In many industries, call centers are the face and voice of customer care. They have been for many years; however, the core technology has changed. Contact centers, especially in the age of messaging applications, appear to be a relevant platform for consumer connection. The days of getting forward with an adequate call center are long gone. The good news is that you can improve team efficiency by enhancing important call center metrics. As a result, your call center personnel can boost their handling of all customer requests.

Customer Experience KPIs for the contact center (CX)in Call Centers (CX)

A company's success depends on its ability to provide a positive experience for its clientele. However, how do you determine if you are actually satisfying your customers? How much effort and money you are willing to put into improving your customers' experiences will give you a good idea of how satisfied they will be.

If you want to know how your customers feel about your business, look no further than these call center metrics.

Net Promoter Score® (NPS)

This patented score may best indicate how much consumers adore your brand. NPS is based on a simple inquiry. ("On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend our company to others?")

9s and 10s are known as Promoters,
7-8s are known as Passives, and
0-6s are identified as Detractors.

The NPS formula is simple. You take the number of promoters multiplied by the total number of customers in the sample minus the number of detractors multiplied by the total number of customers in the sample = net promoter score.

Always remember that surveying your customers at just the correct times is the most effective method of gauging their net promoter scores (NPS).

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

CSAT, like NPS, is an excellent gauge of customer satisfaction. Call center efforts are given a boost in proportion to their performance on this crucial metric. However, unlike NPS, there is no agreed-upon method for determining this key performance indicator.

In most cases, businesses will request customer comments regarding the quality of an agent's resolution to a problem. Corporations assign responses to categories based on an ad hoc scoring system, such as:

Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Not Satisfied
Very Unsatisfied

Overall customer satisfaction is calculated by dividing the number of respondents who gave responses of either "Very Satisfied" or "Satisfactory" by the total number of respondents.

First Response Time (FRT)

Customers nowadays are experts at getting what they want right away. Waiting is something they dislike intensely. It is recommended that this metric be kept to a minimum. The first-response-time (FRT) measures how long a customer can get through to a trained agent.

This metric has close ties to Service Level, a crucial KPI for contact centers that take incoming calls.

Formula: Total Wait Time for All Calls ÷ Total Number of Calls

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

FCR is the percentage of customer service calls in which the problem is solved on the first call. Immediate problem resolution that doesn't require repeated calls from the customer is a significant factor in satisfying that customer. This metric is an excellent measure of a call center's success and its agents' efficiency.

It embodies a mantra shared by numerous institutions: "Do it right the first time."

You also avoid customer churn caused by unnecessary callbacks and call transfers.

Formulas:
FCR = Total Number of Reported Issues Resolved on First Call ÷ Total Number of Calls
Another indicator is FCRR (First Call Resolution Rate), which is the Total Number of Reported Issues Resolved on the First Call ÷ Total Number of First Calls.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

CES measures how easily a customer use case is resolved by your service. There is currently no agreed-upon method of calculating CES, much like CSAT. A five-point scale is standard, but some businesses go as high as seven.

CES typically asks one question: "Did the service make it easier for you to solve your problem?" (with 7 representing Strongly Agree and 1 representing Strongly Disagree).

When the CES score is high, the customer experience is excellent.

Channel Mix

This essential factor shows how many of your customers prefer each service channel. Among these channels are:

Phone calls (voice)
Mobile
Social Media
Email
SMS
App for instant messaging/chat
Self-service websites (FAQs, DIY videos, etc.)

To calculate this metric, get the total number of customer service sessions per channel.

Customer Retention Rate (CRR)

The CRR calculates the percentage of current customers who stick around for a set period.

Formula: (Number of active customers at the end of a given period – Newly acquired customers during the same period) ÷ Number of customers at the beginning of the period X 100% (The period can be 30 days, 90 days, 360 days, or some other value)

Customer Churn Rate (CCR)

The customer Churn Rate is related to the rate of Customer Retention. CCR estimates the number of customers who have discontinued using your service during a specific time.

