Customer Effort Score (CES)

Discover how measuring Customer Effort Score (CES) can transform your understanding of customer satisfaction and streamline your service experience. Learn why CES matters, how it compares to other metrics like CSAT and NPS, and get practical examples to enhance your business today.

What Is Customer Effort Score (CES)?

Customer Effort Score (CES) is a metric that measures how much effort a customer has to exert to achieve a specific outcome, such as resolving an issue, completing a purchase, or obtaining information. Unlike other customer satisfaction metrics, Customer Effort Score (CES) focuses on the ease of the customer’s experience, asking them to rate the difficulty of their interaction with your company on a simple scale, typically ranging from “Very Easy” to “Very Difficult.”

Customer Effort Score (CES) is crucial because it directly correlates with customer loyalty. The easier it is for customers to get what they need, the more likely they are to return and recommend your business to others. On the other hand, if customers find it difficult to interact with your company, they are more likely to become frustrated and seek alternatives.

Why Is Customer Effort Score Important?

Customer Effort Score is vital for understanding the friction points in your customer journey.

By focusing on the ease of the experience, Customer Effort Score gives you a clear indication of where improvements can be made to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Research has shown that reducing customer effort is one of the most effective ways to drive customer loyalty.

Customers expect quick and easy interactions. Whether it’s navigating your website, getting answers from customer service, or making a purchase, the less effort required, the better. A high Customer Effort Score indicates that customers find it easy to interact with your business, leading to higher satisfaction, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth.

How is Customer Effort Score Different from CSAT and NPS?

Customer Effort Score (CES), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Net Promoter Score (NPS) are all metrics used to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty, but they do so in different ways.

Customer Effort Score (CES):

What it Measures: CES measures the ease of a customer’s experience with your business. It asks customers to rate how much effort they had to exert to achieve their desired outcome.

Type of Insight: CES focuses on reducing friction in the customer journey, which directly impacts customer retention and loyalty. It’s a more specific measure of how easy it is for customers to do business with you.

Net Promoter Score (NPS):

What it Measures: NPS measures the likelihood of customers recommending your business to others. It’s calculated by asking customers to rate on a scale of 0 to 10 how likely they are to recommend your company, product, or service to a friend or colleague.

Type of Insight: NPS gives insight into customer loyalty and can indicate how likely customers are to stay with your brand in the long term.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT):

What it Measures: CSAT measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction, product, or service. It’s usually measured by asking customers to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10.

Type of Insight: CSAT provides a snapshot of how happy customers are with a particular experience. It’s useful for understanding immediate reactions but doesn’t necessarily predict long-term loyalty.

When to Use CES vs. CSAT vs. NPS?

The choice of whether to use CES, CSAT, or NPS depends on the specific goals you want to achieve:

  1. Use CES when you want to identify and reduce friction points in the customer journey. It’s particularly useful for improving processes, customer support interactions, and website usability.

  2. Use CSAT when you want to gauge satisfaction with a specific product, service, or interaction. It’s ideal for collecting feedback after a particular event or transaction.

  3. Use NPS when you want to measure overall customer loyalty and the likelihood of customers recommending your brand to others. It’s best suited for understanding long-term customer relationships.

How to Calculate Customer Effort Score (CES)

Calculating CES is straightforward. After a customer interaction, ask your customers to rate the statements such as

  • “The company made it easy for me to handle my issue.”

  • “It was easy to (complete this action)”

  • “It was easy to find the information I was looking for.”

  • “The steps to fix my problem were clear and easy to follow.”

Customers typically respond on a 5-point or 7-point scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”.

Customer Effort Scoring Scale (CES)

Here’s how to calculate CES:

1. Total up the number of responses for each score on the scale.

2. Divide the sum of all scores by the number of responses to get an average score.

For example, if you use a 7-point scale:

• 1 = Strongly Disagree

• 7 = Strongly Agree

Let’s say you had 100 responses with the following distribution:

  • 10 responses rated 1

  • 15 responses rated 2

  • 10 responses rated 3

  • 15 responses rated 4

  • 20 responses rated 5

  • 15 responses rated 6

  • 15 responses rated 7

The calculation: A higher score indicates lower customer effort, which is desirable.

Customer Effort Score Calculation (CES).

What Does a Good CES Look Like?

A “good” CES will depend on your industry and the type of interactions you’re measuring. Generally, a CES of 5 or higher on a 7-point scale is considered good, as it indicates that customers find it relatively easy to interact with your business.

Why is CES Important for Customer Insight?

