Plain-language questions
Ask for Customer Effort Score (CES) per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · Customer service
Customer Effort Score (CES): formula and example.
The Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how much effort a customer had to put in to get a question resolved or complete a task, such as registering a return or requesting an invoice. After the contact, customers respond to a statement like 'It was easy to get my issue resolved' on a scale, often from 1 to 7. The score is the average, or the percentage of customers who agree.
Customer Effort Score (CES) formula
Sum of all scores ÷ number of responses (average), or responses scoring 5–7 ÷ total responses × 100% (on a 1 to 7 scale)
Worked example
In March Acme Groothandel asked customers after every closed returns ticket whether it had been easy to arrange the return, on a scale of 1 to 7. It received 300 responses with a total of 1,650 points. Average CES is 1,650 ÷ 300 = 5.5.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
With a statement about ease, a higher CES means less effort for the customer. Watch the direction of the scale: some surveys ask about effort, where a lower score is better. CES is most useful for comparing processes, such as returns, ordering and invoice queries, and for measuring the effect of a process improvement.
Pitfalls with Customer Effort Score (CES)
- Adding up scores from surveys with a reversed scale (effort rather than ease).
- Reporting CES for all contacts combined, so you cannot see which process takes the most effort.
- Mixing an average with a percentage 'easy' in reports.
SQL & DAX
Calculating Customer Effort Score (CES) in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
SELECT date_trunc('month', responded_at)::date AS month,
COUNT(*) AS responses,
ROUND(AVG(score), 2) AS avg_ces,
ROUND(100.0 * COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE score >= 5) / NULLIF(COUNT(*), 0), 1) AS easy_pct
FROM surveys
WHERE type = 'ces'
AND responded_at >= current_date - interval '12 months'
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;CES Responses = CALCULATE(COUNTROWS(Surveys), Surveys[Type] = "ces")
Avg CES = DIVIDE(CALCULATE(SUM(Surveys[Score]), Surveys[Type] = "ces"), [CES Responses])In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate Customer Effort Score?
Add up all the scores and divide by the number of responses, or calculate the percentage of responses in the top categories. With 300 responses totalling 1,650 points on a 1 to 7 scale, average CES is 5.5.
What is the difference between CES, CSAT and NPS?
CES measures how easy something was, CSAT how satisfied the customer is with a moment and NPS how likely they are to recommend you. CES and CSAT relate to a specific contact or process, NPS to the relationship as a whole.
What question do you ask for Customer Effort Score?
A common form is the statement 'The company made it easy for me to handle my issue', answered from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Keep the question and scale the same so you can compare scores over time.
Further reading
- KPI libraryCustomer service KPIs: formulas and examplesCustomer service KPIs measure how quickly and how well customers are helped. The data comes from your help desk and telephony, and becomes more useful next to customer and order data.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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