Each of these survey types—NPS (Net Promoter Score), 5-Star, and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)—has distinct advantages depending on what you're trying to measure. Here's a breakdown of their strengths:
🟦 Net Promoter Score (NPS)
What it measures:
Customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend.
Advantages:
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Predicts growth: NPS correlates strongly with long-term customer behavior, such as retention and referrals.
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Easy to benchmark: Widely used across industries, so you can compare against competitors.
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Simple and scalable: One key question—"How likely are you to recommend us?"—makes it ideal for tracking over time.
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Actionable feedback: The follow-up “Why?” question reveals drivers behind promoter/detractor behavior.
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Segmentation: Helps identify promoters (advocates), passives, and detractors for targeted outreach.
🟩 CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)
What it measures:
Satisfaction with a specific interaction, product, or experience.
Advantages:
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Great for pinpointing moments: Ideal for evaluating touchpoints (e.g., after support chats, onboarding).
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Quick to deploy: A single question—“How satisfied were you?”—makes it low effort for customers.
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Real-time insights: Responses are immediate and help teams adjust quickly.
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Quantifiable and trendable: You can measure short-term improvements or dips in service or product quality.
🟨 5-Star Rating
What it measures:
A broad perception of a product or experience, often used in marketplaces and app stores.
Advantages:
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Familiar format: Customers instantly understand the scale and are more likely to respond.
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Visual and intuitive: Easier for customers to express sentiment at a glance.
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Useful for marketing: High ratings can be showcased publicly (like app store or review site scores).
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Flexible use: Can be applied to a range of experiences (e.g., event feedback, app reviews, product satisfaction).
💡 When to Use Which
| Goal | Best Survey Type |
|---|---|
| Measure overall loyalty | NPS |
| Evaluate specific interactions | CSAT |
| Get simple, familiar feedback | 5-Star |
| Benchmark against industry | NPS |
| Improve support/service | CSAT |
| Collect public-facing scores | 5-Star |