How to calculate Customer Effort Score (CES)

Formula

CES = average rating on an agreement scale (for example 1–7) to 'it was easy to get my issue resolved'

SQL query

This example assumes: ces_responses(ticket_id, score, responded_at, channel). It is written in PostgreSQL syntax; date functions differ slightly in MySQL, BigQuery and SQLite, and your column names will differ from these.

SELECT channel,
       COUNT(*)    AS responses,
       AVG(score)  AS avg_ces
FROM ces_responses
WHERE responded_at >= DATE '2026-07-01'
GROUP BY channel
ORDER BY avg_ces;

Common mistakes that make Customer Effort Score (CES) wrong

• Direction matters: on an agreement scale higher is easier; check how your survey is worded.
• Compare the same survey wording across channels.
• Only customers who answer the survey are measured, which may not represent the rest.

Ask for Customer Effort Score (CES) in plain English

Instead of writing the query yourself, you can type the question. SchemaChat turns it into SQL against your connected database or uploaded file, runs it, and shows the SQL and the figures it used so you can check the answer before you share it. It does not replace your judgement about the definition: check that the query matches the formula your business uses.

• What is the customer effort score by support channel?
• Which issue types are hardest for customers?