5 Call Center Performance Metrics that Level-Up Results

5 Call Center Performance Metrics that Level-Up Results

To keep your call center operating at peak performance, you require to regularly evaluate your team’s stamina and also weak points. Start with these 5 phone call center metrics to determine areas requiring emphasis. By evaluating these key performance indicators on a monthly basis and taking steps to improve month-over-month results, you should see dramatic improvements in a short amount of time.

#1: Call Center Metric: Customer Satisfaction and First Call Resolution

To your customers, only one call center metric really matters: their overall satisfaction. 

Customer satisfaction can be measured through surveys. However, this can be challenging because many customers are unwilling to take the time needed to complete a survey after a call. Customers who are unsatisfied with the call and the service level may take the survey to complain, while others may simply skip it. As a result, your survey results may be skewed. If agent performance is tied to a customer satisfaction score, it’s important to keep this in mind.

Instead of relying solely on customer satisfaction surveys, it’s helpful to look at metrics related to resolution. Specifically, the first contact resolution rate can tell you how many problems are resolved on the first call. Because customers seek a fast resolution with each call, this will give you some insight into customer satisfaction. 

If the first call resolution rate is low, the problem might be that agents lack customer experience or have not been properly trained to deliver quality customer service. The transfer rate may be high. There may also be technical issues interfering with customer service, or the agents may lack the information and tools needed to achieve first call resolution. 

#2: Call Center Metric: Agent Utilization

A successful call center should deliver a quality customer service experience that results in customer satisfaction. At the same time, for a call center to run efficiently, resources should not be wasted. As a result, agent utilization must also be considered as a key call center metric.

When assessing agent utilization, it’s important to look at the time spent before each call, during each call and after each call. 

Before the call, agent downtime should be reduced as much as possible. If agents spend too much time waiting for the next call to be connected, the call center is less efficient, and agents will be able to handle a smaller total number of calls. This means that the average wait time, when agents are awaiting their next call, should be kept to a minimum.

The average handle time is another key metric related to agent utilization. It’s important for call centers to verify that agents are working efficiently when they are handling calls. This means looking at the average call duration and the total number of calls.   

After call work time can also drain resources, so this is another key metric to look at. Although agents at call centers will need some time to wrap up a call after the customer hangs up, the average after call work time should be kept to a minimum. 

By reducing the amount of time wasted before, during, and after calls, call centers can increase the number of calls handled.  

#3 Call Center Metric: Average Speed of Answer and Call Handling Time

Speed plays a key role in agent utilization, but it also impacts customer satisfaction and customer service levels. Simply put, if your call center wastes your customers’ time, they will view the interaction as a negative customer experience. 

The average speed of answer is one key metric. When customers call, they don’t want to be kept waiting on hold forever – or at all. For this reason, knowing what your average speed of answer is – and making sure it’s fast – is essential.

The average handle time for each call comes into play again. If the call drags on, customers may have a bad view of the customer service level. At the same time, it is important not to rush the call in a way that negatively impacts the service level. To achieve a positive customer experience, the goal should be to resolve the issue on the first call, and to do so as quickly as possible.  

#4: Call Center Metric: Total Number of Calls

You can learn a lot about call centers by looking at the total number of calls and doing some calculations on the percentage of calls answered, abandoned or dropped. 

The answer rate is a key metric for outbound calls. If a high percentage of attempted calls do not receive an answer, there may be a problem. Likewise, it’s important to consider the percentage of calls blocked. 

In addition to the number of calls answered, another key issue is the call drop rate. Modern call center systems often involve automated processes, including automatic dialing. While these features can make final expense leads call centers more efficient, technical issues or a lack of available agents may lead to a high dropped call rate. 

Customers may also drop calls. This may happen if they are forced to wait too long, for example. Customers may also hang up if the call center messages that they hear while waiting are annoying or if they get frustrated trying to navigate an automated menu. If your call center has a high abandon rate, you may need to do some investigations at your call center to determine what is causing callers to hang up.  

#5 Call Center Metric: Success Rates 

So far, the call center metrics we’ve looked at have covered issues such as the total number of calls at the call center, the number of calls answered, the service level, customer satisfaction, customer experience, the after call work time, the percentage of calls blocked, the average handle time, and so on. These call center metrics can tell you whether your call center is running efficiently – but they don’t necessarily say much about your bottom line. 

When assessing your call center, it’s also important to look at metrics that relate directly to your call center’s goals. While these metrics by be impacted by things like customer service, and the total number of calls, you also need to look at conversion rates and sales rates. 

Still Not Making Sales?

Let’s say that all of your other call center metrics are great. You make sure you offer great customer service. You have a low percentage of calls blocked, and your average after call work time is minimal. Your abandonment rate is low, too. All of your key performance indicators look good – but you’re not making sales. In a situation like this, the problem might not be with your call center. The problem might be with the leads you’re using.  Fortunately, there’s an easy solution: Digital Market Media. As pioneers in high quality lead generation, our focus is on helping clients achieve the lowest cost per client acquisition possible. 

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