Definite Guide: Essential Call Center Metrics and KPIs for Maximum Efficiency

How to measure the efficiency of your call center? How to check out the areas for improvement? How to track agents' time? The answer would be metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). Analyzing data like the call center’s performance, tracking agents' time, number of calls, etc., are key to business growth. You can harvest them for better organizational operation and customer satisfaction.

Strategic KPIs and comprehensive metrics will enable your business to make the right decisions. Also, the real-time data will meet customer expectations and ensures workforce management. Do you know there is a long list of call center metrics your business can measure; however, there are only a few KPIs that need monitoring over a period of time.

You have got the opportunity to create a strategy that smooths customers' journeys and boosts representatives' performances. If you don’t want to miss out on essential contact center metrics use this guide.

Understanding

Call Center Metrics

Track your agents and call center’s performance with call center metrics. The parameter allows you to measure on three levels - agent level, team level, and company level

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPIs enable managers to evaluate the performance of agents and the organization against their strategic objectives. This in return enhances teams’ proficiency, productivity, and deliverability.

Key Significance

Remember, not all metrics will capture your customer experience goals. So, consider metrics with outcomes and keep checking the relevance of results to achieve your business goals. Moreover, gain insights or actionable steps from the charts and numbers of the dashboard. Call center metrics and KPIs are vital for the best customer experience.

According to the survey of ‘State of Customer Experience,’ customer satisfaction is listed as the most significant CX metric. Metrics further determine whether your contact center is living up to customer expectations.

Essential Call Center Metrics & KPIs

Call Center Performance Metrics & KPIs

Inbound call center metrics refer to all the parameters related to incoming calls. Customers’ initial contact with the call center creates a huge influence on their minds. A call from a customer means an important investment of their time. And the way you engage shows whether you value their business and presence or not.

Valuing customers' time is one of the critical pointers they used to judge a brand. Thus, it's important to keep hold time as little as possible. Use the inbound call center metrics to analyze issues and address them.

First Response Time (FRT)

FRT refers to the average time a customer waits before speaking with an agent. It is important to have a low first response time, which means the customer satisfaction rate is high.  Every contact center calculates the number daily and weekly as high FRT may occur due to inadequate staffing levels or inabilities of technology. If you want to calculate FRT, use this formula:

FRT= Total Wait Time of Customers for All Inquiries

Total Number of Inquiries

Average Handle Time (AHT)

AHT provides a general idea of how long it takes for an agent or a group of agents to help the caller. Average handling time differs in the organization some consider it from the moment the customer connects to the moment they are disconnected. Meanwhile, others include it till post-call tasks are completed. The lower AHT is, the better. Figure out the minimum and maximum amount of time to pin down the issue, address it, and resolve it.

The best way to calculate AHT is:

AHT = Total Talk Time+ Total Hold Time + Total Wrap Time

Total No. of calls handled

Customer Satisfaction Metrics

Customer satisfaction alone can create a huge impact on the business and one misstep may ruin overall efforts. Not to forget, customer satisfaction metrics must be consistent for the greatest success of the organization. Learn proven customer satisfaction metrics and analyze whether your contact center is achieving those customer expectations or not.

First Call Resolution (FCR)

FCR defines the total number of calls in which an agent has resolved customer inquiries in the first call. It shows how fast a customer query is resolved without having to transfer, escalate, pause, or return the call. These calls have an ideal number of outcomes. Various studies and reports confirmed the higher the FCR rate, the better-high the customer satisfaction level shows a greater degree of satisfaction.

Calculate FCR, using this formula:

FCR = Total No. of Calls Resolved on First Attempt

Total No. of Call Received/Total No. of First Calls

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS is one of the most popular metrics utilized for the measurement of customer loyalty and satisfaction. NPS is calculated very simply as it relies on a question, read below:

"Will you suggest [our brand] to other people?"

Customers will be asked to respond using a 0-10 rating scale, and you can identify what kind of user they are with ratings. Find the categories below:

• Promoters (9-10)
• Passives (7-8)
• Detractors (0-6)

To calculate the NPS score, you can use this formula:

(Number of Supporters/Total Number of Customers in the List ) - (Number of Critics/Total Number of Customers in the List)

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

CSAT measures how satisfied and happy customers are with the business. The score is measured at the end of the survey, using a five-point scale. The survey asks customers about the products and services. The CSAT score can be measured in various ways as the survey template and scoring methodology can differ. Additionally, the customer survey varies from “highly satisfied” to “highly unsatisfied.”

To calculate the CSAT score use this formula:

CSAT = No. of Satisfied Customers (4 and 5)  * 100

No. of Survey Responses

Maximize the Operational Efficiency of Your Call Center

KPIs and call center metrics make operations smooth, support agents to improve, and satisfies customer highly. The data collected from these sources help call center managers make appropriate decisions, rectify problems, and better understand customer needs. KPIs and call center metrics enable your business to have victory, the rest depends on deciphering the data, coming up with a plan, implementing changes, coaching the staff, and ultimately meeting your business goals.