How to Increase Your CES

Overview

• CES (Customer Effort Score) measures how easy it is for customers to get what they need from your business and it is a direct path to loyalty and long-term success.
• To improve CES you must eliminate friction points, optimize self-service, streamline issue resolution, reduce wait times, personalize experiences, and act on feedback.
• Measured by a simple formula but difficult to collect data on, CES complements CSAT and NPS and shows how seamless your customer journey really is.

Ever found yourself stuck on hold for 20 minutes, navigating an endless maze of automated menus, only to get transferred to another department? Frustrating, right?

Now imagine a competitor who resolves issues in two clicks. Who would you choose next time?

That’s what CES is all about. It’s not just about making customers happy—it’s about making their lives easier. And in a world where people value time more than ever, effort is often the deciding factor between loyalty and churn.

So, how do you create a truly effortless experience? Let’s find the answer together. 

What is CES? 

CES (Customer Effort Score) is a metric that measures how easy or difficult it is for customers to complete an interaction with your business—whether it’s getting support, making a purchase, or finding information.

CES surveys typically ask a simple question like:

"How easy was it to resolve your issue today?" 

Customers respond on a scale, usually from 1 to 7, where lower numbers indicate higher effort.

Unlike CSAT, which focuses on customer satisfaction, and NPS, which measures advocacy, CES zeroes in on friction. It highlights the pain points that drive customers away and the effortless experiences that keep them making business with you.

And the best part? Studies show that reducing effort is one of the most powerful ways to boost loyalty. 

Why is CES Important?   

We live in a world where convenience rules. If something is difficult, customers won’t hesitate to switch to a competitor that makes their life easier. Here’s why CES is important:

🧠Customers remember effort more than you think. You might have great products or services, but if people struggle to use them, they’ll walk away frustrated. One bad experience can overshadow ten good ones.

🚀 Effort predicts loyalty better than delight. Research shows that reducing customer effort might increase retention more effectively than exceeding expectations. People don’t always need experiences to be extraordinary—they sometimes need it to be easy.

📉📈  It directly impacts revenue. Customers who experience low effort are more likely to come back, buy more, and refer others. On the flip side, if they have to fight to get what they need, they won’t just leave—they’ll actively warn others about their bad experience. 

How to Measure CES?

Calculating CES is straightforward: 

CES = (Sum of Effort Scores) / (Total Number of Respondents) 

Here’s how it works in practice: 

CES = 27 (sum of effort scores) / 5 (respondents) = 5.4 

This result indicates an average effort score of 5.4 out of 7, showing that, on average, customers found the experience relatively easy but not without some friction. 

A higher CES indicates a smoother experience, while a lower score highlights areas where your customers are struggling and could use some improvement. 

 But numbers alone don’t tell the full story. To get real insights: 

🔍 Analyze trends over time rather than relying on a single snapshot. 

📝 Pair CES with open-ended questions to understand why customers find an experience easy or difficult. 

📡 Combine CES with other metrics (like CSAT and NPS) for a well-rounded view of your customer experience. 

How to Reduce Customer Effort and Improve CES 

1. Identify and Remove Friction Points  

Customer effort often comes from unnecessary steps, unclear processes, or broken workflows.

🔹 Map the customer journey to spot high-effort moments.

🔹 Use CES feedback to pinpoint specific pain points.

🔹 Eliminate extra steps—make navigation intuitive, checkout seamless, and support instantly accessible.

📌 Example: If customers frequently contact support for order tracking, integrate real-time tracking updates into your app instead of making them ask for help.

2. Optimize Self-Service Channels

Customers don’t always want to call or email—they just want quick answers. Well-designed self-service options can significantly boost CES.

🔹 Build a robust knowledge base with clear, concise guides.

🔹 Use AI chatbots to handle common inquiries without human intervention.

🔹 Ensure search functions actually work—nobody wants to dig for answers.

📌 Example: A telecom company reduced call center volume by 30% after revamping its FAQ section with predictive search suggestions.

3. Improve First-Contact Resolution (FCR) 

Nothing frustrates customers more than repeating themselves or being transferred between departments. One-touch resolution is a game-changer for CES.

🔹 Train agents to handle a wide range of issues.

🔹 Give frontline staff decision-making power to resolve problems without escalating.

🔹 Unify customer data so customers don’t have to re-explain their issue.

📌 Example: An insurance company empowered its agents to process claims instantly instead of requiring manager approval—cutting resolution times by 50%.

4. Minimize Wait Times and Response Delays 

Time is effort. Long wait times is one of the main reasons that hurts CES.

🔹 Use automation for fast responses to common requests.

🔹 Implement callback options to prevent customers from waiting on hold.

🔹 Prioritize urgent issues with intelligent ticket routing.

📌 Example: An e-commerce brand reduced customer effort by 40% by introducing live chat support with instant order updates.

5. Personalize the Experience

The more personalized the experience, the easier it feels.

🔹 Recognize returning customers and remember their preferences.

🔹 Offer proactive assistance based on past behavior.

🔹 Use AI to recommend solutions before they ask.

📌 Example: A banking app predicts bill payment patterns and sends reminders, preventing missed deadlines and reducing frustration.

6. Gather and Act on Feedback Continuously

CES isn’t a one-time fix—it requires constant improvement.

🔹 Collect CES data at key touchpoints.

🔹 Monitor feedback trends and adjust processes accordingly.

🔹 Close the loop—let customers know their feedback led to improvements.

📌 Example: A SaaS company noticed high-effort scores in onboarding. They redesigned tutorials based on CES feedback and saw a 25% increase in retention.

Common Pitfalls in CES

❌ Thinking speed is everything: A fast but confusing process is still high effort. The goal is clarity and efficiency.

❌ Measuring CES in isolation: Pair it with CSAT and NPS for a full picture of customer experience.

❌ Ignoring negative feedback: Customers who rate an experience as “difficult” are goldmines of insight—don’t waste that data.

❌ Focusing only on customer support: CES applies to every interaction, from onboarding to payments to navigating your website.

Turn CES Insights into Action with Pisano 

Understanding CES is just the first step. The real value lies in acting on those insights. This is where Pisano can make a significant difference.

Pisano empowers businesses to track CES across multiple touchpoints, analyze real-time feedback, and pinpoint friction points before they escalate into major problems.

Leveraging AI-powered insights, automation, and comprehensive analytics, Pisano helps you have a clear understanding of where your customers struggle, systematically reduce customer effort and boost retention.

Creating smooth, effortless, and frustration-free experiences drives customer loyalty and business growth. Because the best customer experience isn't just about wowing customers; it's about making every interaction effortless and enjoyable.