Table of Contents
The metrics, KPIs and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important for a call center to enhance their efficiency. Call centers use these numbers to measure the success of different programs or campaigns in order to improve upon them.
The “call center metrics definitions” is a blog post that provides 11 call center metrics and KPIs to enhance efficiency. The article also includes the “Must Have” text.
Agent performance and customer satisfaction rates are measured using call center metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). By detecting agent training requirements and ensuring you are maintaining high-quality service standards, tracking this data helps you generate more efficient client experiences. Here are the 11 most important contact center metrics and KPIs to track:
- The average rate of call abandonment
- Scores for service quality
- Average response time (ASA)
- Handling time on average (AHT)
- After-hours work is typical (ACW)
- Resolution on the first call (FCR)
- Score of customer satisfaction (CSAT)
- Rate of call transfer
- The amount of calls is increasing.
- Agent turnover is high.
- Time spent in line on average
While you may manually calculate and measure contact center KPIs, the finest call center phone systems provide built-in analytics and dashboards that allow you to watch call center performance indicators in real time, notice patterns, and gain insights. They save you time and provide data-backed advice for improving the performance and customer service quality of your contact center.
1. The average rate of call abandonment
The proportion of customers who hang up the phone before speaking to a professional is known as your call abandonment rate. Call abandonment rates typically range between 5% and 8%, however this statistic varies by industry and may fluctuate periodically. Divide the total number of abandoned calls by the total number of incoming calls to get your rate.
Custom abandonment metrics are available with call center platforms like RingCentral Contact Center, such as:
- People who hung up after being placed on hold by your agent are known as held party abandons.
- Callers who hung up before entering a queue are known as prequeue abandons.
- Customers in an agent queue who hung up at predetermined intervals are known as short and long abandons.
The amount of abandoned calls is tracked in real time by RingCentral. (Image courtesy of RingCentral)
Customers drop calls for many reasons, from long wait times to complicated interactive voice response (IVR) menus. A high call abandonment rate points to a problem with other call center metrics, such as your Average response time (ASA) and Time spent in line on average rates.
HubSpot, a leading customer relationship management (CRM) software provider, advises that “90% of consumers rate an immediate response as important or very important when they have a customer service question.” Consequently, your The average rate of call abandonment is critical for measuring call center performance.
2. Scores for service quality
A service level score is the proportion of your calls that are answered within a certain amount of time. One of the most significant contact center metrics, it gives a high-level view of your performance.
Divide the total number of calls answered by the total number of incoming calls to get your service level. The industry norm, according to Call Centre Helper, is to answer 80 percent of calls within 20 seconds.
Customers in certain businesses are given service level agreements (SLAs), which ensure that they will be responded to within a particular time range. Others include a promise into their brand purpose and set service-level targets to guarantee they’re fulfilling their consumers’ expectations. SLM (service-level monitoring) includes a variety of channels, such as phone and help desk communications.
“46 percent of teams have a Service Level Agreement policy to address customer concerns in fewer than 6 hours,” according to Hiver’s Customer Service Benchmark Report. Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite tools, for example, provide a service level metrics report that lays down which calls met expectations and which calls surpassed the norm.
The omnichannel dashboard in Freshdesk allows you to keep track of the entire service level goal. (Image courtesy of Freshdesk)
3. Average response time (ASA)
The average contact center response time The time it takes your agents to pick up the phone is referred to as a KPI. When callers exit the IVR system, the time begins ticking and continues until a person answers the phone. It’s calculated by dividing your overall wait time by the total number of answered calls, and it’s measured in seconds.
According to RingCentral, “the average speed of answer in the industry is around 28 seconds.” However, HDI recommends keeping your ASA “between 25% and 40%” of your Handling time on average (AHT).
Because the ASA only records answered phone calls, it’s critical to look at additional contact center KPIs. RingCentral Contact Center statistics, for example, go deep into queue and individual contact center efficiency indicators like ASA and average wait time, while factoring for lost or abandoned calls.
High ASAs might indicate staffing concerns, increase call abandonment rates, and negatively influence customer service. Reduced rates below the industry norm might raise the cost of a support ticket or call.
4. Handling time on average (AHT)
The average handling time is the time it takes from the beginning of a call to the completion of the ticket by your agent. It comprises the amount of time your customers spend on hold and chatting with an agent, as well as the amount of time your representatives spend on after-call tasks (ACW).
