9 Customer Effort Score Software to Try (Free+Paid) in 2024

A loyal customer base is the backbone of every big or small business. But then, what makes customers tick?

Is it the quality of services or products you offer them? 

Or is it the support quality that they receive when they need it?

From what I found, there’s a third power in play, i.e., customer effort. My experience says it has a bigger role in the debate. But my guess is that you’re also already aware of that.

In this blog, I present the best customer effort score software that you can use to create CES surveys in 2024. Here’s your first glance at them:

Which Is the Best Customer Effort Score Software?

With a variety of options to choose from, it’s essential to consider individual needs and priorities to make an informed decision. Here are what I think are the best customer effort score software: –

Option A: ProProfs Survey Maker

ProProfs Survey Maker is an easy-to-use survey tool with ready-made templates that can be customized to create engaging CES surveys. It provides real-time insights and reports to continuously improve customer experience.

Option B: SurveySparrow

SurveySparrow is an omnichannel CES survey tool that allows businesses to collect feedback from multiple channels. It offers advanced features like sentiment analysis and recurring surveys to enhance survey capabilities and personalize customer experiences.

Option C: Qualaroo

Qualaroo is an AI-powered tool that improves customer effort scores through sentiment analysis. It allows you to create CES surveys and capture customer feedback in real time. With integrations to various tools, you can enrich your data and optimize customer experience.

List of Customer Effort Score Software

Over the last few months, I connected with market leaders to know their take on the best CES survey tools. I also did my round of research, sought peer recommendations, and checked user feedback from software review sites to come up with this exhaustive list. 

1. ProProfs Survey Maker – Best for Free Online Survey Creation

 (Image Source: ProProfs Survey Maker)

ProProfs Survey Maker is an exceptional customer effort score software specializing in free online survey creation and Net Promoter Score surveys. I’ve been using it for quite some time as my primary survey software, and my experience has been positive so far.

The tool lets me create and share engaging CES surveys with customers. I can choose from over 100+ ready-made templates or customize my own with a drag-and-drop functionality. You can also add logic, branching, and skip logic to make surveys more interactive and relevant.

With ProProfs Survey Maker, I can easily design free interactive surveys, customize questionnaires, and obtain real-time insights from customers. I can also track survey results with real-time reports and get actionable insights to improve customer experience.

What you’ll like: 

• Reports that automatically calculate CES scores
• White-labeled surveys for seamless brand integration
• Logic jumps and branching for personalized surveys
• Powerful data filtering and segmentation capabilities
• Multi-channel distribution for enhanced reach

What you may not like: 

• The pricing plans could have been clearer for convenience
• No option to switch between light and dark modes

Pricing:

Forever free plan for up to 50 responses. Paid plan starts at $19.99/100 responses/month.

2. SurveyMonkey – Best for General Surveys & Questionnaires

(Image Source: SurveyMonkey)

SurveyMonkey is another versatile CES tool that excels in facilitating general surveys and questionnaires.

It lets you create and send CES surveys to customers. You can choose from a variety of question types and answer formats and customize the surveys with your own logo and colors. I liked SurveyMonkey’s expert-designed templates and sample questions – perfect to get started quickly. 

The software integrates with many apps and platforms, such as Slack, HubSpot, Salesforce, and more, so you can collect feedback from different sources and sync your data. You can also analyze survey results with SurveyMonkey’s advanced reporting and analytics tools and get insights to improve your customer effort score.

What you’ll like: 

• Extensive question library and customizable templates
• Multiple question types to suit different survey requirements, including CES
• Mobile-friendly surveys for enhanced respondent experience
• Automation options for recurring surveys
• Survey distribution via email, web, social media, and more

What you may not like: 

• Limited survey design customization options
• Some users have reported occasional technical issues with survey response tracking

Pricing:

Starts at $25/user/month.

3. Qualaroo – Best for AI-Powered Sentiment Analysis

(Image Source: Qualaroo)

Qualaroo is a unique tool that uses AI-powered sentiment analysis to measure and improve customer effort scores. It enables you to create CES surveys on your website or app and capture customer feedback at the right moment. 

I have used Qualaroo’s “Nudge™” technology to ask relevant and contextual questions to my target audience. I received honest and accurate responses – which is really great. You can also use the sentiment analysis engine to understand the emotions behind your customers’ feedback and get deeper insights into their pain points and expectations. 