Formula: (Number of customers you lost during a given period ÷ Number of customers you had at the beginning of the period) X 100%

Call center metrics tracking agent performance In every customer interaction, much depends on the people handling the call. Agents in call centers do more than listen to consumer complaints. Here are some call center metrics that can be used to track agent performance.

Adherence to Schedule

This indicator displays how much time an agent spends on client calls. A low schedule adherence score increases the number of missed and abandoned calls. As a result, your Customer Satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores may suffer.

Formula: ((Number of Hours Agent Spend Handling Calls + Net Available Time) ÷ (Paid Hours)) x 100%

Agent Utilization Rate

Agent Utilization Rate is the average time an agent spends on calls in a given period compared to the total number of work hours.

For example, an agent who works an average of 5 hours in an 8-hour workday has a utilization rate of 62.5%.

This statistic, like Adherence to Schedule, is an excellent predictor of agent performance.

Formula: (Average Number of Handled Calls x Average Handle Time) ÷ (Total Work Hours in Given Period) x 100%

Agent Attrition Rate

This indicator illustrates the rate at which agents in a call center either retire or leave their positions. High agent attrition rates erode a call center's ability to provide adequate service to its customers.

Formula: (Number of Employees that Left During A Given Period) ÷ (Average Number of Employees for the Period) × 100%

Occupancy Rate

The time call center agents spend engaging clients on live calls and performing administrative activities connected to those interactions is measured by the Occupancy Rate. Low occupancy rates could be brought on by:

Non-call-related activities
Extended breaks
The frequency of events, meetings, and training sessions
ineffective agent behaviors

Formula: (Total Contact Handling Time ÷ Total Logged Time) ×100%

Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

The Average Speed of Answer (ASA) determines the average time it takes to respond to client calls. This measure is sometimes confused with First Response Time in some businesses (FRT). These time-based amounts establish an ideal threshold for responding to consumer calls.

Formula: Total Wait Time for Answered Calls ÷ Total Number of Answered Calls

Average Handle Time (AHT)

Average Handling Time is the average time it takes to handle a call from beginning to end. Hold durations and after-call tasks are included. This metric can establish team benchmarks and identify which agents require additional training to manage client calls.

Formula: (Total Talk Time + Total Hold Time + Total After-Call Work Time) ÷ Total Number of Calls

Average After-Call Work Time

This indicator measures how quickly agents complete tasks associated with the calls they manage. High post-call metric values indicate agent, workflow, or tool inefficiency.

Formula: (Total Time to Finish All Post-Call Tasks) ÷ (Total Number of Calls) Contact center metrics for operational success

Cost Per Call (CPC)

The cost per call (CPC) is the average cost incurred by a contact center for each call processed. This measure demonstrates how much it costs a call center to operate. It also indicates whether a call center is effectively deploying its resources.

Businesses frequently establish an ideal CPC and strive to reach and maintain this threshold.

Formula: Total Cost of All Calls ÷ Total Number of Calls Note: Total Cost of All Calls might refer to Operating Expenses in some companies

Service Level

This parameter is a good predictor of total call center performance.

Most businesses base their optimum service level on cost efficiency. For instance, a business might strive to respond to at least 80% of incoming calls within 20 seconds. It is then up to the call center to provide this service level by process enhancement through agent training and improvements in technology. Indeed, many businesses use virtual call center software to improve their operational effectiveness. There are three methods for calculating Service levels.

Formulas:
- (Number of Calls Answered in Y seconds ÷ Total Calls Received) x 100%
- ((Number of Calls Answered in Y seconds) ÷ (Total Calls Answered + Abandoned Calls)) x 100%
- ((Number of Calls Answered in Y seconds) ÷ (Total Calls Answered + Abandoned Calls after Y seconds)) x 100%

Call Volume

This includes all calls made and received by the call center during that time. Many organizations classify call volume as:

Total Number Number of Calls Calls Handled by an Agent, plus the Total Number of Calls Handled by an Automated System (e.g., IVR)

Peak Hour Traffic

This measure, related to Call Arrival Rate, identifies specific times of the day with increased call volumes. Understanding Peak Hour Demand allows businesses to devote appropriate resources to handle this traffic.

