CDI: Customer Delight Index

CDI (Customer Delight Index) is a metric used to measure how much a company not only satisfies customers, but delights them-creating emotional reactions that go beyond basic expectations.

Unlike more traditional indicators such as CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) or NPS (Net Promoter Score), CDI focuses on the emotional peak of the experience: surprise, joy, and a feeling of being valued. It answers the question: "Did this interaction make me genuinely happy and pleasantly surprised?" rather than just "Was it okay?".

"Customer delight" may be driven by:

• exceptional support and Customer Experience,
• thoughtful personalization and proactive help,
• unexpectedly high value, design, or usability,
• small "wow" moments that customers remember and talk about.

Typically, CDI is measured with surveys asking customers to rate their level of delight after a purchase or interaction, often on a 0–10 or 1–10 scale. A high CDI indicates that the company consistently creates memorable, emotionally positive experiences that can boost Customer Retention, Repurchase Rate and word-of-mouth.

What is CDI Used For?

CDI complements metrics like CSAT, CSS, CSI and ACSI by focusing on "beyond expectations" experiences. Key uses include:

1. Increasing satisfaction and loyalty

CDI shows how well the company not only meets, but exceeds expectations. High delight levels:

• strengthen attachment to the brand,
• increase repeat purchases,
• reduce Churn Rate and raise LTV.

2. Market differentiation

In competitive markets, basic satisfaction becomes a baseline. CDI highlights:

• emotional differentiators in products and services,
• where the brand truly stands out in Customer Experience compared to alternatives.

3. Improving products and services

CDI analysis shows:

• which touchpoints and features generate delight,
• where experiences are merely "fine" but not memorable.

These insights feed prioritization for product, design and service improvements.

4. Optimizing engagement strategies

Understanding what delights customers helps refine:

• communication (tone, channels, timing),
• loyalty and Redemption Rate mechanics,
• onboarding, support, and post-purchase journeys.

CDI works well alongside CES 2.0 (effort), CSAT (satisfaction) and NPS (recommendation intent).

5. Attracting and retaining customers

Delighted customers are:

• more likely to recommend the brand (influencing NPS and mNPS),
• more willing to leave positive reviews and testimonials,
• less sensitive to minor problems later in the journey.

6. Enhancing internal culture and strategy

Focusing on delight:

• motivates teams who see the positive impact of their work in feedback,
• supports VOE and Employee Engagement Survey efforts,
• provides input for strategic planning and predictive analysis of future loyalty and revenue.

How is CDI Calculated?

There is no single universal CDI formula, but a common approach mirrors "top-box" logic used in NPS and some CSAT variants.

For example, suppose you ask:

"How delighted were you with your recent experience with our company?"

on a 10-point scale where 10 is "extremely delighted".

A simple CDI formula:

Example

• Total respondents: 200
• Ratings of 9: 40
• Ratings of 10: 50

So, 45% of surveyed customers reported a high level of delight.

Companies may adapt CDI by:

• changing the threshold (e.g., 8–10 instead of 9–10),
• weighting certain segments via a Weighted Survey approach,
• combining emotional items into a composite "delight" index.

The key is consistency over time and clarity on how CDI is defined in your organization.

General Methodology for CDI Metrics

A structured CDI program typically follows these steps:

1. Define what you want to measure. Decide which aspects of experience should drive delight:

• product quality or design,
• service and support interactions,
• digital UX (e.g., based on SUS, SUPR-Q, UEQ, VAS),
• delivery, packaging, or extras.

2. Design the questionnaire. Include:

• a direct delight rating (e.g., 0–10 scale),
• supporting CSAT or CES 2.0 items,
• open questions to understand why customers felt delighted or not.

3. Run a pilot study to ensure questions are clear and relevant.

4. Define your sample. Decide who to survey:

• all customers vs selected segments,
• new vs returning customers,
• users of a specific product or journey stage.

5. Distribute the survey. Send via email, in-app prompts, website widgets, or SMS. Make it short and easy to complete.

6. Collect and analyze data.

• calculate CDI as defined,
• use cross-tabulation to see differences by segment, channel, or region,
• complement with qualitative analysis of open-ended feedback.

7. Derive insights and actions. Connect findings with business goals:

• which drivers most strongly correlate with delight, retention, or Repurchase Rate,
• where to invest in product, service, or communication improvements.

8. Implement improvements and monitor. Turn insights into experiments and changes. Repeated CDI surveys help track whether changes actually increase delight and related metrics (CSAT, NPS, CES, retention).

9. Refine the metric over time. Based on feedback and experience, adjust:

• questionnaire wording,
• thresholds for "delighted" customers,
• segmentation and weighting logic.

What is a Normal CDI Score?

Because CDI measures delight (not just satisfaction), benchmarks are typically higher bar than for CSAT:

• Many organizations consider 70–80%+ CDI (share of customers rating 9–10) a strong result, indicating that a large portion of customers experience emotionally positive interactions.
• However, "normal" depends heavily on:

• industry and competitive context,
• customer expectations and price point,
• stage of company and product maturity.

Rather than chasing a single "magic" number, it's more useful to:

• compare CDI against your own historical data,
• benchmark against similar companies where possible,
• track CDI alongside NPS, CSAT, CES 2.0, churn, and LTV.

How to Improve the CDI Metric

Improving CDI means consistently exceeding expectations, not just fixing pain points.

Key strategies:

• Listen continuously. Use surveys, interviews, support data, and behavioral analytics to map real needs and friction points. Combine CDI with CSAT, CES 2.0, and complaint data.
• Personalize experiences. Leverage interaction history and preferences to:

• tailor offers,
• adapt communication,
• proactively solve issues before customers notice.

• Innovate in product and service. Introduce features, design elements, and details that pleasantly surprise customers and feel "above the norm."
• Raise service standards. Ensure fast, competent, and empathetic support across channels. High delight often arises when problems are resolved better than expected.
• Build a customer-centric culture. Make "creating delight" part of goals, training, and IQS/quality programs. Show teams real stories where their actions produced exceptional feedback.
• Strengthen loyalty programs. Offer meaningful rewards, early access, or unique experiences that reinforce positive emotions and increase Retention and Repurchase Rate.
• Use feedback loops. Regularly analyze CDI and related indicators, run time series analysis to track changes, and adjust strategies based on what works.

Ultimately, CDI improves when the entire organization shares a single aim: turning ordinary interactions into memorable experiences that customers are eager to repeat and recommend.