Definition
Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how easy it was for a customer to get an issue resolved. It’s typically gathered through a short survey asking customers to rate the ease of their support experience.
Why It Matters
Reducing customer effort leads to better retention. Research shows that customers are more loyal to companies that make it easier to resolve problems, even more than those who exceed expectations.
Real-Life Use Case
After each ticket is closed, a bank sends a Customer Effort Score (CES) survey asking, “How easy was it to resolve your issue?” A spike in high-effort scores related to password resets leads the team to streamline the recovery process.
FAQs
CES measures ease of resolution; CSAT measures satisfaction with the outcome.
Typically, scores of 5 or higher on a 7-point scale are ideal.
Simplify workflows, offer contextual help, and reduce handoffs between agents.
Immediately after an interaction, while the experience is fresh.