Call Type Mix

This metric depicts a call center's relative share of the various call types handled. The following call types are possible:

Inquiries about accounts
Upgrades Claims/refunds
Help with technology
Campaign-related initiatives
Complaints
Requests for changes
Applications
Account cancellations

Call Abandonment Rate

Customers, perhaps more than anybody else, want their concerns addressed as soon as possible. Unsurprisingly, many hang up after being on hold for an extended period. Abandoned calls indicate client dissatisfaction and lack of faith in your brand.

Formula: (Number of Calls – Number of Handled Calls) ÷ Number of Calls x 100%

Average Waiting Time

This measure pertains to situations where representatives must hold client calls. While there are genuine reasons for call holding, contact centers should always strive to reduce Average Waiting Time.

Formula: Total Number of Seconds Customers Spend Waiting ÷ Total Number of Calls

Call Transfer Rate

Contact center agents may need to shift calls to other resources for better call resolution. While most of these transfers are required, clients rarely appreciate the process. As a general rule, call centers should strive to minimize call transfers to a minimum.

Formula: (Number of Transferred Calls ÷ Total Number of Calls) x 100%

Call Arrival Rate

A contact center's call volume is the sum of all calls received during a given time frame. The period can be stated in terms of days, hours, or minutes.

Repeat Calls

This measure, connected to FCR, displays the different concerns challenging to handle on the initial phone contact.

Self-service options and increased agent training are two workarounds. Your website and social media profiles need content that demonstrates alternative approaches to problems where these don't work.

Percentage of Calls Blocked

Calling a contact center should rarely result in a busy signal. Here, call volume features like auto-transfer and IVR are helpful.

This measure relates to the percentage of incoming calls that are answered with a busy signal. Keeping this statistic low requires striking a balance between spending, quality of service, and customer happiness.

Formula: (Number of Calls that Fail to Reach Agents ÷ Total Number of Incoming Calls) x 100%

Active Waiting Calls

This metric assesses how successfully teams handle high call volumes in real-time. It provides contact center managers with information on the number of calls handled vs. those on hold. Too many unanswered calls result in a negative customer experience.

The following are standard solutions to significantly high Active Waiting Calls:

Additional agent recruitment
Boosting Productivity with Training
Improved workflows

Average Age of Query

This is the average time it takes for a customer inquiry that was not resolved on the initial call to be resolved.

This statistic, related to FCR, provides insight into whether issues, channels or engagement tactics result in lengthier resolution times.

Formula: Total time (in hours or days) current open queries remain open ÷ Total Number of Open Queries

Longest Hold Time Rate

This is the most prolonged duration a consumer call has been on hold without the client hanging up.

This is usually a single incident unless numerous cases register the same call waiting periods. Companies should attempt to keep this metric as low as possible.

Callback Messaging

The number of customers who'd rather not wait on hold and ask to be called back.

Since most customers want their problems fixed immediately, this metric should be kept as low as possible.

So, you have the numbers; now what?

In conclusion, there are dozens of call center metrics, but you don't need to track everything.

If you're an SMB, you might want to focus on the essentials, Monitoring and optimizing the right mix of KPIs can help you streamline call center ops.

Our Elevate Contact Center Solution might be what you need to streamline your business connections with your customers. Meaning more calls, reducing cost, and increasing visibility while keeping simplicity.

TeleSwitch Portfolio provides industry-leading solutions that will give you the visibility you need. Take the first step to building a profitable communication platform for your business.
Schedule your FREE Consultation today.

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30 Key Metrics for Contact Centers to Boost Customer Happiness