When a customer spontaneously recommends your product… or abandons their cart at the last minute, they’re sending you a message—often without words. Every interaction, every click, every customer service call tells a story of how your customers really feel. Customer experience isn’t only about satisfaction: it’s the sum of micro-moments that shape the perception of your brand and determine whether customers will stay loyal or not.
In a saturated and highly competitive market, companies can no longer guess what their customers want. According to a 2023 PwC study, 73% of consumers say customer experience directly impacts their purchase decisions. Ignoring these signals means taking the risk of missing crucial opportunities to build loyalty and grow your business.
That’s where key metrics like NPS (Net Promoter Score), CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score), and CES (Customer Effort Score) come into play. Each one sheds light on a different aspect: loyalty, immediate satisfaction, or journey smoothness. Together, they help you understand your customers and turn insights into actionable improvements.
In this article, discover how to measure and use them to optimize your customer experience.
Measures your customers’ likelihood to recommend your brand, product, or service. Based on the question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [company/product/service] to a friend or colleague?”
| Category | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Promoters | 9-10 | loyal, enthusiastic customers |
| Passives | 7-8 | satisfied but uncommitted |
| Detractors | 0-6 | dissatisfied customers who may harm your reputation |
Formula: NPS = % Promoters – % Detractors
Measures satisfaction after a specific interaction. Based on: “How satisfied are you with [product/service/interaction]?”
Formula: CSAT = (Positive responses ÷ Total responses) × 100
Measures how easy it is for a customer to complete an action or resolve an issue. Based on: “The company made it easy for me to resolve my issue.”
Formula: CES = Average customer response (usually on a 1–7 scale)
| Metric | Goal | Question Type | Scale | Frequency | Scope | Predictive of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPS | Loyalty & recommendation | “Would you recommend…?” | 0–10 | Quarterly/Semi-annual | Long-term | Business growth |
| CSAT | Immediate satisfaction | “Are you satisfied with…?” | 1–5 or 1–10 | After each interaction | Short-term | Instant feedback |
| CES | Effort & ease | “Was it easy to…?” | 1–7 | After processes | Operational | Loyalty through ease |
Each indicator offers a unique perspective on the customer experience. Together, they allow you to view the journey from multiple angles: loyalty, instant satisfaction, and ease of use.
NPS captures your customers’ emotional engagement and their likelihood of becoming brand advocates. It does not measure a single interaction, but rather the overall relationship the customer has with your company.
Optimal use:
Assess overall brand perception
Track long-term customer loyalty
Benchmark against competitors
Real-world example: A high NPS indicates that your customers not only value your products but also speak positively about your brand to others.
CSAT is ideal for determining whether your customers are satisfied in the moment. It measures the quality of a specific interaction, such as a purchase, a support request, or service usage.
Optimal use:
Measure post-purchase or post-interaction feedback
Quickly identify pain points
Test the impact of improvements on specific services
Tip: CSAT helps detect issues before they harm the overall relationship or customer loyalty.
CES focuses on the simplicity and smoothness of the customer journey. It highlights obstacles and friction points customers encounter while completing a task or resolving a problem.
Optimal use:
Optimize digital processes
Simplify administrative steps or resolution paths
Reduce customer effort to boost overall satisfaction
Real-world example: A low CES means the customer was able to complete their task with ease, which in turn strengthens both satisfaction and loyalty.
NPS → Loyalty and long-term recommendation
CSAT → Immediate satisfaction, interaction by interaction
CES → Ease and effort in the customer journey
These three indicators are complementary: used together, they provide insight not only into how the customer feels, but also where and why they encounter difficulties.
