CES 2.0: Measuring Customer Effort

What is CES 2.0

CES (Customer Effort Score) 2.0 is an improved version of the original method for measuring customer effort. CES 2.0 replaces the traditional question with a statement: “The company made it easy for me to handle my issue.” This change was introduced to reduce confusion in interpreting results, as in the original version, a score of 1 indicated a positive result, which can be perceived as negative in many cultures. CES 2.0 uses a 7-point scale, where 1 means “Strongly disagree” and 7 means “Strongly agree.” This scale more accurately reflects the level of effort required from the customer during their interaction with the company.

Originally, CES was designed to measure how easy or difficult it is for customers to interact with a company's products and services. The goal was to reduce customer effort, which in turn was expected to boost loyalty. The metric was based on individual survey responses and calculated as an average score. However, in the original version, a lower score meant less effort, which led to confusion. After a 2013 revision, CES 2.0 introduced a new phrasing and a more intuitive 1–7 scale, making it easier to evaluate customer effort and its impact on loyalty.

What CES 2.0 is Used For

CES 2.0 measures the degree of effort customers need to make when interacting with a company’s products or services. It helps organizations understand how easy or difficult it is for customers to achieve their goals. The core objective of CES 2.0 is to reduce customer effort, which is expected to enhance satisfaction and brand loyalty.

In CES 2.0, the survey statement is: “The company made it easy for me to handle my issue,” and respondents rate their experience on a 7-point scale from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree.” This approach enables companies to more accurately assess how effectively they help customers and to identify areas where the experience can be improved.

Using CES 2.0 allows companies to:

1. Identify pain points in the product or service experience that create difficulties for customers.
2. Improve customer satisfaction by minimizing the effort needed to interact with the company.
3. Enhance products and services by analyzing CES data and making targeted improvements to boost the overall experience.
4. Predict customer behavior, including the likelihood of repeat purchases or brand recommendations.

How the CES 2.0 Metric is Calculated

CES 2.0 is calculated based on customer responses to a specific statement related to the effort required during their interaction. A typical CES 2.0 statement might be: “The company made it easy for me to handle my issue.” The formula is:

CES 2.0 = Total sum of all ratings / Number of responses

Example:

Imagine the company received the following CES 2.0 ratings from five customers: 5, 6, 7, 4, and 6.

Sum of ratings:

5 + 6 + 7 + 4 + 6 = 28

Divide by the number of responses:

28 / 5 = 5.6

So, the CES 2.0 score is 5.6.

Interpretation:

• High CES (closer to 7): Indicates that customers found it easy to interact with the product or service — a positive outcome.
• Low CES (closer to 1): Suggests that customers faced difficulties and highlights a need for improvement.

For the most accurate picture, CES 2.0 should be measured regularly and tracked over time, taking into account the context of interactions and the characteristics of the target audience.

General CES 2.0 Survey Methodology

The CES 2.0 survey methodology consists of several key steps and principles aimed at evaluating the effort required from customers during interactions with a company:

1. Clearly define which aspect of the customer experience you want to evaluate with CES 2.0 — e.g., support experience, purchasing process, or product usability.
2. Formulate survey statements that directly reflect the customer’s effort. CES 2.0 uses the statement “The company made it easy for me to handle my issue,” rated on a 7-point agreement scale.
3. Conduct the survey immediately after the customer interaction to ensure fresh impressions. The survey sample should be representative to yield valid results.
4. After data collection, calculate the average CES 2.0 score and analyze the trends and potential problem areas.
5. Use the survey results to inform specific improvements to products, services, and customer-facing processes. It’s important to not only identify issues but also develop and implement effective solutions.
6. CES 2.0 should be an ongoing process. Regular surveys and comparisons over time help track progress and the effectiveness of changes.

What is Considered a Good CES 2.0 Score?

A “normal” CES 2.0 score can vary depending on the industry, product type, and business objectives. CES 2.0 is measured on a 1–7 scale, where higher values indicate a smoother customer experience.

Interpretation of CES 2.0 scores:

• CES above 5: Generally considered good, indicating that most customers found interactions easy.
• CES around 4–5: A mid-range score that may suggest minor friction points that need to be addressed.
• CES below 4: Indicates significant effort required from customers and should prompt immediate review and action.

It’s important to assess CES 2.0 in combination with other metrics and customer feedback to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experience. Tracking CES 2.0 over time helps assess the impact of changes and improvements.

How to Improve the CES 2.0 Metric

To improve CES 2.0, consider implementing the following strategies:

1. Simplify the purchase process and navigation on your website or app so customers can easily find what they need and complete transactions.
2. Provide multiple support channels — live chat, phone, email, social media — to let customers choose their preferred method of communication.
3. Create and maintain a helpful knowledge base and FAQ section so customers can find answers without needing to contact support.
4. Regularly gather and analyze customer feedback using CES and other tools to identify and resolve pain points in the customer journey.
5. Train and motivate your staff to efficiently solve customer issues and deliver high-quality service.
6. Continuously improve your products and services based on customer input, ensuring they are user-friendly and aligned with customer needs.
7. Explore and adopt new technologies and innovative approaches to enhance the customer experience and reduce effort.
8. Anticipate common customer problems and provide proactive solutions or guidance to minimize inconvenience.

Each of these strategies is aimed at reducing the effort customers must invest when interacting with your products or services, ultimately leading to improved CES 2.0 scores.