Keywords · Retention · Ops · Updated 2026-07-21

What is Customer Effort Score (CES)?

Short answer: A survey metric measuring how much effort a customer had to expend to get something done, such as resolving an issue or completing a task.

Definition

A survey metric measuring how much effort a customer had to expend to get something done, such as resolving an issue or completing a task.

Why it matters for growth

Lower effort correlates strongly with loyalty; CES helps teams find and remove friction points that a satisfaction score alone might not surface.

Example

A billing change process that used to require three support emails is redesigned into a self-serve toggle, cutting CES scores in half.

FAQ

What is Customer Effort Score (CES)?
A survey metric measuring how much effort a customer had to expend to get something done, such as resolving an issue or completing a task.
Why does Customer Effort Score (CES) matter for growth?
Lower effort correlates strongly with loyalty; CES helps teams find and remove friction points that a satisfaction score alone might not surface.
What is an example of Customer Effort Score (CES)?
A billing change process that used to require three support emails is redesigned into a self-serve toggle, cutting CES scores in half.
What is Customer Effort Score (CES)? Definition and growth use · Cofounderbase