Customer Effort Score (CES)
Measure how easy it is for customers to interact with your product or service
Customer Effort Score (CES) is a customer service metric that measures user experience with a product or service. Customers rank their experience on a seven-point scale ranging from "Very Difficult" to "Very Easy."
When to Use CES
CES surveys are best used immediately after a specific service or product interaction:
After a support ticket is resolved
After account creation or onboarding
After a trial period signup
After a key product interaction
CES vs. Other Metrics
CES
Measuring effort for a specific interaction or event
CSAT
General satisfaction across various topics
NPS
Overall brand loyalty and likelihood to recommend
CES differs from CSAT in that it must refer to a specific event or circumstance, rather than general satisfaction. It differs from NPS which asks a broader question about recommending your company.
Setting Up a CES Survey
Go to Surveys → Create Survey.
Create a question with the question: "How easy was it to [complete the action]?"
Use a rating question type with a 1–7 scale.
Label the scale endpoints: 1 = "Very Difficult", 7 = "Very Easy".
Interpreting Your Score
On a standard seven-point scale:
5 or higher — Good score, indicating a low-effort experience
Below 5 — Consider changes to reduce friction in that interaction
Higher scores represent a better user experience, as they indicate the customer found the interaction easy to complete.
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