Customer Satisfaction & Feedback Metrics: Listening, Learning, and Improving in ITSM

Support teams are often laser-focused on SLA targets, ticket volumes, and response times. But there’s another equally important metric that tells you what matters most: how your customers actually feel about the service you provide.

Enter Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and feedback metrics — a vital part of modern IT Service Management (ITSM). These metrics don’t just reflect your performance; they reveal whether your services are creating real value for the people using them.

In this post, we’ll explore how to measure CSAT effectively, what to watch out for, and how customer feedback supports continual improvement and service excellence.

What Is CSAT?

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) is a direct measure of how satisfied users are with a specific service experience — typically gathered through short surveys sent after an incident or request is closed.

The classic CSAT question is simple:

“How satisfied were you with the service you received?”

Responses are often collected on a 1–5 or 1–10 scale, with 4–5 (or 8–10) considered “satisfied.”

Formula:

CSAT (%) = (Number of satisfied responses ÷ Total responses) × 100

CSAT can be applied per ticket, team, service, or support channel, and when viewed over time, becomes a strong barometer of perceived service quality.

Why CSAT Matters in ITSM

In ITSM, value is co-created between the service provider and the customer. Satisfaction metrics help you understand whether that value is being realised.

CSAT links closely with:

• Service Desk – How users feel about interactions and resolutions

• Incident & Request Fulfilment – Perceptions of speed, clarity, and professionalism

• Continual Improvement – Using real feedback to improve services, knowledge, or processes

• Service Level Management – Moving beyond SLAs to understand experience levels

In short: CSAT closes the loop between operational performance and customer perception.

Going Beyond the Score

While CSAT scores offer a snapshot, qualitative feedback comments are where real insight lives. A score of “3” is useful, but knowing the user felt “the fix took too long and the status updates were unclear” is even more valuable.

Look for patterns like:

• Delays or gaps in communication

• Repeat contact for the same issue

• Rude or robotic interactions

• Praise for specific team members or channels

This feedback helps you identify both strengths to celebrate and weaknesses to address.

Real-World Example: Transforming Feedback into Action

A financial services IT support team had strong SLA compliance — over 95% of tickets resolved on time. But their CSAT score was hovering around 72%, with recurring comments like:

“I had no idea what was happening until the ticket was closed.”“It got fixed, but it took way too many emails to get there.”

Despite good performance on paper, the user experience was lacking.

So, the team took action:

• Introduced clear, human updates throughout the ticket lifecycle — not just auto-responses.

• Added a touchpoint at the mid-point of complex requests, checking in with the user.

• Created a lightweight training module to improve email tone and empathy.

Over the next quarter, their CSAT score rose to 87%, and verbatim feedback became more positive — with comments like:

“Quick fix and great communication!”“Appreciated the update while it was still in progress.”

This example shows how small service adjustments, informed by feedback, can have a big impact on satisfaction.

💡 Tips for Using CSAT & Feedback Effectively

• Keep it short and timely: Send surveys soon after the interaction and avoid lengthy forms.

• Don’t chase the score — chase the insight: Focus on why users are dissatisfied or delighted.

• Segment your feedback: Break it down by service, priority, technician, or department.

• Respond to trends: Use themes in negative feedback to drive improvements in communication, process, or tooling.

• Close the feedback loop: Let users know their feedback led to action — it builds trust.

• Track over time: Watch monthly or quarterly CSAT trends alongside volume and SLA data for a fuller picture.

Final Thought

In ITSM, metrics like SLA and resolution time tell you what happened — but CSAT tells you how it felt for the person experiencing the service. That perspective is essential to delivering services that not only meet requirements but create positive, value-driven experiences.

By weaving customer satisfaction and feedback into your metrics ecosystem, you gain a powerful tool for service excellence, team growth, and continual improvement.