AHT is calculated automatically by contact center phone systems such as RingCentral Contact Center software and the Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite. You may also split the total number of incoming calls by the ACW, call times, and hold times statistics.
Call center stats from RingCentral, including average handling time (Source: RingCentral)
The dashboard for Freshdesk’s call center (Source: Freshdesk)
The industry norm, according to Call Centre Helper, is “six minutes and three seconds.” Sectors with more complicated customer or technical support calls, on the other hand, may take longer than ecommerce contact centers answering order status queries.
Benchmarking your AHT against industry standards and monitoring your Score of customer satisfaction (CSAT) is crucial. If your AHT and CSAT are high, a long call handle time may not harm customer experiences. In contrast, a low CSAT and high AHT suggest a problem with your process or agent performance.
5. After-hours work is typical (ACW)
Average after-call work is a call center KPI that measures how much time your agents spend after a call ends. Reps often update the customer relationship management (CRM) database and add post-call comments. The total minutes your agent spent on after-call work divided by the number of calls they handled is the formula for monitoring ACW.
ACW varies, however Freshdesk software sets the default at two minutes and updates your agent’s status automatically throughout that period. Call center efficiency metrics track the performance of your agents and give information for assessment and training.
An example of a summary of each agent’s call time (Source: Freshdesk)
Dialpad and other voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) systems give automated post-call notes, which reduces after-call effort. Similarly, contact center software connections with CRMs sync your call data to your CRM automatically, reducing data input responsibilities.
Dialpad call summary example (Source: Dialpad)
6. Resolution on the first call (FCR)
First call resolution, also known as first contact resolution, is a call center measure that assesses your ability to handle customer issues within the first encounter. Divide the total number of customer queries handled on the first call by the total number of callers with unique problems to get your FCR.
According to the SQM Group, the “call center industry benchmark average for the first call resolution rate is 70%,” implying that 30% of callers would enquire about the same issue again. The charges vary depending on the kind of call and the industry.
FCR is more difficult to measure since it needs explicit criteria of what defines a resolved inquiry as well as a standardized reporting system. Callers may be asked whether your agent handled their issue using post-call survey tools provided by VoIP providers like Nextiva and 808. CRM interfaces also keep track of all interactions, enabling supervisors to correctly compute FCR.
You may use Nextiva to conduct post-call surveys to get a sense of how your customers feel. (Image courtesy of Nextiva)
The survey summary dashboard from 8×8 (Source: 8×8)
The advantages of keeping track of and enhancing your FCR are many. According to SQM Group, a 1% increase in FCR reduces operational expenses by 1% and enhances customer satisfaction by 1%. Measuring contact center performance—specifically, FCR and CSAT scores—improves your company results since these measures impact profitability and customer experience.
7. Score of customer satisfaction (CSAT)
Like FCR, the Score of customer satisfaction (CSAT) relies on post-call customer surveys. Ask callers a question, like “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with your call?” Add up your satisfaction scores and divide them by the number of completed surveys.
(Image courtesy of Freshworks)
Customer satisfaction is the simplest to assess, yet it has the most influence on your success. Indeed, according to Hiver’s Customer Service Benchmark Report, 41% of respondents claimed “CSAT is their most critical KPI.”
RingCentral Contact Center sends out surveys and generates reports on its own. You may also use Google Forms or Typeform, which are both free. In 2021, industry goals for the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) varied from 65 percent for internet service providers to 80 percent for full-service restaurants. A 75 percent score indicates that three out of four callers thought the encounter was favorable rather than neutral or negative.
RingCentral creates summaries of survey results that may be used to create agent training programs. (Image courtesy of RingCentral)
The net promoter score (NPS), which evaluates brand loyalty, and the customer effort score (CES), which assesses how much effort your customer puts in to fix an issue, are two more customer-related contact center metrics.
8. Rate of call transfer
The Rate of call transfer is a call center metric that looks at the percentage of calls transferred to another department or employee, including calls passed to supervisors. You can measure the transfer rate by dividing the number of calls transferred by the total number of handled calls. According to LiveAgent, the “average number of call center transfer rates is 9.9%, and a typical caller is transferred 2.6 times before their issue is resolved.”
Higher rates can indicate a problem with your IVR call flow or agent skill sets. Contact center features like call monitoring and call whisper can reduce your Rate of call transfer by allowing supervisors to assist agents before the problem escalates. Many cloud-hosted services, including RingCentral, Nextiva, and Freshdesk, support call monitoring on upper-tier plans.
