Overview
Customer Effort Score (CES) is a metric used to measure the ease with which customers can complete a specific action or resolve an issue. It focuses on the amount of effort a customer has to exert when interacting with a company, whether it’s getting support, making a purchase, or using a product. The underlying principle of CES is that reducing customer effort leads to increased customer loyalty.
How CES Works
Survey Question: The CES metric is centered around a simple question like “How easy was it to resolve your issue?” or “How much effort did you personally have to put forth to handle your request?”
Response Scale: Customers typically respond using a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 represents “very difficult” and 7 represents “very easy.” Some variations use a 5-point scale or a statement-based approach where customers agree or disagree with a statement like “The company made it easy for me to handle my issue.”
Calculation: CES can be calculated in different ways, but the most common method is to take the average score of the responses. For example:
A higher CES indicates that customers found the experience easier.
Advantages of CES
Predictive of Loyalty: Studies have shown that CES is a strong predictor of customer loyalty. Customers who find interactions easy are more likely to return and recommend the company.
Actionable Insights: Since CES directly measures the effort required, it provides clear and actionable insights for reducing friction in customer interactions.
Focus on Problem Areas: CES helps businesses identify high-effort areas that need improvement, allowing for targeted enhancements to the customer experience.
CES in Customer Experience Strategy
Customer Effort Score is particularly valuable for companies focused on optimizing customer service and support processes. By regularly measuring CES, businesses can identify and reduce friction points in the customer journey, leading to a smoother experience.
CES is often used in conjunction with other metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to provide a more holistic view of the customer experience. Together, these metrics can help companies build stronger customer relationships and drive long-term loyalty by not only satisfying customers but also making their interactions as effortless as possible.