Qualaroo integrates with tools like Google Analytics, Segment, Optimizely, and more so you can enrich your data and optimize customer experience.

What you’ll like: 

• AI-powered sentiment analysis for accurate customer feedback interpretation
• Personalized survey targeting based on user behavior
• Easy integration with existing customer feedback channels
• Customizable survey reports that automatically show customer effort score
• A/B testing of surveys to optimize customer experience

What you may not like: 

• The tool could do some more templates for specific industries
• There could be more format options like Word Documents, PowerPoint slides, and XLS to export data

Pricing:

A free plan is available. Paid options start from $19.99/100 responses/month.

4. Qualtrics – Best for Enterprise-Level Surveys

(Image Source: Qualtrics)

Qualtrics is an enterprise-level customer effort score survey software. You can use Qualtrics’ drag-and-drop survey builder to create professional surveys. I used its pre-built templates and question library – quite a decent collection. 

You can also use the software’s logic and branching features to make surveys more dynamic and personalized. Qualtrics integrates with many platforms and systems, such as Salesforce, Marketo, Tableau, etc. This gives you the chance to collect and sync feedback from multiple sources and channels. 

From designing sophisticated surveys to analyzing data in real time, the tool provides businesses with the means to measure customer effort efficiently.

What you’ll like: 

• Highly customizable survey builder with advanced logic
• Multiple question types (including CES) and answer options
• Integrated data analysis and reporting capabilities
• Multilingual support for global customer feedback collection
• Seamless collaboration and sharing options for survey projects

What you may not like: 

• Pricing plan is not transparent
• Steeper learning curve compared to other tools

Pricing:

Starts at $1500/year (custom pricing plans).

5. InMoment – Best for Experience Intelligence

(Image Source: Software Advice)

InMoment is a leading provider of experience intelligence solutions. I find it’s a great tool to understand and improve customer and product experiences. 

With its comprehensive suite of tools, InMoment enables you to reimagine your CX approach by combining data technology and human expertise. What sets the tool apart is its ability to actively manage brand reputation in real-time, keeping employees engaged and fulfilled. 

Personally, I have found InMoment to be a decent tool for businesses looking to accelerate growth and build deep brand relationships.

What you’ll like: 

• Enables the creation of tailored surveys (including CES) to gather specific customer insights
• Utilizes natural language processing for deeper insight
• Real-time insights into customer opinions, enhancing the ability to respond promptly
• Market research capabilities to measure the impact of market trends
• Enables on-the-go customer experience management

What you may not like:

• Pricing is not transparent
• Sentiment analysis may not be accurate for certain languages or contexts

Pricing:

Custom pricing.

6. QuestionPro – Best for Market Research Insights

(Image Source: QuestionPro)

QuestionPro is an online survey software that helps you create surveys, polls, quizzes, forms, and more. It enables you to measure and improve your CES, as well as other metrics, such as NPS, CSAT, and VoC. 

In my limited time with the tool, I found its ready-made survey templates pretty helpful. You can also create your own from scratch, using a variety of question types, logic, and design options. 

QuestionPro is best for market research insights, as it allows you to conduct sophisticated surveys to generate actionable insights. The platform offers advanced features, such as conjoint analysis, maxdiff analysis, trend analysis, etc. – to help you understand customers’ preferences, behavior, and satisfaction.

What you’ll like: 

• Transforms CES responses into easy-to-understand graphs and reports
• Exceptional mobile usability, ensuring surveys are accessible on various devices
• Offers a rich library of pre-made survey templates and questions
• Facilitates surveys in multiple languages, catering to a global audience
• Real-time collaboration for team collaboration on survey creation

What you may not like:

• Users find the interface somewhat outdated and visually unappealing
• A few users have reported occasional delays in customer support responses

Pricing:

A free plan is available for a single user. Paid options start from $99/user/month.

7. SurveySparrow – Best for Omnichannel Experience Management

(Image Source: SurveySparrow)

If you’re looking for a customer effort score software that excels in omnichannel experience management, look no further than SurveySparrow. This tool enables businesses to seamlessly collect feedback across multiple channels, providing a holistic view of customer experiences. 

