it’s a one-question poll—something like, “How satisfied were you with your recent experience?”—and customers answer on a simple scale (say, 1 to 5).
The value isn’t in the question. It’s in how you use the answers.
Why bother? - You get a quick pulse on how you’re doing. - It’s easy for customers to answer, so you get more data. - You can spot problems (or wins) fast.
But don’t expect a CSAT survey to tell you why people feel the way they do. That’s a different job.
Why Use Delighted for CSAT Surveys?
Delighted is one of the more popular tools for running CSAT surveys. It’s used by a lot of SaaS companies, e-commerce shops, and anyone else who wants fast feedback.
What’s good about Delighted? - Dead simple setup—no need for a PhD in survey logic. - Clean, mobile-friendly surveys (so people actually respond). - Integrates with a lot of other tools (Slack, Helpdesk, CRM, etc.). - Automates the “send” and collects responses for you.
What’s not so great? - It does the basics well, but it’s not a heavy-duty research tool. - If you want super-detailed branching surveys, it’s not the best fit. - Can get pricey if you have lots of users or want advanced features.
If you want to ask a simple question, get lots of answers, and see trends over time, Delighted does the job.
Step 1: Decide What You Actually Want to Measure
Before you sign up for anything, get clear on why you want a CSAT score. Don’t just do it because someone said “we need a feedback loop.”
Questions to ask yourself: - Are you measuring satisfaction with a product, a support interaction, or something else? - Who do you want feedback from? (Everyone? Just recent buyers? Support tickets?) - What will you do with the results? (If the answer is “make a pretty chart for my boss,” stop here.)
Pro tip: Be specific. “I want to know how satisfied customers are after using our onboarding flow” is much better than “I want a CSAT score for our company.”
Step 2: Set Up Your Delighted Account
Once you’ve got your goal, it’s time to get Delighted up and running. The process is straightforward, but there are a few choices to make.
Getting started: 1. Sign up for a Delighted account. Use the free trial if you want to test the waters. 2. Choose the CSAT survey type. Delighted supports different survey types (NPS, CES, etc.), but pick “CSAT” for this. 3. Customize your survey question. Stick with something clear—“How satisfied were you with your recent purchase?” Avoid jargon or loaded words.
Things to pay attention to: - Rating scale: Delighted defaults to a 5-point scale (Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied). Keep it simple—don’t overthink whether it should be 4 or 7 points. - Branding: Add your logo, tweak colors. It helps responses but don’t spend hours on it. - Follow-up question: Optionally, add an open-text box for comments. This is the only way you’ll get “why” behind the scores.
Step 3: Pick the Right Time (and Channel) to Send Your Survey
Timing is everything. Too soon, and people won’t know what to say. Too late, and they’ve forgotten you.
Common triggers that work: - Right after a customer support interaction closes. - A few days after a product purchase or signup. - After a milestone, like completing onboarding.
Channels to consider: - Email: Works for most people, but can get lost in the inbox. - SMS: Higher open rates, but only if you have permission. - In-app: Great for SaaS, but don’t interrupt users at the wrong moment.
What to skip: - Batch-blasting your entire list “just to see what happens.” It annoys people and muddies your data. - Surveying too often—once per interaction is enough. More than that, and you’re just pestering.
Step 4: Send Your Survey and Start Collecting Responses
Now you’re ready to go live.
What to do: - Start small. Send to a test group first. Make sure everything works. - Monitor your response rates. If you’re not getting at least 10–20%, something’s off—maybe your subject line is boring, or you’re sending at the wrong time. - Watch for weird patterns. If you only get responses from angry customers, your timing or wording may be off.
What not to worry about: - Chasing a 100% response rate. You’ll never get it. Focus on trends, not perfection. - Overanalyzing every single comment. Look for common themes, not outliers.
Step 5: Calculate and Interpret Your CSAT Score
Delighted does the math for you, but here’s what’s really happening:
How CSAT is calculated:
- It’s the percentage of customers who answered positive (usually 4 or 5 out of 5).
- Formula:
CSAT % = (Number of positive responses / Total responses) x 100
So, if 80 out of 100 people pick 4 or 5, your CSAT is 80%.
What’s a “good” CSAT score? - There’s no universal answer. 80%+ is generally solid, but it depends on your industry. - Instead of chasing a magic number, focus on improving over time.
What to look for: - Trends: Is your score going up or down after changes? - Segments: Are certain groups (new customers, support tickets) happier than others? - Comments: Do the same issues come up again and again?
What to ignore: - Obsessing over decimal points (“Should we be at 84.6% or 85%?”). It doesn’t matter. - Comparing to random “industry benchmarks” that don’t match your business.
Step 6: Actually Do Something With the Results
This is where most teams drop the ball.
How to use your CSAT data: - Share the results with the whole team—especially the people who can fix things. - Look for patterns: Is there a common complaint? Are certain teams or products driving lower scores? - Respond to unhappy customers when possible. A quick “we hear you” goes a long way.
Pro tip: Don’t make sweeping changes based on a handful of responses. Wait for clear patterns before you act.
What not to do: - Ignore the feedback and just celebrate the score. - Weaponize the score against your team. It’s a tool, not a threat.
Step 7: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink
CSAT surveys are best when they’re regular, predictable, and boringly consistent. Resist the urge to change your survey every month or chase new trends.
What works: - Regularly send the same survey at the same trigger points. - Review the data monthly or quarterly. - Make small changes, measure impact, and repeat.
What doesn’t: - Overcomplicating things with endless customization. - Letting one bad month send you into panic mode.
Final Thoughts
Measuring customer satisfaction with Delighted CSAT surveys isn’t rocket science. Start small, keep your questions simple, and focus on what you’ll do with the answers. The real value comes from using the feedback—not just stacking up scores. Iterate, adjust, and don’t let “perfect” get in the way of “done.”
You don’t need to be a data scientist. Just ask, listen, and act. That’s what actually moves the needle.