Customer Effort Score (CES)

What it is

Customer effort score asks customers how easy it was to get their problem solved, usually on a five- or seven-point scale. Lower effort predicts loyalty better than delight does.

Why it matters

Every follow-up question, every 'can you send us the logsLogsTimestamped records of events a system emits as it runs.?', and every handoffHandoffPassing ownership of a ticket from one person or team to another. adds effort. Technical supportTechnical SupportSupport for products where answers depend on code, config, and system behavior. creates a lot of effort by default because the customer is often the only source of context.

Best practices

1. Don't ask what you can look up – Pull account, plan, and recent errors before replying.
2. Avoid transfers – Each handoff forces the customer to repeat themselves.
3. Resolve in the first reply – Track first contact resolutionFirst Contact Resolution (FCR)The share of tickets resolved in the first reply, with no follow-up needed. alongside CES.

How Decimal helps

Decimal gathers the logs and account context itself, so customers aren't asked for information your systems already have.