The software enabled me to collect and manage feedback from various touchpoints and platforms and deliver personalized experiences to customers. You can also leverage the tool’s advanced features, such as sentiment analysis, recurring surveys, white-labeling, and offline surveys, to enhance your survey capabilities and outcomes.

What you’ll like: 

• Ability to create personalized CES surveys with company logos and tailored questions
• Omnichannel survey distribution across web, mobile, email, and more
• AI-powered feedback collection for personalized insights
• Advanced targeting options for reaching specific customer segments
• Provides built-in templates for quick and easy survey creation

What you may not like: 

• Some users experienced difficulties with customizing the layout of survey forms
• Some users reported occasional delays in survey email delivery

Pricing:

Starts at $19/month (custom pricing).

8. Typeform – Best for Interactive & Conversational Surveys

(Image Source: Typeform)

When it comes to capturing customer feedback in an engaging and interactive manner, Typeform stands out as a go-to solution. It provides a visually appealing and conversational survey experience that keeps respondents hooked. 

By offering a wide range of question types and customization options, Typeform empowers businesses to create surveys that feel like a natural conversation. It offers various features, such as logic jumps, calculations, file uploads, and video questions, to make your surveys more dynamic and personalized.

What you’ll like: 

• Conversational, one-question-at-a-time survey flow
• Wide range of question types (including CES surveys)  and customizable templates
• Advanced customization options for enhanced branding
• Real-time data analytics for immediate insights
• Mobile optimization to ensure surveys are responsive on all devices

What you may not like: 

• Conditional logic options can be slightly complex for beginners
• Limited options for scaling surveys to a large audience

Pricing:

Starts at $25/month.

9. Jotform – Best for Creating Online Forms

(Image Source: Jotform)

Jotform stands out as an excellent choice for businesses looking to create online forms effortlessly. Though not specifically designed for CES measurement, the software’s simplicity and versatility make it an ideal tool for gathering customer feedback through forms. 

Jotform’s platform offers various features, such as conditional logic, calculations, file uploads, and signatures, to make forms more functional and customized. You can also integrate Jotform with various tools, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, PayPal, and Stripe, to connect your data and automate workflows.

In my experience, it’s a decent customer effort score survey software if you are ready to get the paid plans.

What you’ll like: 

• Extensive library of pre-built form templates
• Allows personalization of forms to fit brand aesthetics
• Advanced form customization options for branding and design
• Real-time notifications and collaboration features
• Easy data management and analysis through Jotform Insight

What you may not like: 

• Limited functionality for complex forms or surveys compared to other software options
• Some users have reported occasional glitches during form creation or submission

Pricing:

A free plan is available for only 5 forms. Paid options start from $34/month.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:

• User Reviews / Ratings: Direct experiences from users, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites, provide a ground-level perspective. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.

• Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.

• Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.

• Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, taking into account its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.

• Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing the quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they would be getting their money’s worth. 
• Personal Experience / Expert’s Opinion or Favorites: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the personal experience of the writer and the opinions of industry experts.

No matter which customer effort score software you choose, it’s always a good idea to test it before making an investment decision. That’s why you should always go for a free trial or use a free plan to have a first-hand understanding of what the software does.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good CES score for SaaS?

A good CES score for SaaS is above 90%, which indicates that most of your customers find it easy to use your product or service.

How do I improve the CES score of my business?

To improve the CES score of your business, you can:

• Simplify your product design
• Optimize your onboarding process
• Provide clear and helpful documentation
• Offer proactive and responsive customer support
• Collect and act on user feedback

How can a CES score help my business?

A CES score can help your business by increasing customer loyalty and retention, reducing churn and negative word-of-mouth, enhancing customer satisfaction and advocacy, and boosting your growth and revenue.

What are the limitations of customer effort scores?

The limitations of customer effort scores are that they do not:

• Measure the emotional aspect of customer experience
• Capture the overall satisfaction or loyalty of customers
• Account for the different expectations and preferences of customers
• Reflect the impact of external factors on customer effort

How do I interpret customer effort scores?

To interpret customer effort scores, you can use a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means very difficult, and 7 means very easy, and calculate the percentage of customers who gave a rating of 5 or higher. 

You can also segment customers by different attributes such as product usage, feature adoption, customer journey stage, etc., and compare the CES scores across different segments to identify areas of improvement.