CONTACT CENTER METRICS
Moreover , the integration of omnichannel feedback and seamless communication across various customer touchpoints , ensures that organizations can quickly respond to issues and adapt their strategies to meet evolving customer needs . This holistic approach to measuring and improving CX helps businesses maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly changing market .
Contact center representatives are no longer viewed as backroom operators for handling customer inquiries . Instead , they represent the face of their companies . Accordingly , the screening for these positions has evolved from one in-person or phone interview to a series of assessments and interviews .
Some of the attributes we screen for have stayed consistent , like active listening , attention to detail , and stress management .
Others have evolved :
· Phone communication skills , from both verbal and written , politeness , or being courteous to a full customer service orientation and expanded from typing and basic computer skills to technical skills .
· Basic problem solving expanded to solving more complex problems using a myriad of tools , glossaries , and technology .
WHILE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IS VITAL , METRICS SOLELY FOCUSED ON STAFFING AND INTERNAL PROCESS- ES OFTEN OVERLOOK THE CUSTOMER ’ S PERSPECTIVE .
There are also new skills that weren ’ t around in the beginning of my career , like empathy , adaptability , flexibility , the ability to multitask , time management skills , and teamwork and collaboration .
The questions to ask are ( a ) whether the face of your company is showing up in each customer interaction and ( b ) how do you measure it to ensure the brand is well-represented ?
METRICS TIMELINE
In the early days there was a saying in the contact center world : “ if it moves , we measure it .” Contact centers were focused on the efficiency of the center as most were considered a cost center .
A contact center had real estate , technology , people , and time as expenses . Average Handle Time ( AHT ), Calls Per Hour ( CPH ), Call Volume , Average Speed of Answer , Hold Time , Service Levels , Abandonment Rate , and Wrap-Up Time were the way everything was measured in relation to the call .
The goal was efficiency . Agents were trained to answer the calls within three seconds , manage their handle times , and wrap up calls in short order to get to the next call .
In many cases , the most important person on the team was workforce management ( WFM ), who was focused on the call center staffing model and analytics .
It is worth noting that there is a key word missing from these metrics : “ customer .” It wasn ’ t until later that we started to focus as an industry on the customer and their experience and started to create Customer Relationship Management ( CRM ) systems to harness the data .
While operational efficiency is vital , metrics solely focused on staffing and internal processes often overlook the customer ’ s perspective . This gap can lead to a misalignment between what the organization measures and what drives customer satisfaction and loyalty . To bridge the gap , metrics such as CSAT , NPS , and First Call Resolution ( FCR ) put the customer at the forefront ensuring the right outcomes .
As an industry , we continue to evolve by leveraging digital transformation and modernizing our metrics with the coming of Customer Effort Score ( CES ), a Digital Engagement Score , and Sentiment Analysis .
FIGURE 1
SOURCE : LESLEY CORYDON VIA WORD SALAD
OCTOBER 2024 19