CES provides actionable insight into areas where your business may be creating unnecessary friction for customers. For example:

  • High CES Scores: Indicate that customers are finding it easy to navigate your website, get support, or complete transactions. This suggests that your processes are well-designed and user-friendly.

  • Low CES Scores: Suggest that customers are encountering difficulties, whether it’s navigating your website, getting the information they need, or resolving an issue. This is a red flag that something in your customer journey needs to be improved.

Strategies for Improving Your Customer Effort Score

  1. Simplify Processes:

    Customers value simplicity. Review your processes from the customer’s perspective and eliminate any unnecessary steps that might create friction. For example, streamline your checkout process, make account creation optional, or reduce the number of steps needed to resolve an issue.

  2. Enhance Customer Support:

    Ensure your support team is easily accessible and well-trained to handle a variety of issues. Offering multiple support channels (phone, chat, email) and empowering your support staff to resolve issues on the first contact can significantly improve CES.

  3. Invest in Self-Service Tools:

    Customers often prefer to solve their own issues without having to contact support. Providing a comprehensive FAQ section, tutorials, and an AI-powered chatbot can help customers find answers quickly and easily.

  4. Use Customer Feedback:

    Actively seek out and listen to customer feedback, especially when they indicate that a process was difficult. This feedback is invaluable for identifying areas that need improvement.

  5. Regularly Review and Adjust:

    CES should not be a one-time measurement. Regularly review your CES scores and look for trends over time. Continuous improvement is key to ensuring that your customer interactions remain as effortless as possible.

Customer effort score

Comparing CES, CSAT, and NPS for Comprehensive Insight

To get a well-rounded view of customer satisfaction and loyalty, many businesses use CES alongside CSAT and NPS.

  • CES provides insight into how easy it is for customers to interact with your business. It’s particularly useful for identifying friction points in the customer journey.

  • CSAT measures overall satisfaction with a specific interaction or product. It’s useful for getting a snapshot of customer happiness.

  • NPS measures customer loyalty and predicts long-term business success by identifying promoters and detractors.

By using all three metrics together, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your customers’ experiences and identify areas for improvement.

The Role of CES in Customer Experience (CX) Strategy

Incorporating CES into your overall Customer Experience (CX) strategy is crucial for reducing customer effort and improving satisfaction. High-effort interactions can lead to frustration, decreased loyalty, and negative word-of-mouth. By focusing on reducing effort, you can create a more positive and seamless customer experience.

Implementing Customer Effort Score measuring in Your Business

  1. Identify Key Touchpoints:

    Determine the most critical points in your customer journey where effort is required. These are typically areas where customers need to take action, such as during checkout, when seeking support, or when navigating your website.

  2. Design Your Survey:

    Create a simple survey that asks customers to rate the ease of their experience. Keep the survey short and focused on specific interactions to get the most accurate feedback.

  3. Analyse the Results:

    Regularly analyse CES data to identify trends and areas where customers are struggling. Use this data to make informed decisions about where to focus your improvement efforts.

  4. Act on Feedback:

    Use the insights gained from CES to make targeted improvements to your processes. This might involve simplifying your website, improving customer support, or streamlining your product return process.

  5. Measure the Impact:

    After implementing changes, continue to measure CES to see if your efforts are making a difference. Over time, you should see an increase in CES scores as customers find it easier to interact with your business.

Customer Effort score improvement

Takeaway Points

  • Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how much effort customers need to exert to achieve a specific outcome.

  • CES is directly linked to customer loyalty; the easier the interaction, the more likely customers are to stay loyal to your brand.

  • CES vs. CSAT vs. NPS: CES focuses on ease, CSAT on satisfaction, and NPS on loyalty. Together, these metrics provide a comprehensive view of customer experience.

  • How to Calculate CES: Ask customers to rate how easy it was to interact with your business, typically on a 5 or 7-point scale.

  • Improving CES: Simplify processes, enhance customer support, invest in self-service tools, and act on customer feedback.

  • Incorporating CES into your Customer Experience (CX) strategy can significantly reduce customer effort and improve overall satisfaction.

  • Use CES alongside CSAT and NPS for a well-rounded understanding of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

  • Regularly reviewing and acting on CES data is crucial for continuous improvement in customer experience.

Conclusion

Customer Effort Score (CES) is a powerful tool for understanding and improving the ease of customer interactions. By focusing on reducing customer effort, you can create a more seamless and satisfying experience, leading to increased loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. When used alongside other metrics like CSAT and NPS, CES provides a comprehensive view of your customer experience, helping you identify and eliminate friction points. Whether you’re looking to improve your website’s usability, streamline your support process, or enhance your overall customer journey, CES offers valuable insights that can drive significant improvements in customer satisfaction and business success.