What are the top internal metrics that you use to measure your contact center?

While different types of centers will need to measure different KPIs, here's a list of the nine critical metrics that I discuss in detail in Ch. 1 of my new ebook, Full Contact. (These are the metrics that any center -- regardless of size, industry, or call type -- should focus on, as they drive customer satisfaction and agent engagement while keeping costs in check):

-Service level (for live calls, chats)
-Email response time
-First-call resolution (FCR)
-Quality
-C-Sat
-Agent adherence to schedule
-Forecast accuracy
-Employee satisfaction (E-Sat)
-Agent turnover

For more information on my ebook, you can go to:

http://www.greglevin.com/full-contact-ebook.html

Best of luck,

Greg Levin
www.greglevin.com

What metrics matter most for a contact centre is decided by the role of the centre. In a sales focussed organisation, lead to sale conversion would be the absolute top priority, while at a service organisation, one would look at First Contact Resolution.
Different channels, markets and products will play a role as well.

I have compiled a list of metrics that I think every contact center manager should measure and report on though:

Quality Metrics
1. Customer Satisfaction
2. Contact Quality Score
3a. First Contact Resolution
3b. Lead to Sales conversion rate

Productivity Metrics
1. Service Level (Calls, Chat)
2. Response Time (E-mail, Written Correspondence)
3. Average time per contact
4. Compliance to Schedule

Forecast Metrics
1. Forecast Accuracy
2. Shrinkage (Available hours vs. Actual Hours)

Staff Metrics
1. Agent Satisfaction (at least annually!)
2. Attrition
3. Sickness

Financial Metrics
1. Budget Accuracy

At different levels in any organisation one will add to this list and measure less influential figures, like "Contact Documentation %" etc.

I hope this answer helped a bit but feel free to mail me at: nbc3info@home.nl if I can be of further service.

Niek Bosch

Unfortunately there are no standards as such. Some people may suggest that you should mesure X, Y and Z, but how do they know what is relevant and important to your business and your customers.

Once you understand what metrics will have a positive affect on your costs, revenue or customer service, then you will know what to measure, how and when.

I think you can measure efficiency and productivity in many ways, depending of what does they mean to you.

For example, in my opinion you can focus in some indicators like Abandon rate (Inbound and outbound), how many sells you made per day or per calls, how many time an agent is idle in one hour, etc.

You can use this information in order to increase the efficiency, for example contacting more people, selling more, or just having less abandon rates, and productivity, for example having less agent idle time.

In a few words, the indicators depends in what productivity and efficiency means for your bussines.

If you want to know more or make any questions you can find us in http://www.inconcertcc.com

It depends on the primary focus of your specific Contact Center.

If your primary focus is on Cost Containment – and if you operate your Call Center as a “Cost Center” - then Average Speed of Answer (ASA), Average Handle Time (AHT), and Maximizing Calls per Agent per Hour are typically emphasized as your Key Performance Indicators.

If you operate your Call Center as a “Profit Center” - then typically the Key Performance Indicators are Customer Satisfaction and First Call Resolution (FCR).

It’s all about the quality of the ‘Humanware’ you deploy in your Contact Center to begin with.

A tightly-scripted Call Center environment is typically found where the primary focus is on Cost Containment. In order to maximize Average Speed of Answer (ASA) and minimize Average Handle Time (AHT) Agents are usually required to rigorously follow a script. A tightly-scripted Call Center environment is also sometimes determined by an Industry Sector: such as Financial Services/Insurance/Healthcare - or by a Client’s Service Level Agreement (SLA) for an Outsourcer.

An unscripted Call Center environment is typically found (and should be encouraged) where your Key Performance Indicators are Customer Satisfaction and First Call Resolution (FCR). That’s not to say that an unscripted Call Center environment shouldn’t employ training aids/general ideas/key phrases. Ideally these should form a framework of points upon which an Agent drapes their own personality and phraseology.

Scripted and unscripted call handling are discrete and different pursuits - requiring separate Personality/Job-Fit/Temperament Factors. Someone with the Intellect & ‘Verbal Artistry’ to serve a caller in an unscripted fashion is rarely a good fit for a tightly-scripted Call Center environment. Equally – it is rare for someone who performs well in a tightly-scripted Call Center to successfully make the transition to unscripted caller interactions. Few people possess the ability to work successfully long-term in both a scripted and unscripted Call Center.

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Hi Jay,

I would be interested to know exactly what it is your trying to achive.

Please email me at DKeane@responsegroup.ie

Regards
David