A good CSAT score falls between 75–85% for most industries. The US national average is 77–78% according to the ACSI, but benchmarks vary widely by sector.
A good CSAT score falls between 75-85% for most industries. The US national average sits at 77-78% according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, but benchmarks vary widely - e-commerce averages 80-83% while telecoms sit at 68-71%. The number alone tells you very little without industry context, survey methodology, and trend direction.
75-85% is the healthy range; below 70% signals structural problems, above 90% likely signals survey bias
Always benchmark within your industry - complexity and switching costs set the floor
Pair CSAT with first-contact resolution, response time, and reopen rate for the full picture
A stable 76% beats a declining 84% - track trajectory, not snapshots
You pulled up the dashboard, saw 78%, and immediately wondered: are we good or are we coasting? CSAT benchmarks get thrown around in every QBR, but the number itself is almost useless without context. Industry matters. Channel matters. Whether you are measuring post-resolution or post-interaction matters. Here is how to actually benchmark your CSAT score - and what the number is hiding from you.
What Does CSAT Actually Measure?
CSAT measures a customer's satisfaction with a single interaction, not their overall relationship with your brand. It captures a snapshot of how the customer felt at one specific moment - after a support ticket, a purchase, or a service call. That narrow scope is both its strength and its limitation.
The standard approach uses a 1-5 scale survey sent immediately after an interaction. Your CSAT percentage equals the number of 4 and 5 responses divided by total responses. A customer who rates you 3 out of 5 - neutral - counts against your score. This means CSAT penalizes mediocrity, not just failure. That design choice makes it a sharper tool than it first appears, but it also means small shifts in "okay" experiences disproportionately move the number.
What CSAT Range Should You Target?
Target 75-85% as your working range. Below 70% signals structural problems in your support operation. Above 90% usually means your survey methodology is skewed, not that your service is exceptional. The goal is consistent improvement within that band, not chasing a perfect score.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) reported a US average of approximately 77-78 out of 100 across 2024. But averages obscure more than they reveal. E-commerce companies regularly hit 80-83% because transactions are straightforward and expectations are well-defined. Telecom and utilities sit at 68-71% because their interactions involve complex billing disputes and service disruptions. If you are a fintech company comparing yourself to a retail benchmark, you are measuring against the wrong yardstick.
Why Is Industry Context More Important Than the Number?
Industry context matters because CSAT reflects the difficulty of your interactions as much as the quality of your service. A healthcare support team resolving insurance claims operates in a fundamentally different complexity tier than a fashion brand processing returns. Both can be excellent - their scores will never look the same.
Complexity Drives the Baseline
Industries with multi-step, regulated, or emotionally charged interactions see lower CSAT floors. Financial services, insurance, and healthcare typically operate in the 70-78% range even with strong teams. The issue is not agent performance - it is the inherent friction in the process.
Customer Alternatives Drive the Ceiling
When switching costs are low, dissatisfied customers leave rather than complain. Retail and food delivery CSAT scores look higher partly because the unhappy customers already churned. They are not in your survey pool. Captive industries - utilities, insurance - retain frustrated customers who pull the average down.
What Metrics Should You Track Alongside CSAT?
CSAT alone is a partial picture. Pair it with first-contact resolution (FCR), response time, and reopened ticket rate to understand what is driving the score, not just what the score is. A high CSAT with low FCR means customers are satisfied but you are wasting resources on repeat contacts.
First-contact resolution rate. The percentage of tickets resolved in one interaction. Industry average sits around 71% per SQM Group. When FCR rises, CSAT almost always follows - fewer repeat contacts means less customer frustration.
First response time. How long before the customer hears back. Expectations vary by channel - under 1 hour for email, under 2 minutes for chat. According to HubSpot, 90% of customers consider an "immediate" response important, with 60% defining immediate as under 10 minutes.
Reopened ticket rate. Tickets marked resolved that bounce back. Industry best practice is to keep this below 5%. High reopen rates indicate false resolutions, which tank CSAT on the second interaction.
Agent consistency spread. The CSAT gap between your top and bottom quartile agents. A narrow spread means your training and QA are working. A wide spread means your customer experience depends on who picks up the ticket.
When Should You Worry About Your CSAT Score?
Worry when the trend moves, not when the absolute number looks unfamiliar. A steady 74% in a complex industry is healthier than an 82% that dropped from 88% over two quarters. Trajectory reveals operational health; snapshots do not.
Specific triggers worth investigating: any segment dropping 3 or more points in a single month, a widening gap between your best and worst agent scores, or response rates falling below 15% (which makes the score statistically noisy). Also watch for seasonal patterns - CSAT typically dips 3-5 points during high-volume periods like holidays due to longer wait times and temporary staff.
Key Takeaways
Target 75-85% CSAT - below 70% signals structural issues, above 90% likely signals survey bias
Always benchmark against your own industry, not cross-sector averages - complexity and switching costs set the floor
Pair CSAT with FCR, response time, and reopen rate to understand what is driving the score
Track trajectory over absolute number - a stable 76% beats a declining 84% every time
