What is the Customer Effort Score (CES)?

Customer Effort Score (CES) is a metric used to measure the effort a customer takes to complete an interaction with a company. The metric asks customers to rate how easy their interaction was on a predefined scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 7 or 1 to 5, 1 being lowest effort and 5 being highest effort. 

The customer effort score formula: 

Customer Effort Score (CES) = (Sum of all individual effort scores) / (Total number of responses).

Example Calculation

Let’s say you surveyed 100 customers, and the total sum of their effort scores was 350.

CES = 350/ 100 = 3.5

In this example, the average Customer Effort Score is 3.5.

What this means:

• Low CES (1-2): Indicates that customers are finding it easy to interact with your company and get their issues resolved.
• Moderate CES (3-4): Suggests that there might be some friction in the process that needs to be addressed.
• High CES (5-7): Signals that customers are experiencing high effort in their interactions, which could lead to dissatisfaction and reduced loyalty.

Why does the customer effort score matter?

CES scores can pinpoint critical areas in the customer journey where friction occurs. If the customers have to put in less effort, they will stick around for longer. This metric works differently from Net Promoter Scores (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction Scores (CSAT) by looking into the operational side of customer service.

Lower effort means higher satisfaction because it directly influences the cognitive and emotional load. Addressing high-effort areas can lead to long-term benefits like increased customer retention and word-of-mouth recommendations. This is why customer effort score survey tools are now indispensable for any customer-experience-centric business.

Top Features of Customer Effort Score Survey Tools

Effective customer effort score survey tools come packed with various features Below are some common attributes:

• Automated Survey Triggers: Automating survey deployment immediately after customer interaction ensures the feedback is timely and relevant. Be it a purchase, a customer service call, or a website visit, automated triggers can capture immediate responses easier.

   

• Customization Options: Different businesses have unique needs. Customization options can capture specific data points relevant to specific contexts. Look for tools that allow you to tweak survey questions, modify the rating scale, and brand the survey to match your company’s look and feel.

   

• Integration with CRM Systems: Seamless integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) allows companies to link CES data directly to customer profiles. In this manner, you get a comprehensive view of each customer’s experience.

   

• High Response Rates and Actionable Feedback Mechanisms: Tools that simplify survey participation and multi-channel approach can drive higher response rates. Features like messenger based surveys, email reminders, engaging survey designs, and conversational questions can maximize engagement.

3 Benefits of Using CES Survey Tools

Collect feedback faster with automated tools:

One of the standout benefits of using CES survey tools is the efficiency they bring to data collection. Automated data collection minimizes manual tracking and intervention. This will free up valuable time for your customer service team. Automation ensures you capture in-the-moment feedback , leaving no gap between the customer interaction and the feedback you receive.

Close the feedback loop in CX: 

CES survey tools allow companies to make real-time adjustments to their customer experience strategies. Immediate feedback helps identify high friction points and areas that need to close the feedback loop sooner. This proactive approach ensures that minor issues do not fester into significant problems.

Make data-driven decisions:

Structured CES data highlights trends and patterns to help management to make evidence-based decisions. The insights serve as a guide for resource allocation, training, and process enhancements. The main goal is to positively impact customer experience.

Overview of Popular CES Survey Tools

Merren

Merren is an all round customer experience tool that is perfect for all CX professionals. You can create customizable surveys, survey-logic, and choose from various questions. There are pre-designed templates for every industry. Merren also has customizable CES templates along with other satisfaction metrics. Merren CX also offers AI integration known as AI survey builder and for faster data analysis. Marketers do not need technical expertise to operate Merren. 

InMoment

InMoment is renowned for its comprehensive CES survey offerings that help businesses evaluate and refine their customer service approaches. The software features advanced integration capabilities, allowing seamless connections with common CRM systems. Its user-friendly interface and robust reporting features make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.

Simplesat

Simplesat stands out with its unique offerings such as customizable survey templates and ease-of-use. This enables users to quickly set up and deploy CES surveys. It emphasizes detailed survey examples, guiding users in crafting highly pertinent questions. The platform is praised for its flexibility and straightforward deployment process.

Survicate

Survicate’s CES survey tool is distinguished by its highly intuitive user interface and robust integration capabilities with a variety of other tools. It provides real-time reporting and in-depth analytics, empowering businesses to act swiftly on customer feedback. This platform ensures a holistic approach to understanding and improving customer effort.

Zonka Feedback

Zonka Feedback offers a comprehensive suite of features aimed at reducing customer effort and enhancing user experience. The tool is engineered to provide best-in-class CES survey capabilities. It focuses on capturing granular feedback through well-designed surveys. It stands out for its detailed customization and thorough reporting tools.

