What is a Customer Effort Score?

Customer effort score (CES) is a metric used by businesses to measure how much effort a customer has to put in to accomplish a particular task, such as making a purchase, resolving a problem or contacting customer support. It is a customer satisfaction metric that is used to gauge the overall experience of customers when interacting with a business or brand.

The CES concept was first introduced by CEB, a consulting firm, in 2010. Since then, it has gained widespread adoption across industries as a key metric for measuring customer satisfaction. The idea behind CES is that customers are more likely to stay loyal to a business if they have a positive experience that requires minimal effort.

The most common method of collecting CES data is through a survey, where customers are asked to rate their level of agreement with a statement such as “The company made it easy for me to resolve my issue” on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 7. The CES score is then calculated by averaging the scores and converting them into a percentage or a score out of 100.

A high CES score indicates that customers had a positive experience with minimal effort, while a low CES score indicates that customers had a negative experience and had to put in more effort than they would have liked. The CES score can be used to identify areas of improvement for a business, such as streamlining processes or simplifying customer support.

Therefore, the customer effort score is an important metric for businesses to use when evaluating customer satisfaction. By measuring how easy or difficult it is for customers to interact with a brand, businesses can make data-driven decisions that improve customer experiences and build long-term loyalty.

Why Does Customer Effort Score Matters?

Customer effort score (CES) matters because it is a key metric for measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. By measuring how much effort customers have to put in to accomplish a task, businesses can identify areas for improvement and take action to improve the customer experience.

Here are some reasons why CES matters:

1.Predicts customer loyalty: Studies have shown that a high CES score is correlated with customer loyalty. Customers who have a positive experience with minimal effort are more likely to become loyal customers.

2.Identifies areas for improvement: CES can help businesses identify areas where customers are experiencing high levels of effort. By understanding where customers are struggling, businesses can take action to reduce customer effort and improve the overall customer experience.

3.Increases customer satisfaction: When customers have a positive experience with minimal effort, they are more likely to be satisfied with the overall experience. This can lead to positive word-of-mouth and increased customer retention.

4.Differentiates businesses from competitors: By focusing on reducing customer effort, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors who may not be as focused on providing an easy and convenient experience for customers.

Ways to Improve Customer Effort Score

Improving the customer effort score (CES) requires a focus on reducing the amount of effort customers have to put in to complete their desired tasks. Here are some ways to improve CES:

1.Streamline processes: Review your processes to identify areas that may cause friction for customers. Simplify processes and eliminate unnecessary steps to reduce customer effort.

2.Improve communication: Ensure that your communication is clear and concise, and provide customers with relevant information when they need it. Use multiple channels, such as email, phone, and social media, to communicate with customers.

3.Offer self-service options: Provide customers with self-service options such as a knowledge base or FAQ section. This can help customers quickly find answers to their questions without having to contact customer support.

4.Provide personalized experiences: Personalize the customer experience by using customer data to provide relevant and targeted information. This can help customers feel valued and reduce the amount of effort they have to put in to find what they need.

5.Train employees: Train employees to provide excellent customer service and to be proactive in identifying and resolving customer issues. This can help reduce the amount of effort customers have to put in to resolve their issues.

6.Use technology: Use technology to automate repetitive tasks, such as billing or appointment scheduling. This can help reduce customer effort by simplifying these tasks.

7.Collect feedback: Collect customer feedback through surveys, focus groups, or social media to identify areas for improvement. Use this feedback to make changes that reduce customer effort.

Improving the customer effort score requires ongoing effort and a commitment to providing an excellent customer experience. By focusing on reducing customer effort, businesses can increase customer satisfaction and build long-term loyalty.

Different types of CES surveys

There are different types of Customer Effort Score (CES) surveys that businesses can use to measure customer effort. Here are some of the most common types:

1.Transactional CES survey: Survey that measures customer effort immediately after a specific transaction, such as a purchase or customer service interaction. Customers are asked to rate the level of effort they had to put in to complete the transaction.

2.Relationship CES survey: This will be helpful to measure customer effort over a longer period, such as a month or a quarter. Customers are asked to rate the level of effort they have had to put in to interact with the company over that period.

3.Post-service CES survey: This type of survey measures customer effort after a service experience, such as a repair or maintenance service. Customers are asked to rate the level of effort they had to put in to get their issue resolved.

4.Preemptive CES survey: If you want to measure customer effort before a transaction or interaction takes place then it’s better to use preemptive CES survey. For example, customers may be asked to rate the level of effort they expect to have to put in to complete a purchase or to get their issue resolved.

5.Website CES survey: This can be used to measure customer effort related to website interactions. Customers are asked to rate the level of effort they had to put in to complete a task on the website, such as finding information or completing a purchase.

Different types of CES surveys can be used depending on the specific business needs and goals. By measuring customer effort at different touchpoints, businesses can gain a better understanding of the customer experience and identify areas for improvement.

Customer Effort Score Calculation

The customer effort score (CES) is calculated by asking customers to rate their level of agreement with a statement such as “The company made it easy for me to resolve my issue” on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 7. The CES score is then calculated by averaging the scores and converting them into a percentage or a score out of 100.

Here is an example of how to calculate the CES score:

1.Ask customers to rate their level of agreement with a statement on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 7, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 or 7 being strongly agree.

2.Calculate the average score by adding up all the scores and dividing by the total number of responses. For example, if you received 100 responses and the total score was 400, the average score would be 4.

3.Convert the average score into a percentage or a score out of 100. For example, if the average score was 4 out of 5, the CES score would be 80%. If the scale was 1 to 7, the CES score would be 57.14%.

It’s important to note that the CES score is a customer satisfaction metric and should be used in conjunction with other metrics to get a complete picture of customer satisfaction. Businesses should also use the CES score to identify areas for improvement and take action to reduce customer effort.

What is a good customer effort score?

A good Customer Effort Score (CES) varies depending on the industry and the specific business. However, in general, a good CES score is one that is above the industry average and indicates that customers have had a positive experience with minimal effort.

The industry average CES score can vary widely, but it typically ranges from 40% to 80%. A score of 80% or higher is generally considered excellent, while a score below 40% is considered poor.

It’s important to note that the specific definition of a good CES score may vary depending on the context. For example, a business that sells complex products or services may have a higher CES score than a business that sells simpler products. Additionally, businesses that operate in highly competitive industries may need to achieve a higher CES score to stand out from competitors.

Ultimately, a good CES score is one that reflects positively on the customer experience and indicates that customers are satisfied with the level of effort required to interact with the business.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, Customer Effort Score (CES) is a valuable metric for businesses to use in measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. It measures the level of effort customers have to put in to accomplish a task or interact with a business, and it is an important indicator of the customer experience.

To improve the CES, businesses should focus on reducing customer effort by making interactions with the company as easy and convenient as possible. This can be achieved through various measures, such as improving website usability, streamlining customer service processes, and simplifying product or service offerings.

There are different types of CES surveys that businesses can use to measure customer effort, including email, SMS, in-app, phone, and IVR surveys. By using the appropriate survey type for the specific business needs and goals, businesses can gain a better understanding of the customer experience and identify areas for improvement.

Hence, by improving the customer experience and reducing customer effort, businesses can increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth.