MENTAL MODEL · M1797

Customer Effort Score, CES

DecideHigh supportDecision Science

Included

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-31

CORE DEFINITION

Measures how much effort a user puts into solving a problem. Question: "How much effort did you have to put forth to handle your request?" Research shows that reducing effort is a better predictor of customer loyalty than increasing satisfaction.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Experience subtraction: Instead of fancy 'surprise service', first fill the 'potholes' in the process. Let users get things done 'without thinking or explaining' – that is the highest level of service.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Customer loyalty is driven more by 'ease of problem-solving' than 'satisfaction'; high effort leaves negative memories that cause churn, while low effort subtly builds stickiness. Accordingly, experience optimization priorities should be on 'filling potholes' rather than 'creating surprises'.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/5

Practice this model in one real situation:

After interaction, ask 'How much effort did you have to put forth to handle your request?' (1-7 scale)
Identify high-effort touchpoints
Simplify processes/self-service/provide upfront information
Re-measure CES to see if it drops
Make reducing effort a key experience KPI.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

Learning progress0%

account_treeGenealogyexpand_more

menu_bookReferencesexpand_more

Source support: Explicit

link
hbr.orghttps://hbr.org/2010/07/stop-trying-to-delight-your-customersZH · Explicit
verified

RELATED MODELS