Team leaders may listen in on calls using Nextiva’s quiet monitoring capability. (Image courtesy of Nextiva)
Managers or team leaders may quickly barge into calls using Freshdesk by pressing the “Join” button. (Image courtesy of Freshdesk Contact Center.)
Call center software with skills-based routing tools and user-friendly IVR systems, on the other hand, gets consumers to the proper person on the first attempt, with minimal irritation. The finest systems also sync caller data, so your customers don’t have to ask the same questions again and over again.
9. The amount of calls is increasing.
The The amount of calls is increasing. measures your total inbound and outbound call volume in hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly intervals and compares it to your average speed to answer. Call center software typically categorizes call volume into the total number of calls handled by an auto-attendant versus those received by agents.
This call center KPI metric reveals trends related to peak call volumes, such as certain hours or days with high demand. The amount of calls is increasing. reports help you optimize workforce schedules while ensuring positive customer experiences and higher CSAT scores. Most VoIP software includes basic call volume reports on entry-tier plans.
Contact center solutions such as RingCentral and Freshdesk, on the other hand, provide extensive analytics. These tools combine several data elements to provide an overview of your call volume, response time, and customer satisfaction.
RingCentral has a live reporting widget as an example (Source: RingCentral)
A sample RingCentral analysis report detailing the amount of calls each month (Source: RingCentral)
10. Agent turnover is high.
Unlike other call center metrics, the Agent turnover is high. is inward-looking as it shows how many employees leave your employment during a specific time frame. Calculate your turnover rate by dividing the number of employees at the end of the period by your beginning headcount. Harvard Business Review says, “The average call center turnover rate is as high as 45%—at least twice the average turnover in other departments.”
Agent absenteeism is another important contact center KPI connected to staffing. It keeps track of how well your team sticks to their schedule, giving you more information about how engaged they are. Workforce management products such as RingCentral Contact Center and Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite enable contact centers to track both metrics.
Scheduling dashboard for a call center (Source: RingCentral)
Attrition among your agents raises your expenses and jeopardizes your customers’ experience. As a result, it’s a crucial measure to monitor. While seasonal fluctuations in turnover are to be expected, surges might suggest a problem with work conditions, work-life balance, or bad overall agent experiences.
11. Time spent in line on average
The Time spent in line on average refers to how long your customer waits to speak to an agent after navigating the IVR system. Calculate this call center metric by dividing the total time on hold by the total number of calls. Longer wait times may increase your call abandonment rate and lower customer satisfaction scores.
Many contact center systems provide capabilities like queued callbacks that help reduce lengthy wait times. RingCentral Contact Center displays real-time queue wait times and assists managers in proactively managing phone traffic.
The RingCentral dashboard allows agents to customize their call queue availability. (Image courtesy of RingCentral)
Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the methods for calculating call center metrics?
Most call center metrics are calculated using formulae and expressed as a percentage of the total. To manually calculate the formula, you may utilize data from your company phone system, CRM, or help desk tools. Also, produce reports depending on your settings using your contact center software.
How do you track customer service KPIs?
Customer service is important. Everything from a caller’s wait time to overall satisfaction is measured using KPIs. Some contact center KPI measurements, such as the amount of time a caller spends in a hold queue or waiting for a response, are based on call data. Others do post-call surveys to determine customer satisfaction (CSAT) or net promoter ratings (NPS).
What are some ways that call centers may enhance their metrics?
Using contact center software, acting on insights, and training employees are three key strategies to enhance call center metrics. Customer-facing tools like as easy-to-navigate IVRs and complex call routing tools are provided by contact center as a service (CCaaS) solutions.
Agents may benefit from artificial intelligence (AI), third-party app connections, and automation tools, which can all help them perform better. CRM connectors, for example, provide your staff with access to customer data both before and during a call, allowing them to customise discussions and enhance caller experiences. It can record and transcribe calls automatically, as well as produce after-call notes. Data analytics provide supervisors with call center KPI insights, helping them to spot call flow or agent-related issues.
Conclusion
Understanding and monitoring contact center data may help you enhance consumer and staff experiences. Examine the sorts of reports and analytics your contact center software provides, and then evaluate your call center KPIs on a regular basis. Utilize the data to find ways to delight consumers, automate agent jobs, and save contact center expenses.
The “outbound call center metrics” is a list of 11 call center metrics and KPIs that can help to enhance efficiency.
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