Why Customer Effort Score Matters When Expanding Internationally During Ramadan

Entering new markets with catering services means dealing with different customer expectations and cultural norms. Ramadan is a prime example—service expectations shift dramatically, from ordering hours to delivery timing. Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how easy customers feel the interaction was, and that “ease” fluctuates wildly by country and culture.

A 2024 Forrester report found 68% of consumers across MENA markets dropped loyalty when they had to “try too hard” during Ramadan ordering. Measuring CES helps pinpoint friction points unique to Ramadan in different locales. Without it, your team risks wasting creative resources on irrelevant efforts or worse, alienating customers.

Below are eight practical CES measurement steps tailored for mid-level creative-direction pros launching Ramadan campaigns internationally.

1. Localize Your CES Survey Language and Timing

Don’t just translate your CES survey. Adapt idioms and tone to Ramadan’s local cultural context. For instance, in Egypt, expressing ease might be more indirect and polite; in the UAE, a straightforward “How easy was it?” works better.

Also, send CES surveys right after key Ramadan touchpoints: post-iftar ordering or Sahur delivery. Timing affects response rates and accuracy. One catering firm went from 15% to 42% survey completion by shifting from next-day morning to immediate post-delivery prompt during Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Survey tools like Zigpoll allow dynamic timing based on order windows, which is crucial during Ramadan’s fluctuating meal hours.

2. Account for Logistic Complexity in CES Questions

Ramadan ordering involves tighter delivery windows and often increased volume before sunset. Include CES sub-questions addressing delivery timing and order customization ease, not just general satisfaction.

A Dubai caterer added a “Was the pre-iftar delivery on time?” question, revealing a 23% slip in delivery punctuality affecting overall CES negatively. This pinpointed logistics, not product, as the main friction.

Without this level of granularity, CES scores can be misleading, masking whether logistics, menu complexity, or communication cause effort spikes.

3. Segment CES Data by Ramadan Audience Profiles

Catering customers span from family groups to corporate iftar events—each with different effort thresholds. Segment CES results by customer type and event scale.

In Kuwait, a catering business saw overall CES of 7/10 during Ramadan. But breaking it down, family orders scored 8.5 while large corporate events lagged at 5.9 due to bulk customization challenges.

This data allows creative teams to tailor messaging and operational improvements by segment rather than a “one size fits all” Ramadan campaign.

4. Adapt CES Measurement to Cultural Feedback Preferences

Not all cultures express dissatisfaction directly. In some Gulf countries, low CES scores might underrepresent actual frustrations. Supplement CES with qualitative, open-ended questions in local dialects to get deeper insights.

For example, a Bahrain catering brand combined CES with a simple “What made your Ramadan order easier or harder?” prompt in Arabic and English, uncovering subtle pain points around mobile app UI during Sahur hours.

The downside is increased data processing time, but the payoff is a richer understanding beyond numeric scores.

5. Use Multi-Channel Survey Delivery

Ramadan customers might shift between platforms—WhatsApp, SMS, app notifications—depending on the hour and local preferences. Deliver CES surveys across multiple channels to capture a broader response base.

A Qatar-based firm reported 30% higher CES survey response rates during Ramadan by adding WhatsApp surveys alongside email and app pop-ups. Zigpoll supports multi-channel distribution, making this practical.

Ignoring channel preferences risks biased CES data, favoring tech-savvy users and missing older or less connected customers.

6. Benchmark CES Against Local Ramadan Competitors

Don’t interpret your CES in isolation. Compare against local catering competitors’ CES scores during Ramadan to understand relative customer ease.

In 2023, a Jordanian catering startup improved its Ramadan CES from 6.2 to 7.8 after benchmarking against a market leader scoring 7.5 consistently. They identified checkout friction and simplified the order process accordingly.

Benchmarking requires access to industry CES data, which can come through third-party platforms or local market research partnerships. It’s not always easy but highly informative.

7. Integrate CES with Ramadan Sales and Retention Metrics

CES is a proxy for ease, but it should always correlate with hard business metrics. Track CES alongside Ramadan sales volume, repeat orders, and cancellation rates.

An Oman caterer noticed CES increased by half a point during Ramadan, but order cancellations rose 12%. This mismatch suggested customers found the interface easier but delivery reliability issues remained.

Your creative direction must reflect the full funnel—positive CES without higher retention or sales means something else is broken.

8. Prepare for Post-Ramadan CES Analysis to Inform Future Campaigns

Ramadan is cyclical; CES measurement should not end after Eid. Analyze CES trends post-Ramadan for sustained insights into customer effort around specific Ramadan marketing elements, like Suhoor menus or special packaging.

A Lebanese catering firm used CES to redesign its Ramadan loyalty program, nudging repeat customers from 18% to 34% the following year by reducing effort in order customization.

However, avoid over-relying on Ramadan CES data alone—customer effort outside the holy month will differ, so maintain seasonal CES tracking year-round.

Prioritizing CES Steps for Ramadan International Expansion

If pressed for time or resources, prioritize localization of CES surveys (#1), segmentation by customer type (#3), and integrating CES with sales outcomes (#7). These yield the clearest early wins.

Next, layer in multi-channel delivery (#5) and logistics-focused questions (#2). Benchmarking (#6) and deep qualitative probing (#4) require more effort but pay dividends if you’re scaling Ramadan catering across multiple markets.

Finally, commit to post-Ramadan analysis (#8) to keep improving for next year’s campaigns.

Measuring CES with a Ramadan lens is an ongoing process. It’s about tuning creative direction not just to “ease” but to culturally specific ease that drives repeat business in new markets.