Customer Effort Score (CES) is a metric used to measure the effort a customer has to put in to resolve their issue with a company’s customer support. It is typically measured on a scale of 1–5, with 1 being “very easy” and 5 being “very difficult.” The CES is a powerful tool for measuring customer satisfaction, as it focuses specifically on the customer’s experience with the effort required to resolve their issue.

Measuring customer effort is important for several reasons. First, it allows companies to identify areas of their customer support operations that may be causing frustration for customers. This can include issues such as long wait times, multiple transfers between different agents, or a lack of clear instructions. By identifying these issues, companies can take steps to improve their customer support operations, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Second, by regularly measuring customer effort, companies can track the success of their efforts to improve customer support over time. This can be done by comparing CES scores from different periods, or by tracking changes in customer satisfaction or loyalty metrics.

Third, CES data is a valuable tool for identifying and recognizing the efforts of individual customer support agents. By tracking the CES scores of individual agents, companies can identify which agents are excelling and which may need additional training.

Overall, the CES is a valuable tool for companies looking to improve their customer support operations and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. By regularly measuring customer effort, companies can identify areas of improvement and track the success of their efforts to improve customer support over time.

Understanding the CES metric

The CES is typically calculated by asking customers one question: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how easy was it to resolve your issue?” with a follow up question of “On a scale of 1 to 5, how much effort did you personally have to put forth to resolve your issue?” This data can be collected through surveys, phone calls, or other methods.

The difference between CES and other customer satisfaction metrics is that, while other metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measure overall customer satisfaction, CES specifically measures the effort required to resolve an issue. This makes it a valuable complement to other customer satisfaction metrics, as it provides a more granular view of the customer’s experience.

There are several advantages to using CES in customer support. One of the main advantages is that it allows companies to identify specific areas of their customer support operations that may be causing frustration for customers. For example, if a company consistently receives low CES scores for a particular product or service, they can investigate and make changes to improve the customer experience.

Another advantage is that CES data can be used to recognize and reward top-performing customer support agents. By tracking the CES scores of individual agents, companies can identify which agents are consistently providing easy and efficient service to customers.

Additionally, regularly measuring customer effort can also track the success of efforts to improve customer support over time. By comparing CES scores from different periods, companies can see if their improvements are effectively reducing the effort required to resolve customer issues.

Overall, using CES in customer support allows companies to identify specific areas that need improvement, recognize top-performing customer support agents, and track the success of efforts to improve customer support over time.

Implementing CES in customer support

Implementing a CES program in customer support involves several key steps:

Define the scope of the program: Determine which customer interactions will be included in the CES program and how frequently data will be collected.

Develop a survey or questionnaire: Create a survey or questionnaire that asks customers to rate their effort required to resolve their issue on a scale of 1 to 5.

Establish a data collection and analysis process: Determine how data will be collected (e.g., through surveys, phone calls, or other methods) and how it will be analyzed.

Train customer support staff: Train customer support staff on the CES program, including how to collect data and how to use the data to improve the customer experience.

Implement the program: Roll out the CES program to customers and begin collecting and analyzing data.

Some best practices to keep in mind when collecting and analyzing CES data include:

Collecting data on a regular basis, so that you can track progress and identify trends over time.

Analyzing data by different segments, such as product or service lines, customer demographics, or agent performance, to identify specific areas that need improvement.

Act on the data: Use the CES data to identify problem areas and take action to improve the customer experience.

Communicate the results: Share the results of the CES program with customer support staff and other stakeholders in the company to keep them informed and engaged.

By following these steps and best practices, companies can effectively implement a CES program in customer support and use the data to improve the customer experience.

Real-world examples of using CES in customer support

There are many examples of companies that have successfully implemented CES in their customer support operations. Here are a few examples:

Zendesk: Zendesk, a customer service software company, implemented a CES program in order to better understand the customer experience and identify areas for improvement. They used the data to make changes to their support process, such as streamlining the ticket submission process and adding more self-service options. As a result, they were able to reduce customer effort and improve overall customer satisfaction.

Comcast: Comcast, a telecommunications company, implemented a CES program in order to reduce customer effort and improve customer satisfaction. By using CES data to identify and address problem areas, they were able to reduce the number of calls customers had to make to resolve issues and improve overall customer satisfaction by 20%.

Charles Schwab: Charles Schwab, a financial services company, implemented a CES program in order to better understand the customer experience and identify areas for improvement. By using CES data to identify and address problem areas, they were able to improve the overall customer experience, which led to an increase in customer loyalty and retention.

These examples show how companies can use CES data to identify problem areas and make changes to improve the customer experience. By reducing customer effort, companies can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, which can lead to increased revenue and growth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Customer Effort Score (CES) is a valuable metric for measuring customer effort in customer support operations. It is a simple, yet effective way to understand the customer experience and identify areas for improvement. By implementing a CES program, companies can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, which can lead to increased revenue and growth.

The benefits of using CES in customer support include:

  • The ability to identify problem areas and make changes to improve the customer experience
  • The ability to reduce customer effort and improve customer satisfaction
  • The ability to increase customer loyalty and retention

It is important for companies to understand the value of measuring customer effort and to implement a CES program in their customer support operations. By doing so, they can improve the customer experience, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately drive growth for their business.