How to identify the key performance indicators your contact centre should be working toward and start the process of meeting your newly-defined goals.
Any Twelve-Stepper will tell you the first step to solving a crisis is admitting you have a problem. Once you know your client service centre isn’t operating as smoothly as it needs to, you can set about the task of establishing new goals and working to meet them. Read on to learn about 10 key reporting metrics every contact centre service should know and use so you can start identifying your problems and coming up with smart solutions.
- First Call Resolution
First call resolution (FCR) is the Grand Poobah of service centre metrics. FCR is just what it sounds like: adequately and completely addressing the client’s issue the very first time they call. FCR eliminates the need for follow-up calls, frees up agents, and is a key indicator of customer satisfaction. Be sure your customer relationship management (CRM) software gives you full access to FCR data so you know you’re hitting the most fundamental client service mark.
- Occupancy
Your client service centre’s occupancy number is the percentage of work time call centre agents spend actually handling customer calls versus their idle time. This metric is key because you want maximum productivity from your agents without driving occupancy so high you hit burnout. This number can help you balance staffing levels and identify your most (and least) productive agents.
- Abandoned Calls
Your client service centre’s abandoned call rate is the percentage of incoming calls that are “abandoned” (hung up) by the client before they actually talk to one of your agents. The higher your hold numbers, the higher your abandoned call rate will be; keep it down to guarantee good service.
- Average Wait (Hold) Time
As mentioned above, if your wait times are high, you’ll see high numbers of abandoned calls and dissatisfied customers. According to the Avaya Consumer Preference Report, quickly reaching a helpful agent is the number one factor for consumers in rating a service centre as “excellent.”
- Forecasted Call Load
Accurate call volume forecasting is a crucial factor in determining staffing levels. You need precise data, down to the half-hour, to make good use of projected call load numbers.
- Customer Call Frequency
This metric is useful for identifying problematic parts of your business that require repeat service calls from customers. Customer call frequency is simply the number of repeat calls from one individual customer; high numbers here usually indicate problems with either your company’s product or service or your call centre agents’ abilities to problem-solve on the first call.
- Call Transfer Rate
This metric is useful for identifying holes at multiple points in your contact centre’s service chain. For instance, high call transfer numbers can indicate issues with agent training; if particular agents have high transfer numbers they may need a refresher. High call transfer rates can also indicate problems in your IVR menus or confusing verbiage in marketing materials, product instructions, or your company’s website.
- Service Level & Response Time
Service level is the percentage of incoming calls handled in a defined time (i.e. 20 percent of incoming calls picked up in 30 seconds). Your service level numbers tell you how responsive your contact centre is as well as whether you have scheduled adequate staff to meet your service level goals.
Response time is a specific goal you can set for each type of customer contact source. For instance, you can establish a goal of answering 100 percent of customer calls within 60 seconds or 85 percent of customer emails within 6 hours. Begin by analyzing your current response rates and use that data to create new goals.
- Average Call Length
Average call length is a useful metric when determining your contact centre’s efficiency numbers. Especially if you have high FCR numbers, low average call lengths indicate maximum efficiency. Keep in mind that, like some other numbers, this metric will vary broadly depending on the industry.
- Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ignore customer satisfaction numbers at your peril. This metric can determine consumer loyalty and even company profitability. Driving for the highest possible customer satisfaction rating achievable within a manageable cost for your business is a good thing for every member of your firm’s team, from service agents to contact centre management to the executive suite.
If an improving client service level is your goal, you need solid data on the above performance metrics to know where to put your focus. Be sure your contact centre’s CRM offers you access to the data you need.