You measure the Customer Effort Score (CES) by asking customers one specific question after an interaction: How easy was it to resolve your issue or get your question answered? Customers rate their experience on a scale, and the lower the perceived effort, the greater the likelihood of loyalty and repeat business. This makes the CES question one of the most powerful tools in your customer experience toolkit. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about the CES: from how it’s calculated to its most practical applications.
What exactly does the CES question measure?
The CES question measures the level of effort a customer experiences during a specific interaction with your organization. It’s not about overall satisfaction, but about a single specific moment: how easy was it for the customer to get help? The classic wording is: “To what extent do you agree with the following statement: The organization made it easy for me to resolve my issue.”
Customers respond on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The higher the score, the less effort the customer perceived. The idea behind the CES is simple but powerful: customers who experience little effort are more loyal and complain less. Research by the Customer Contact Council showed that reducing effort is a stronger predictor of loyalty than surprising customers with exceptional service.
The CES deliberately focuses on a single moment in the customer journey, such as a phone call, a chat conversation, or a self-service interaction. This makes the score immediately actionable: you know exactly which touchpoint is performing well or poorly.
How does CES differ from NPS and CSAT?
The CES, NPS, and CSAT each measure a different aspect of the customer experience. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures long-term loyalty (“How likely are you to recommend us?”), the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measures overall satisfaction with a product or service, and the CES measures the effort required for a single specific interaction.
The main difference lies in when they are applied and their purpose:
- You use NPS periodically to measure your overall relationship with your customers. It is a strategic metric that helps you understand how your brand is perceived as a whole.
- CSAT is used after a purchase or service to measure whether the customer is satisfied with the result.
- You use CES immediately after a customer interaction to gauge whether the process itself went smoothly, regardless of whether the customer is satisfied with the outcome.
A customer may be quite satisfied with the solution (high CSAT), but still have had a hard time getting there (low CES). It is precisely this combination that provides you with valuable insights: the result is right, but the process was a struggle.
How do you calculate a CES score?
To calculate the CES score, take the average of all responses to the CES question within a given period. Add up all the scores and divide that number by the number of respondents. The result is your average CES score on the scale used.
Suppose you receive 200 completed CES questionnaires with a total score of 1,100 points. Your CES score is 1,100 divided by 200, which is 5.5 on a scale of 7. The higher the number, the better.
Some organizations use an alternative calculation method in which they compare the percentage of “low effort” (scores 5, 6, and 7) with the percentage of “high effort” (scores 1, 2, and 3). This provides a quicker insight into the distribution, but the average remains the most commonly used method because it preserves nuance.
Please note: the value of a CES score lies not only in the absolute number, but in the trend over time and in comparisons between contact channels or departments. A score of 5.2 doesn’t mean much on its own, but if it was 4.8 last month, that’s a clear sign of improvement.
When do you send the CES question?
It’s best to send the CES question immediately after a specific customer interaction, while the experience is still fresh in the customer’s mind. The ideal time is within five to ten minutes after the interaction ends—such as a phone call, a chat, or the closure of a support ticket.
The sooner you send the question, the more reliable the response will be. If there is a delay of several hours or days, the customer’s memory will already be colored by other experiences, causing the score to reflect that specific point of contact less accurately.
Good times to ask the CES question include:
- After handling a customer service inquiry (phone, chat, or email)
- After completing a self-service step, such as a return or an account change
- After resolving a complaint or technical issue
- After an onboarding step for new customers
Do not send the CES question after a purchase or a marketing interaction. Those moments are better suited for measuring satisfaction or brand perception, and CSAT or NPS are more appropriate for that purpose.
What are the most common causes of high customer effort?
A high customer effort—and thus a low CES score—is typically caused by customers having to go through too many steps, wait too long, or repeat their story multiple times. The most common causes are structural and familiar to many organizations.
- Poor routing through IVR menus: Customers end up in the wrong department and are transferred, which wastes time and causes frustration.
- Fragmented channels: Customers who first contact us through the website and then call have to repeat their story because the systems don’t communicate with each other.
- Limited self-service options: Customers cannot resolve simple issues on their own outside of business hours, which means they are dependent on staff availability.
- Long wait times: A chronic staff shortage leads to lines, which directly increases the perceived effort.
- Inconsistent information: When the website provides answers that differ from those given by customer service, it leads to confusion and additional contact interactions.
