Customer Effort Score
A metric measuring how much effort customers expend to interact with your business.
Formula
CES = Sum of Effort Scores / Number of Responses
Example
If your average CES is 6.2 out of 7, customers find interacting with your business relatively easy.
Category
Metrics & Scoring
Full Definition
Customer Effort Score (CES) measures the ease of customer interactions with your company. Based on research showing that reducing customer effort is more predictive of loyalty than delighting customers, CES has become a critical metric for service-oriented businesses.
CES surveys typically ask: "How easy was it to [complete task/resolve issue/get help]?" Customers respond on a scale of 1-7, where 1 means "Very Difficult" and 7 means "Very Easy."
The Science Behind CES: The Harvard Business Review research that introduced CES found that 94% of customers who reported low effort intended to repurchase, compared to only 4% of those who experienced high effort.
Key Principles: - Customers value effortless experiences over delightful ones - Reducing friction is more impactful than exceeding expectations - High-effort experiences drive disloyalty more than low-effort experiences drive loyalty
Common Use Cases
Real-World Examples
Scenario
A telecom company asks after support calls: "How easy was it to resolve your issue today?" Customer Maria rates 2/7 because she was transferred 4 times and spent 45 minutes on hold.
Outcome
Maria cancels her contract next month. The company identifies that billing issues require too many transfers and creates a dedicated billing support team.
Scenario
An online retailer asks: "How easy was it to return your item?" Customer rates 7/7 after scanning a QR code, dropping the package at a nearby locker, and receiving a refund in 2 hours.
Outcome
Easy returns become a competitive advantage. The retailer sees 23% higher repeat purchase rates from customers who experienced returns.
Scenario
A bank surveys customers after account changes: "How easy was it to update your address?" Average score drops from 5.8 to 3.2 after a website redesign.
Outcome
UX team immediately investigates, finds a confusing new form layout, and reverts to the simpler design. CES recovers within 2 weeks.
Related Terms
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
A metric measuring customer satisfaction with a specific interaction, product, or service.
Customer Journey
The complete path a customer takes from first awareness through purchase and ongoing relationship.
Touchpoint
Any point of interaction between a customer and your company.