What are the best CES survey questions?

Primary question: '[Company] made it easy for me to handle my issue' (1–7 agree scale). Follow-up: 'What made it easy or hard?' (open text). Optional: 'How long did it take?' and 'How many people did you have to contact?'. This template includes all three by default.

Is this CES survey template free?

Yes — fully free on Spaceforms. Unlimited responses, unlimited customization, and no credit card required. Works as both a standalone CES survey tool and as an in-app CES modal embedded in your product.

What is a good Customer Effort Score?

On a 1–7 scale: 5.0+ is good, 5.5–6.0 is strong, 6.0+ is excellent. Alternatively, calculate the '% who answered 5–7' as a pass rate. Benchmarks vary by industry — B2B SaaS typically runs 5.5–6.2, ecommerce 5.0–5.8, telecoms 4.5–5.2.

What's the difference between CES, CSAT, and NPS?

CES measures ease of a specific task (predicts churn). CSAT measures overall satisfaction with an interaction (transactional). NPS measures likelihood to recommend (strategic loyalty). Use CES after support tickets, CSAT after purchases, NPS for quarterly relationship tracking. Spaceforms offers all three as separate free templates.

How do I create an in-app CES survey?

Build the CES survey in Spaceforms, then embed via iframe or trigger as a 1-question modal in your web app. Trigger on key events: support ticket close, checkout complete, onboarding step done. In-app CES response rates typically run 15–25%, dramatically higher than email CES at 3–8%.

How often should I send a CES survey?

Trigger CES after each key touchpoint (support, checkout, onboarding) but sample 10–30% of interactions rather than 100%, rotating by touchpoint. Never survey the same customer twice within 14 days. Aim for 100+ responses per touchpoint per month for statistical reliability.

What are the best CES survey tools in 2026?

For free unlimited use: Spaceforms (this template), Google Forms (manual 1–7 setup), Microsoft Forms. For paid dedicated CES platforms: Qualtrics CX, Medallia, and Delighted ($49+/month). Most teams start with a free template like this one and upgrade only when they need deep CX analytics integrations.

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CES (Customer Effort Score)

Q: What is a Customer Effort Score survey?

A CES survey measures how easy or difficult a specific customer interaction was. Respondents rate the statement '[Company] made it easy for me' on a 1–7 scale. It's a proven predictor of churn and loyalty — far more actionable than CSAT for process improvements.

Free Customer Effort Score (CES) survey template and CES tool — the exact 1–7 scale wording, sample questions, in-app versions, and post-interaction templates. Unlimited responses.

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What is a Customer Effort Score Survey?

A Customer Effort Score survey (CES survey) asks customers how easy or difficult it was to complete a specific task — like resolving a support ticket, completing checkout, or onboarding. Respondents answer on a 1–7 agreement scale to a single statement: '[Company] made it easy for me to handle my issue.' Low CES correlates strongly with churn; Gartner research shows 96% of customers with high-effort experiences become disloyal vs only 9% with low-effort. This free CES survey template includes the validated question wording plus follow-up prompts.

The Exact CES Survey Questions (Validated Wording)

The standard CES survey question is: '[Company/Product] made it easy for me to handle my issue/task.' Respondents rate on a 7-point agreement scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 7 = Strongly Agree. Never use 'How was your experience?' or 'How satisfied are you?' — those measure CSAT, not effort. A good CES survey template adds one open-text follow-up: 'What could we do to make this easier next time?' That qualitative follow-up is where the actionable insight lives.

CES Survey Tools & In-App CES Surveys

If you searched 'CES survey tool' or 'in-app CES survey,' Spaceforms covers both use cases. Embed the template directly into your web app or mobile checkout as a 1-question modal to capture transactional CES at the exact moment of the interaction. Alternatively, send via email link within 24 hours of a support ticket close. Response rates for in-app CES typically run 15–25%, vs 3–8% for email — in-app is the best practice when technically feasible.

When to Deploy a CES Survey

Trigger CES surveys after key effort-intensive interactions: (1) Support ticket resolution, (2) Checkout completion, (3) Onboarding/signup completion, (4) Account changes or upgrades, (5) Returns or cancellations, (6) Feature adoption or first-successful-use. Avoid blasting CES to every customer every week — survey fatigue kills response rates. Sample 10–30% of interactions rotated by touchpoint.

How to Calculate and Interpret CES

CES = average score across all respondents (scale 1–7). Good benchmark: 5.0+ = good, 5.5–6.0 = strong, 6.0+ = excellent. Some teams also calculate the '% who answered 5 or higher' as a pass/fail metric. More important than the absolute number: (1) trend over time, (2) CES segmented by touchpoint (support vs checkout vs onboarding often have very different scores), and (3) comparison to industry benchmarks from Zendesk, Gartner, or HubSpot reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

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CES (Customer Effort Score)

Ready to start collecting feedback?

Try the live demo

What is a Customer Effort Score Survey?

The Exact CES Survey Questions (Validated Wording)

CES Survey Tools & In-App CES Surveys

When to Deploy a CES Survey

How to Calculate and Interpret CES

Frequently Asked Questions

Start using this template today

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