Reporting metrics are crucial for any call center and there cannot be any doubt about that. What makes them so essential? Is it possible to measure the performance of this organization without them? If you wish to find out answers to these questions, then proceed reading this article.
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Call center industry uses numerous metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of this or that company and productivity of its personnel. What indicators are worth serious consideration then? Though this depends upon the type and specialization of your business, there are a few metrics that have to be taken into account. The most vital of them are first resolution rate, average handle time and abandon rate.
Why optimize call center
First rate resolution is that metric that can tell a lot about your current business performance. It is highly important to keep in mind that most callers wish to have their inquiries and problems settled from the very first try. This, however, is not always possible, because one and the same agent may not be knowledgeable enough in all the spheres at a time. Therefore, if one employee is not able to handle your call, this should not be a huge problem for you. What matters here is how responsible and serious an agent is when trying to deal with your problem. In case he/she cannot manage a call successfully, then it is important for this agent to transfer it onwards, which should be done politely and correctly in order not to leave a customer unsatisfied. That is why proper personnel training is critical here.
Average handle time is a metric, which should be implemented in combination with other measurement tools, but not in isolation. Some call center managers do not consider this indicator significant, however, because they just do not see the point of making customers wait until their calls will be handled. They believe that it is just a waste of money and agents’ effort, because the less calls are handled on time, the more after-call work will be required. What is important here is to understand that the handle time should not be too long. Otherwise, this will affect the rate of customer satisfaction and can even make clients contact your competitors.
Analyzing abandon rates is as useful as measuring metrics mentioned above. This process helps a contact center define whether extra measures (ring-backs, for instance) help retain customers or not. This metric is also useful when it comes to optimizing call center resources, which is vital in case of peak periods or during lunch hours.