KPI's are metrics that provide valuable insights that help organisations take informed actions, identify strengths and weaknesses, and allocate resources effectively. In this article, we will define several key KPI's, explain their relevance and explore their practical applications in greater depth.
KPI
This means Key Performace Indicator
Spotler FeedbackPro KPI's
| KPI | Definition | |
| CSAT | Customer Satisfaction | How customers are feeling about a specific interaction (topic/moment). |
| NPS | Net Promoter Score | How likely are users to recommend your product/services to others. |
| CES | Customer Effort Score | Indicates the extent to which the customer must make an effort to complete an action in relation to the benefits that come with this action. |
| NLS | Net Loyalty Score | Measures true, long-term loyalty — how emotionally connected a customer feels to your brand over time. |
| CAR | Contact Avoidability Rate | Measures how many customer contacts could have been avoided with better communication, service, or information. |
| FCR | First Contact Resolution | Measures whether a customer’s issue was fully resolved during their first contact with support, without requiring the customer to reach out again for the same issue. |
| FTF | First Time Fix | Measures whether an issue was resolved correctly the first time a technician or agent attempted to fix it, without the need for rework, revisits, or further troubleshooting. |
| eNPS | Employee Net Promoter Score | How likely your own employees are to recommend you as employer to others. |
Difference between FCR and FTF
| Aspect | FCR (First Contact Resolution) | FTF (First Time Fix) |
| Focus | Customer perspective | Employee/team perspective |
| Measurement | No follow-up contact needed | First action successfully resolved the issue |
| Commonly used in | Customer service, support desks | Field service, IT, technical support |
KPI explanations
Below, you can learn how every KPI is determined and when you want to apply it.
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) focuses on short-term happiness — in other words: how satisfied is the customer following a specific interaction (topic/moment)? As a respondent, it requires little time or effort to answer, while for the organisation it provides highly valuable insights.
| How CSAT is determined | When to apply CSAT? |
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In most cases, CSAT responses are measured on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating the lowest level of satisfaction and 5 the highest. Only the responses rated 4 and 5 are typically considered satisfied when calculating CSAT percentage. Why we use a five-point scaleWhat an American might consider “excellent” (and rate as a 10), someone from Japan may simply describe as “good” — and score it an 8. These differences in scoring behavior are deeply rooted in cultural norms and regional expectations. A 5-point scale helps to reduce the impact of such cultural biases by offering a more universal, less granular way to express satisfaction. |
CSAT is perfect when you want quick feedback about a specific moment or interaction. It’s all about short-term satisfaction: Was the customer happy with what just happened? |
The Net Promotor Score (NPS) will tell you how likely your customers are to recommend your company, product, or service to others. It's a way to measure overall customer loyalty. Customers are asked one simple question:
“How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” They answer on a scale from 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely).
| How NPS is determined | When to apply NPS? |
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Respondents can be divided into three groups when calculating the Net Promotor Score.
To determine the NPS you subtract the number of detractors from the number of promoters, divide the result by the total number of respondents, and then multiply by 100. |
NPS is best used when you want to understand how loyal your customers are and whether they would recommend you to others. It focuses less on the specific moment and more on the overall impression of your brand or service. |
The Customer Effort Score (CES) indicates the extent to which the customer must make an effort to complete an action in relation to the benefits that come with this action. This can occur in various situations.
CES 1.0:
How much effort did you personally have to go through before your problem was solved?
With the CES 1.0 you ask the customer how much effort he or she has had to put in. This question comes with a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 stands for very low effort and 5 for very high effort.
CES 2.0:
{company} solved the problem easily for me.
These questions focus on how easy the company has made it for the customer. Therefore, the questions sound a little more positive. With CES 2.0, a 7 scale is used in which as the lowest grade stands for negative and the highest grade for positive.
CES 3.0:
How difficult or easy was it for you to place an order?
Bikkelhart designed a third CES. They felt that CES 1.0 had a negative connotation and that CES 2.0 might push the customer in a too positive direction as well. They can in fact be unconsciously influenced by the way the question is asked.
| How CES is determined | When to apply CES? |
Calculate CES 1.0Calculate CES 2.0Calculate CES 3.0 |
The time and effort that customers have to invest to arrange something themselves has a major impact on their satisfaction. The easier it is for the customers, the more positive they will be. The benefits that come with it also have an influence. A good example to explain this is switching from an older iPhone to a newer model. |
It's less commonly known than NPS, CSAT, or CES, but it’s gaining traction among companies that want to measure long-term customer relationships rather than one-off experiences.
| How NLS is determined | When to apply NLS? |
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As with NPS, the NLS has three groups of respondents. Detractors, passives and promoters. The score is also calculated in the same way. Namely by reducing the percentage of promoters with the percentage of detractors. Here is a number between -100 and 100. So the NLS is more about your existing customers and keeping these customers. However, external factors such as location and convenience do influence this score. For example, when someone wants to do their shopping, in most cases they go to the nearest supermarket. This while they might like the experience in another supermarket more.
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NLS goes deeper than satisfaction or recommendation. It measures true, long-term loyalty — how emotionally connected a customer feels to your brand over time. |
Contact Avoidability Rate (CAR) measures how many customer contacts could have been prevented if better information, communication, or service had been provided upfront. In short: did the customer actually need to contact us?
| How CAR is determined | When to apply CAR? |
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CAR is typically based on internal classification or agent tagging after the conversation:
The percentage of avoidable contacts gives insight into how well-prepared and proactive your organisation is.
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CAR is most useful when you're trying to reduce contact volume, improve self-service options, or enhance the clarity of communication. Examples include:
CAR helps teams identify and eliminate root causes of avoidable friction. |
First Contact Resolution (FCR) measures whether a customer's issue was completely resolved during the first interaction, without the need for follow-up calls, emails, or transfers.
| How FCR is determined | When to apply FCR? |
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FCR is calculated by comparing total incoming cases to how many were fully resolved on the first contact.
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FCR is ideal in:
It shows how effective your frontline support really is, and where improvements in processes, systems, or knowledge are needed. |
First Time Fix (FTF) tracks whether a customer’s problem is resolved during the very first resolution attempt.
For example, a technician visit or service call. It focuses on the efficiency and capability of the employee or team.
| How FTF is determined | When to apply FTF? |
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FTF is often measured by checking if additional actions were needed after the first fix attempt. Sometimes this is based on CRM or ticketing data, and sometimes verified via customer feedback. |
FTF is especially useful in:
If something can’t be resolved the first time, it creates delays, costs, and frustration. |
The eNPS is a KPI that you ask in an MTO (employee satisfaction survey) to gain these insights (in satisfaction and loyalty) as well, but then about your employees. You can do so by asking a question like:
On a scale of 0 to 10, to what extent would you recommend us as an employer to individuals within your network?
| How eNPS is determined | When to apply eNPS? |
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For further clarification, check out NPS. |
eNPS is a metric used to measure employee loyalty and satisfaction within an organization. |