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Module 16 — Customer Service & Support Operations
NPS and CSAT — The Two Metrics That Matter
9 min · video · Intermediate
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) are the only two CS metrics that predict your future revenue. NPS specifically correlates almost 1:1 with year-over-year revenue growth in DTC. Most AU dropshippers either don't measure these, measure them wrong, or measure them but never act on the data. Today: measuring NPS and CSAT correctly, and the AU benchmarks 2026.
What NPS and CSAT actually measure
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score): "How satisfied were you with [specific interaction]?" rated 1-5 or 1-10. Measured per-interaction (per-ticket, per-purchase).
NPS (Net Promoter Score): "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?" rated 0-10. Measured periodically (post-purchase, 30 days post-purchase).
Different metrics, different purposes:
- CSAT measures discrete interactions (was this CS message helpful?)
- NPS measures overall brand sentiment (would you tell a friend about us?)
Both matter. CSAT diagnoses operational issues; NPS predicts growth.
NPS scoring
After collecting NPS responses (1-10 scale), categorise:
- Promoters (9-10): customers who love your brand, will recommend, repeat purchase
- Passives (7-8): satisfied but not enthusiastic
- Detractors (0-6): unhappy, may write negative reviews, won't recommend
NPS = % Promoters minus % Detractors. Range: -100 to +100.
AU dropshipping NPS benchmarks 2026:
- Below +0: Most customers are unhappy. Business is leaking customers faster than acquiring them.
- +0 to +20: Average AU dropshipping. Growth is possible but customer-acquisition heavy.
- +20 to +40: Above average. Repeat customers compounding.
- +40 to +70: Excellent. Brand-tier territory. Revenue compounds via referrals.
- Above +70: Exceptional. Frank Body, Bared Footwear, leading AU DTC brands operate here.
The math: brands at +40 NPS grow 25-35% year-over-year on the same marketing spend as brands at +0 NPS. The compound is structural.
CSAT scoring
CSAT is simpler: average of all responses on 1-10 (or 1-5) scale.
AU dropshipping CSAT benchmarks 2026:
- Below 6.5: Operational issues. Probably slow CS, defective products, or shipping problems.
- 6.5-7.5: Average. Acceptable but not differentiating.
- 7.5-8.5: Good. Strong CS operations.
- 8.5-9.5: Excellent. Brand-tier service.
- Above 9.5: Exceptional, often unrealistically high (may indicate biased survey design).
CSAT below 7.5 sustained for a month = something specific is broken. Investigate.
Measuring NPS without an app
The minimum-viable NPS measurement:
- 30 days post-purchase, send Klaviyo email: "Hi [name], how have you been finding [product]? On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?"
- Klaviyo collects responses as a tag on the customer record
- Monthly: Export NPS responses, categorise into Promoter/Passive/Detractor, calculate score
- Reach out to Detractors (0-6 responders) personally — these are leaks you can sometimes plug
Tools that automate this: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Klaviyo (with conditional flows), or dedicated NPS tools (Wootric, AskNicely).
Cost to measure NPS properly: A$0-100/month depending on tooling. Most AU dropshippers can run it via Klaviyo.
Measuring CSAT
CSAT is per-interaction. Most ticketing tools (Gorgias, Zendesk) include built-in CSAT surveys:
After every CS ticket closure, customer receives: "How satisfied were you with this interaction?" 1-5 or 1-10.
Response rates are typically 15-30% of customers. Statistical sample is meaningful at 100+ responses/month.
CSAT score per VA helps identify training needs (one VA scoring 7.2 vs another at 8.4 = something to investigate).
!CSAT and NPS dashboard showing trend lines over 12 months for an AU DTC brand NPS and CSAT are leading indicators of revenue. Most AU dropshippers don't track them; the ones who do compound advantages. Photo: Unsplash / Austin Distel.
What to do with the data
The data is useless without action:
Below-baseline NPS or CSAT:
- Identify the cohort: which products, which CS reps, which fulfilment partners are dragging the score?
- Investigate root cause: slow shipping? Product defects? Weak CS responses? Wrong customer expectations?
- Fix the structural issue. Re-measure 60 days later.
Above-baseline NPS or CSAT:
- Identify what's working: which products, which interactions create promoters?
- Double down: more content about those products, scale those CS practices.
- Use Promoters as referral source: "Would you be willing to refer a friend? Here's a 20% off code for them and A