NPS, CSAT, CES: which metric should you choose?

Three metrics, three use cases

Measuring customer satisfaction is essential, but you need to choose the right metric. Here's a practical guide to help you decide.

NPS (Net Promoter Score)

NPS measures customer loyalty with a single question: "How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?" on a scale of 0 to 10. Respondents are classified as promoters (9-10), passives (7-8), and detractors (0-6). The score ranges from -100 to +100.

When to use it: to measure overall satisfaction and long-term loyalty. Ideal for quarterly tracking.

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)

CSAT measures point-in-time satisfaction: "How satisfied are you with [specific interaction]?" Usually on a 1-5 star scale or from "Very dissatisfied" to "Very satisfied."

When to use it: right after a specific interaction (purchase, support, delivery). CSAT is contextual and immediate.

CES (Customer Effort Score)

CES measures ease of experience: "How easy was it to [action]?" Scale from 1 (very difficult) to 7 (very easy).

When to use it: to evaluate journey smoothness (onboarding, support, purchase process). A low CES signals friction to fix.

Which one to choose?

The answer: combine them. NPS for strategic tracking, CSAT for operational feedback, CES for optimizing your journeys. Quervey natively supports all three, letting you use them within the same survey.