Customer Effort Score (CES) Metric Definition

Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how much effort a customer has to put in to interact with a brand, complete a task, or resolve an issue. It helps businesses identify friction points in the customer journey, with lower effort scores indicating a smoother and more satisfying experience.

Detailed Explanation

What is Customer Effort Score?

Customer Effort Score (CES) is a metric used to evaluate the ease of interaction between a customer and a brand. It assesses how much effort customers need to exert to complete specific actions, such as making a purchase, getting support, or using a product. Typically, CES is measured through surveys that ask customers to rate their experience on a scale, with a lower score indicating less effort and a better experience. This metric is valuable for businesses aiming to reduce friction and improve customer satisfaction.

How it Works?

CES is usually measured by asking customers to rate their effort on a scale after a specific interaction, such as a support call or a transaction. The survey question often takes the form: “On a scale from 1 to 7, how easy was it to resolve your issue?” The average score is then calculated to determine the overall Customer Effort Score:

Customer Effort Score = (Sum of All Scores) / (Total Number of Responses)

A lower CES indicates that customers found it easy to interact with the brand, while a higher score suggests that they encountered difficulties or challenges.

Types of Customer Effort Measurements

1. Post-Interaction Surveys: These surveys are sent immediately after a customer interaction, such as a support call or chat session, to assess the effort required to resolve their issue.
2. Product Usage Surveys: These surveys measure the effort customers put into using a product or service, helping to identify areas where the user experience can be improved.
3. Transactional Surveys: Focused on specific transactions, such as online purchases, to understand how easy it was for customers to complete the process.

Illustrative Scenarios

Examples

• A customer calls a telecom company for support with their internet service. After the call, they receive a survey asking, “How easy was it to get your issue resolved?” The customer rates it a 3 on a scale of 1 to 7, indicating that they found the process relatively easy.
• An e-commerce platform surveys users after completing a purchase, asking them to rate how easy it was to navigate the checkout process. A CES of 2 suggests that most customers found the checkout process straightforward.

Segmentation

Customer Effort Score can be segmented by customer type, interaction channel, or issue type to gain insights into which areas of the customer experience require the most effort. For example, businesses might find that customers using live chat report a lower CES compared to those using email support.

Factors Influencing Customer Effort Score

1. Complexity of Interaction: The complexity of the process or issue being resolved directly affects CES, with simpler interactions generally leading to lower effort scores.
2. Channel Used: Different channels, such as phone, chat, or in-person interactions, can have varying levels of effort associated with them. CES may vary depending on the channel customers use.
3. Quality of Customer Support: Well-trained, efficient support staff can significantly reduce the effort required by customers to resolve issues, leading to a lower CES.
4. User Interface Design: The ease of use of a website or app influences CES, as intuitive interfaces require less effort from users to navigate and complete tasks.
5. Clarity of Instructions: Clear and accessible instructions for completing tasks or using services can lower CES by reducing the time and effort customers spend figuring out what to do.

Strategies to Improve Customer Effort Score

1. Simplify Processes: Streamline processes like checkout, registration, or support interactions to minimize the steps required and make it easier for customers to achieve their goals.
2. Optimize Support Channels: Focus on improving the performance of support channels that customers find most difficult, such as phone support, to reduce their effort.
3. Improve User Interface Design: Design user-friendly websites and apps that are easy to navigate and use, reducing the effort customers need to exert to find information or complete transactions.
4. Train Support Staff: Provide comprehensive training to support staff to ensure they can resolve customer issues quickly and effectively, lowering the overall CES.
5. Gather Feedback Regularly: Use post-interaction surveys to continuously gather feedback on customer effort and identify areas that need improvement.

Benchmark Indicators

Understanding Customer Effort Score benchmarks by industry helps businesses evaluate their customer service efforts and set realistic goals for reducing friction:

• Technology Industry: CES benchmarks typically range from 2.5 to 4 on a 7-point scale, with lower scores indicating efficient customer support and user-friendly products.
• Healthcare Industry: CES benchmarks range from 3 to 4.5, reflecting the need for clear communication and accessible support services.
• Financial Services: CES generally ranges from 2 to 3.5, as customers expect quick and efficient service when dealing with sensitive financial matters.
• E-commerce: CES benchmarks range from 2 to 3.5, with a focus on smooth checkout processes and responsive customer support.
• Education Sector: CES can range from 3 to 4.5, influenced by the ease of accessing learning materials and support services.
• Real Estate: CES benchmarks range between 2.5 to 4, with high engagement from property search tools, market updates, and personalized communications.

Tools for Measuring Customer Effort Score

1. Survey Platforms: Tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Qualtrics can be used to create and distribute CES surveys, gathering customer feedback on their effort levels.
2. Customer Feedback Tools: Platforms like Zendesk, Intercom, and Freshdesk allow businesses to integrate CES surveys into their support processes and track customer effort over time.
3. CRM Systems: CRM tools like Salesforce can store and analyze CES data, helping businesses understand trends in customer effort and identify areas for improvement.

Common Pitfalls and Mistakes

1. Overlooking Post-Interaction Feedback: Failing to gather feedback immediately after an interaction can result in inaccurate CES measurements, as customers may forget the details of their experience.
2. Not Using CES Data for Improvement: Collecting CES data without using it to make meaningful improvements in customer support or user experience is a missed opportunity.
3. Focusing Only on Low Scores: While low scores indicate issues, it is also important to understand what drives high scores and replicate those positive experiences.
4. Ignoring Channel Differences: CES can vary across channels; failing to differentiate between support experiences on different platforms can obscure key insights.
5. Setting Unrealistic Goals: Setting unattainable targets for CES improvement can lead to frustration; it’s important to set goals based on industry benchmarks and current performance.