What all these causes have in common is that they are not coincidental, but rather the result of processes and systems that are not designed from the customer’s perspective. A low CES is therefore a symptom of deeper organizational or technological bottlenecks.
How can you reduce customer effort based on CES data?
You can reduce customer effort by using CES data to pinpoint exactly where the most friction lies in the customer journey, and then simplify or automate those specific steps. The score itself is the starting point, not the end goal.
An effective approach consists of three steps:
- Segment your CES data: Review the scores by channel, by question type, and by department. This way, you can immediately see which touchpoint requires the most effort.
- Combine quantitative and qualitative feedback: Add an open-ended follow-up question to the CES survey, such as “What could have been easier?” This provides context for the score.
- Prioritize based on volume and impact: First, address the issues that affect many customers and are relatively easy to improve. Consider better routing, clearer self-service options, or a central knowledge base for employees.
Technology plays a major role in this. Smart routing ensures that customers are connected to the right person right away. Integrated contact center technology ensures that agents have a complete view of the customer’s profile, so the customer never has to repeat their story. And AI-driven self-service makes it possible to answer frequently asked questions automatically and immediately, even outside of business hours.
How We Help to Systematically Reduce Customer Effort
At Pegamento, we see every day how fragmented systems and outdated processes unnecessarily increase the workload for customers. Our approach focuses on addressing the root causes, not just measuring the symptoms. Specifically, we offer:
- Intelligent routing and IVR optimization so that customers are immediately connected to the right agent or department
- Omnichannel integration that connects phone calls, chat, WhatsApp, and email into a single, easy-to-use platform, so that customer history is always available
- Agentic AI assistants that handle frequently asked questions on their own and take the initiative in recurring processes, without requiring employee intervention
- Centralized reporting and CES dashboards so you can not only measure performance but also drive improvement
We offer all of this as a comprehensive package: no silos, no complex supplier management—just everything under one roof with a single point of contact. Would you like to know how your organization can specifically reduce the effort required by your customers? Contact us, and we’d be happy to work with you to find a solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good CES score, and how do I know if my score is good enough?
On a scale of 1 to 7, an average CES score of 5.5 or higher is generally considered good. But an absolute benchmark is less relevant than your own trend: compare your score monthly, by channel, and by type of interaction. Does one touchpoint consistently score lower than the rest? Then you’ll know exactly where to focus your improvement efforts.
How many respondents do I need for a reliable CES measurement?
For statistically reliable results, you need at least 100 to 150 completed responses per segment—for example, per channel or per department. With smaller sample sizes, you can identify trends, but you shouldn’t draw firm conclusions just yet. Also, ensure a consistent distribution method and timing so that your scores remain comparable.
Can I customize the CES question to fit my own brand identity or industry?
Yes, you can slightly adjust the wording as long as the core concept remains the same: measuring the perceived effort in a single specific interaction. For example, replace ‘organization’ with your company name, or adapt the context for a specific channel such as ‘our chat assistant.’ Avoid adding extra questions or changing the scale direction, as this makes comparisons over time unreliable.
What should I do with customers who give a low CES score? Should I follow up with them?
Absolutely. Customers with a low CES score (1 to 3) are a priority for proactive follow-up, preferably within 24 hours. Reach out to them personally, acknowledge the difficulty they experienced, and offer a concrete solution or explanation. This not only prevents churn but also provides valuable qualitative insights that fuel your continuous improvement process.
Can I also use the CES for internal processes, such as employee experience?
Yes, the CES methodology can also be applied to internal services, such as IT support, HR processes, or internal knowledge bases. You measure how much difficulty employees experience when using internal systems or receiving support. A low internal CES is often a direct cause of a low external CES: if employees have to go to great lengths to help customers, the customer notices that.
How often should I analyze and report on my CES results?
For operational management, a weekly analysis by contact channel is ideal, so you can quickly intervene during peaks in customer effort. Strategic reports at the management level should be done monthly or quarterly, identifying trends, improvements, and the impact of implemented changes. Always link CES data to other KPIs, such as first-contact resolution and churn rate, to get a complete picture.
What is the biggest mistake organizations make when implementing CES?
The most common mistake is measuring without taking action: the CES score is neatly tracked in a dashboard, but doesn’t lead to concrete improvement actions. A second common mistake is sending the CES question at the wrong time—such as after a marketing email or a purchase—which means you’re measuring your efforts at a time that isn’t intended for that purpose. Always ensure a clear process from measurement to action, with ownership assigned to a specific team or individual.
