{"id":31205,"date":"2026-06-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pegamento.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/what-is-the-customer-effort-score-and-why-is-it-so-powerful\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T10:01:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T08:01:42","slug":"what-is-the-customer-effort-score-and-why-is-it-so-powerful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pegamento.nl\/en\/contact-center\/what-is-the-customer-effort-score-and-why-is-it-so-powerful\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Customer Effort Score and why is it so powerful?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Customer Effort Score (CES)<\/strong> is a customer satisfaction measure that tracks how much effort a customer has to put into getting something done, such as solving a problem, answering a question or completing a purchase. The lower the effort, the more likely a customer is to remain loyal. This makes CES one of the most predictive customer retention metrics you can use as an organization. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about CES, from how to measure it to when it’s less appropriate, so you can get started right away. Want to know in advance how modern CX solutions<\/a> help with this? You can read about that below. <\/p>\n

How is the Customer Effort Score measured?<\/h2>\n

The Customer Effort Score is measured by asking customers one focused question immediately after an interaction: “How easy was it to solve your problem?” or similar wording. Customers answer on a scale, usually from 1 to 7, where a low score means a lot of effort and a high score means little effort. <\/p>\n

The most commonly used question wording in Dutch is, “The company made it easy for me to solve my problem.”<\/em> Customers then indicate the extent to which they agree. Some organizations use a 5-point scale or a simple 3-point smiley variety, depending on the channel and target audience. <\/p>\n

You calculate the score itself by comparing the percentage of customers reporting low difficulty (the positive scores) to the percentage reporting high difficulty. As with the Net Promoter Score, you subtract the negative group from the positive group. The time of measurement is crucial: always send the CES question immediately after the interaction, such as after a phone call, a chat conversation or the closing of a support ticket. If you wait too long, the accuracy decreases quickly. <\/p>\n

What is the difference between CES, NPS and CSAT?<\/h2>\n

CES, NPS and CSAT each measure a different aspect of the customer relationship. The Customer Effort Score<\/strong> measures effort in a specific interaction, the Net Promoter Score (NPS)<\/strong> measures overall loyalty and willingness to recommend, and the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)<\/strong> measures satisfaction with a specific experience or product. <\/p>\n

When do you use which metric?<\/h3>\n

CES is best suited immediately after a service contact, such as a phone call or complaint. It answers the question: was this easy? NPS you measure periodically to understand how customers feel about your brand over the long term. CSAT you use when you want to know if a customer was satisfied with a specific moment, such as a delivery or onboarding. <\/p>\n

How do they complement each other?<\/h3>\n

The three metrics are complementary. NPS tells you the big story, CSAT provides feedback on specific touchpoints, and CES exposes where customers experience friction in the process. Organizations that use all three get a much more complete picture of the customer journey than relying on just one metric. <\/p>\n

Why does CES predict customer turnover better than other metrics?<\/h2>\n

CES predicts customer turnover better than NPS or CSAT because high effort is a direct reason for quitting a service. Customers rarely leave a company because they were not surprised once, but rather because they had to work too hard time and time again to be helped. <\/p>\n

Research by CEB (now Gartner) already showed that reducing customer effort is a stronger predictor of loyalty than creating a “wow moment.” Customers who need little effort are significantly more likely to be loyal than customers who are regularly frustrated by complex processes, long wait times or having to repeat their story with each channel choice. <\/p>\n

This ties in with a recognizable pattern in customer contact: a customer who is transferred three times before reaching the right department, or who has to explain his problem again through another channel, experiences high effort. This frustration accumulates and significantly increases the likelihood of churn, even if the final solution was correct. <\/p>\n

What is a good Customer Effort Score?<\/h2>\n

A good CES depends on the scale you use, but as a rule of thumb, the higher the percentage of customers who say they experienced little difficulty, the better. On a 7-point scale, scores of 5 or higher are generally considered positive. A net CES of above 0 is a baseline standard; organizations that excel in customer contact aim for a positive score of +30 or higher. <\/p>\n

Preferably compare your scores over time and by channel, not just to an industry average. A score that improves month over month is a stronger indicator of progress than an absolute number. Also note outliers by contact type: perhaps your CES for telephone contact is excellent, but for e-mail or chat is structurally low. Those differences will tell you exactly where you need to improve. <\/p>\n

How do you use CES data to improve customer contact?<\/h2>\n

Use CES data to identify and target specific bottlenecks in the customer contact process. Segment scores by channel, by contact reason and by team to see where the most friction occurs, and use those insights to prioritize process improvements. <\/p>\n

Practical steps to translate CES data into action:<\/p>\n