● Marketing
CES (Customer Effort Score)
An indicator measuring the effort a customer must exert to complete an action: resolving an issue, placing an order, or getting a response.
Full definition
The Customer Effort Score (CES) is a satisfaction indicator that measures the level of effort a customer must exert to interact with a brand: placing an order, resolving a dispute, processing a return, or getting a response from customer service. It is measured via a single question: "How easy was it to resolve your issue?" rated from 1 (enormous effort) to 7 (minimal effort).
CES differs from CSAT and NPS by focusing on ease of use rather than emotional satisfaction or loyalty. Research from the CEB (Corporate Executive Board) shows that reducing customer effort is the strongest predictor of loyalty: 96% of customers who experienced a high-effort journey become disloyal, compared to only 9% for those who experienced a frictionless journey.
In e-commerce, CES is particularly relevant for evaluating the checkout process, return procedures, and dispute handling. A high CES (high score = low effort) indicates a smooth experience and reduces churn risk. E-commerce brands that track their CES regularly observe a direct correlation between effort reduction and repurchase rate growth.
Concrete example
A home appliance e-commerce operator measures its CES after each customer service contact. The average score is 3.2/7, signaling a painful resolution journey. Analysis reveals that 71% of customers must contact support 2 or more times to resolve a single issue.
After automating responses to the most frequent requests (returns, order tracking, refunds), the CES rises to 5.8/7 within 4 months. The repeat contact rate drops from 71% to 23%, and the 90-day repurchase rate grows by 11 points.
With Review Collect
Review Collect reduces customer effort at the post-purchase phase by making review submission as simple as possible: a single click from email, SMS, or WhatsApp is enough to rate and comment on the experience. The 40% conversion rate demonstrates that the process is perceived as smooth and non-burdensome.
Additionally, AI responses to negative reviews in under 60 seconds reduce resolution effort for dissatisfied customers: they no longer need to search for a contact, follow up with the team, or wait several days. This immediate handling is directly correlated with a higher CES and increased loyalty rates.