How to Implement CES Surveys

Setting Up Surveys

Implementing CES surveys begins with a meticulous setup process. A step-by-step guide can simplify this task:

1. Define the goal of the research: Identify what you aim to achieve with the survey. Are you looking to improve customer support interactions, streamline online purchase processes, or enhance overall user satisfaction?

    

2. Choose the right CX tool: Select a customer effort score survey tool that aligns with your objectives. Gauge if it offers the necessary features, such as automation, customization, and CRM integration.

    

3. Crafting survey questions: Develop clear, concise questions aimed at capturing the necessary data. Your primary CES question might be: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how easy was it to resolve your issue today?” Include follow-up questions to gather additional context if needed.

    

4. Customize the survey design: Utilize the customization features to brand the survey to make sure it resonates with your company’s identity. This can help in maintaining a consistent brand image and potentially improving response rates.

    

5. Deploy the survey: Implement the survey at critical touchpoints in the customer journey, such as post-purchase, after customer support interactions, or upon the completion of a service.

Automated Triggers

Using automated triggers to send out CES surveys ensures that feedback is timely and relevant. Automation can be particularly effective in scenarios like:

• Post-transaction: Immediately after a purchase, send a CES survey to gauge the ease of the purchasing process.

   

• After customer service interactions: Following a customer service call or chat, trigger a survey to measure the effort required to resolve the issue.

   

• Completion of website actions: When a customer completes specific actions on your website, such as submitting a form or signing up for a service, an automated survey can capture their experience.

Best Practices For Creating CES Surveys

1. Timing the surveys

Timing is crucial in deploying any customer feedback survey to maximize response rates. Ideally, surveys should be sent immediately after critical customer interactions. Here are optimal points in the customer journey:

• Post-purchase or support interaction: Capture the customer’s experience right after a support session, whether it’s a call, chat, or email interaction. This timing ensures the experience is fresh in the customer’s mind.

   

• Following a purchase or transaction: Immediately after a purchase, customers are more likely to provide insight into the ease of the transaction process.

   

• Completion of key website actions: When customers complete significant tasks on your website, such as subscribing to a service or finalizing a registration, a CES survey at this juncture can provide valuable insights.

2. Ensuring high response rates

High response rates can make the data more reliable. Here are techniques to encourage participation:

• Keep surveys concise: A short, to-the-point survey is less likely to deter customers. The primary CES question, supplemented with an optional follow-up, is often sufficient.

   

• Offer survey rewards: Small survey rewards, such as discount codes or entry into a prize draw, can encourage participation without being seen as coercive.

   

• communicate the value of feedback: Inform customers about how their feedback will be used to improve their future experiences. This makes people feel heard and helps them understand that companies value their opinion.

   

• Offer in-apps surveys, WhatsApp messenger surveys or chatbots: Make it easy for customers to view and complete the survey directly within applications or website chatbots to reduce friction.

Integrating CES Data with Other Insights

Combining data streams

Integrating CES data with other customer data points offers a holistic view of the customer experience. Combining CES with metrics like NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) can provide a multi-dimensional view of customer sentiment. Here are the specifics:

• CRM integration: Sync CES data with your CRM to create enriched customer profiles. This data can reveal patterns and trends specific to individual customers or segments, aiding in more personalized service offerings.

   

• Visualization tools: Use visualization and analysis tools to depict CES data alongside other metrics. Merren CX dashboards can help visualize trends, media feedback, and areas that need attention.

   

• Behavioral analytics: Combine CES data with web analytics to understand the behavior patterns of satisfied to dissatisfied customers. This can inform initiatives aimed at reducing effort in critical interaction stages.

Actionable feedback

Turning CES feedback into actionable improvements is the ultimate goal. Here’s how:

• Prioritize high-effort areas: Focus on low-scoring areas highlighted by CES surveys to make immediate improvements. For instance, if feedback indicates that the checkout process is cumbersome- prioritize streamlining this aspect.

   

• Identify quick wins and long-term projects: Not all improvements require major overhauls. Identify quick wins that can be implemented immediately to show customers that their feedback leads to changes. Simultaneously, plan long-term projects for more significant issues.

   

• Real-world examples: Consider case studies from businesses that have successfully used CES data. For example, an e-commerce company reduces cart abandonment rates by simplifying the checkout process based on CES feedback.

Conclusion

CX professionals can sign up for a 14 day free trial to experience the benefits of CES surveys. Curate customizable surveys and opt for messenger based survey channels. Deploy CES surveys via WhatsApp messenger, Facebook messenger and website chatbots. Take advantage of all of Merren’s features and 10x your response rate today.