Calculation steps:
Collect responses to the NPS question (0–10 scale)
Categorize respondents:
Promoters: scores 9–10
Passives: scores 7–8
Detractors: scores 0–6
Calculate the percentage in each category
Apply the formula: NPS = % Promoters – % Detractors
NPS score interpretation:
| NPS Score | Level | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| > 70 |  Excellent | Highly loyal customers, brand advocates |
| 50–70 |  Good | Strong satisfaction and loyalty |
| 30–50 |  Acceptable | Moderate satisfaction, room for improvement |
| 0–30 |  Needs Improvement | Risk of customer churn |
| < 0 |  Problematic | More detractors than promoters |
Standard calculation:
CSAT score interpretation:
| CSAT Score | Level | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| > 80% | Excellent | Maintain and build on success |
| 70–80% | Good | Optimize selectively |
| 60–70% | Satisfactory | Improvements needed |
| < 60% | Critical | Immediate corrective actions |
Calculating the Customer Effort Score:
CES score interpretation:
| CES Score | Effort Level | Impact on Experience |
|---|---|---|
| < 2 (or > 6) | Very Smooth | Exceptional experience |
| 2–4 (or 4–6) | Acceptable | Standard experience |
| > 4 (or < 4) | High Effort | Urgent optimization required |
Advantages:
Limitations:
Advantages:
Limitations:
Advantages:
Limitations:
| Situation | NPS | CSAT | CES | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New product launch | Recommended | Essential | Optional | Need immediate feedback |
| Digital process improvement | Optional | Optional | Essential | Focus on ease of use |
| Loyalty strategy | Essential | Optional | Optional | Long-term vision crucial |
| Customer support optimization | Recommended | Recommended | Optional | Satisfaction + effort = performance |
| Competitive benchmarking | Essential | Optional | Optional | NPS easily comparable |
| Continuous improvement | Recommended | Essential | Optional | Overall vision needed |
| Journey stage | Recommended indicators | Measurement objective | Sample question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | CES, CSAT | Ease of finding information | “Did you easily find the information you were looking for?” |
| Evaluation | CES, CSAT | Simplicity of comparison | “Was it easy to compare our offers?” |
| Purchase | CSAT, CES | Purchase process satisfaction | “Are you satisfied with your purchase experience?” |
| Onboarding | CES, CSAT | Ease of product setup | “Was it easy to set up your product?” |
| Daily use | CSAT, CES | Product/service performance | “Does the product meet your expectations?” |
| Support | CSAT, CES, NPS | Quality of problem resolution | “Was your issue resolved easily?” |
| Renewal | NPS, CSAT | Loyalty and overall satisfaction | “Would you recommend our company?” |
| Advocacy | NPS | Likelihood to recommend | “How likely are you to recommend us?” |
These indicators reveal different types of opportunities:
Combined use of these indicators creates a virtuous cycle:
Using these three indicators provides a 360° view of the customer experience:
| Scenario | NPS | CSAT | CES | Diagnosis | Priority action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | High | High | Low | Optimal performance | Maintain and build |
 | High | High | High | Processes too complex | Simplify experience |
| High | Low | Low | Specific quality problem | Improve quality |
| Low | High | Low | Lack of differentiation | Strengthen engagement |
| Low | Low | Low | Major quality problem | Full quality audit |
| Low | Low | High | Customer experience crisis | Global Emergency plan |
Case 1: High CSAT + High CES + Medium NPS
Case 2: Low NPS + Correct CSAT + Correct CES
Beyond NPS, CES, and CSAT, other KPIs provide finer operational insights into customer relations:
These complementary indicators broaden the perspective the classic KPIs bring, emphasizing loyalty, operational efficiency, and customer ROI. Regular tracking allows fast identification of priority levers and CX strategy adjustment.
Measuring customer experience is not limited to a single indicator. NPS, CSAT, and CES each offer a unique perspective: loyalty, immediate satisfaction, and journey ease. Used together, they help you understand what your customers feel, where they face obstacles, and how to improve each interaction.
For a truly comprehensive view, it’s also essential to include complementary KPIs: retention, churn, CLV, FCR, and direct recommendation rate. These link customer experience to operational performance and ROI, enabling quick prioritization of improvement levers.
In summary, smart customer experience management relies on a multidimensional, continuous approach: listen to your customers, analyze data, act swiftly, and adjust journeys. Only this approach can turn every interaction into an opportunity, strengthen loyalty, and create a virtuous circle where satisfaction and performance go hand in hand.
Contact our teams to discuss your challenges.