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15 Call Center Metrics Every Manager Should Track
In today's fast-paced, innovation-driven world, call centers remain a critical touchpoint for customer service, yet they often operate under significant stress. The reality of call center agent burnout is undeniable, making it crucial to balance agent workload while maintaining top-notch customer service. Accurate and regular measurement of call center metrics is essential to achieving this balance.
In this blog, we will explore call center metrics from two key perspectives: overall call center performance and individual agent performance. Additionally, we'll share some expert tips on effectively improving these metrics. Let's dive in.
- What are call center metrics
- The importance of tracking call center performance metrics
- Call center metrics vs. Contact center metrics
- 15 Top call center metrics to track
- Key strategies and emerging trends to improve call center metrics
- How to evaluate your call center’s metrics monitoring tool
- Why Sprinklr is your best ally
What are call center metrics
Call center metrics are quantitative measurements used to evaluate a call center's and its agents' performance. These metrics provide insights into various aspects of call center operations, from efficiency and effectiveness to customer satisfaction and agent performance.
The key stakeholders responsible for effective measurement of call center metrics are:
- Head of CX and customer service: These leaders oversee the call center's overall performance. They use call center metrics to assess strategic effectiveness, allocate resources and drive improvements in customer service strategies.
- Customer service managers: They are directly involved in day-to-day operations and use call center metrics to monitor agent performance. Their goal is to ensure SLAs are met and identify areas where additional training or support may be needed.
- Call center supervisors: Supervisors focus on operational aspects and use metrics to track real time performance, manage schedules and ensure adherence to processes and standards.
- Data analysts: These specialists interpret data from various call center metrics to provide actionable insights and recommendations for performance improvements.
The importance of tracking call center performance metrics
Tracking call center performance metrics is essential for several reasons. Here are six key benefits you must know about.
Driving business impact
Beyond operational efficiency, call center metrics directly influence the bottom line. Forbes reports that 88% of customers consider customer service more important than ever.
By identifying trends, bottlenecks and areas of improvement, you can optimize resource allocation, reduce costs and enhance revenue generation.
For instance, tracking average handle time (AHT) can highlight opportunities to streamline processes, while customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) can inform product or service enhancements.
Identifying issues early
Metrics such as call drop rate and customer complaint frequency can indicate potential problems early. For example, a sudden spike in dropped calls might indicate technical issues requiring immediate attention. By dealing with these issues early, managers can take corrective action to check escalations and minimize negative impacts on customer experience.
Elevating customer satisfaction
According to call center statistics, 73% of consumers feel that brands valuing their customers' time is a sign of good customer service experiences. You can identify areas where customer needs are unmet by closely monitoring metrics like first call resolution (FCR) and customer satisfaction scores. This data-driven approach enables targeted improvements in call center agent training and results in higher customer satisfaction.
Optimizing operations
Call center metrics provide a clear lens into a call center's operational efficiency. By tracking metrics such as call abandonment rate, average hold time and service level, managers can identify bottlenecks, optimize staffing levels and implement process improvements. For example, a high abandonment rate might indicate the need for additional agents or improved IVR systems.
Empowering agents and boosting morale
Metrics are not just about the big picture; they also play a crucial role in empowering agents and boosting morale. Call centers can foster a culture of excellence by recognizing and rewarding top performers based on customer satisfaction and first-call resolution metrics. Tracking agent performance metrics can identify training needs and provide call center coaching and development opportunities.
Data-driven decision making
The power of call center metrics lies in their ability to inform data-driven decision-making. By analyzing trends and patterns, you can make informed choices about resource allocation, technology investments and process improvements.
Call center metrics vs. Contact center metrics
Call centers and contact center metrics assess performance but differ in their approach to customer service. Call centers traditionally handle voice calls, while contact centers manage a variety of communication channels, including calls, emails, live chats and social media interactions. Understanding these metrics’ distinctions can help you better tailor your strategies to meet specific operational needs.
Aspect | Call center metrics | Contact center metrics |
Communication channels | Primarily voice calls | Multiple channels (voice, email, chat, social media) |
Focus | Efficiency and effectiveness of phone interactions | Overall customer experienceacross all contact center channels |
Customer interaction channel | Single-channel interaction | Multi-channel interaction, often simultaneous |
Tools used | Primarily phone systems and CRM for call management. | Omnichannel customer service software integrating phone, email, chat and social media management. |
Customer experience | Measures customer satisfaction through phone interactions. | Measures customer satisfaction across all customer service channels. |
Training and skills | Voice communication skills | Multi-channel communication skills, adaptability to various tools |
Performance insights | Customer satisfaction, agent performance, operational efficiency, etc. | A holistic view of customer service performance across channels |
Integration complexity | Generally simpler to implement and manage. | More complex due to the integration of multiple communication channels. |
15 Top call center metrics to track
Let's get to the point now. As discussed earlier in the blog, the key call center metrics are divided into two types: call center performance metrics and agent performance metrics. Let's examine call center performance metrics first.
- Call center performance metrics
It focuses on metrics that measure the call center's overall health and efficiency. Let's examine the key call center metrics that fall under it.
1. Service level
Service level is a key performance indicator that measures a call center's ability to answer calls within a specific timeframe (e.g., 80% of calls are responded to within 20 seconds). It's typically expressed as a percentage.
Interpretation: A higher service level signifies better call center efficiency and customer satisfaction. It's widely used to benchmark performance against competitors and industry standards. It is often linked to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
💡 Fun fact!
Many call centers set aggressive service level targets to meet customer expectations. The "80/20 rule" is a commonly cited industry benchmark for call center service levels, which aims to answer 80% of calls within 20 seconds. While this might sound like a strict target, it's actually a fairly common standard in many call centers!
Read More: Calculating Call Center Service Level – A Detailed Guide
2. Average handle time (AHT)
Average handle time (AHT) measures the average length of customer interaction, including talk time, hold time and after-call work (ACW). It's a key indicator of agent efficiency and call center productivity.
Interpretation: A lower AHT generally indicates higher agent efficiency and faster call resolution. However, balancing AHT with other metrics like customer satisfaction is essential to ensure efficiency doesn't compromise quality. Also, AHT is a widely used and closely monitored metric in the call center industry. It's often tied to agent performance evaluations and used to calculate labor costs.
🤓 Expert’s take
While reducing AHT is often a priority, it's essential to consider the potential impact on customer satisfaction. Excessive pressure to reduce AHT might lead to rushed interactions and negatively impact customer experience.
3. Abandonment rate
The abandonment rate measures the percentage of callers who hang up before their call is answered. It's a critical indicator of customer impatience and call center capacity.
Interpretation: A high abandonment rate indicates potential issues with call volume, staffing, or wait times. Lowering the abandonment rate is crucial for improving customer satisfaction.
📞 Behind call abandonment
Call centers often experience peak call volumes during specific times of the day or week. Monitoring abandonment rates during these peak periods can help identify staffing needs and improve resource allocation.
4. First call resolution (FCR)
First-call resolution measures the percentage of customer issues resolved entirely on the initial call without requiring subsequent contact. It’s a critical indicator of customer satisfaction and call center efficiency.
Interpretation: A high FCR rate signifies efficient agents, effective problem-solving and improved customer satisfaction. A low FCR rate indicates potential agent training, knowledge, or system limitations issues.
💡 Pro Tip
Improving FCR often requires a holistic approach. This includes continuous agent training, regular knowledge base enhancements and timely system upgrades. Additionally, implementing incentive programs can encourage agents to achieve higher FCR rates, thereby contributing to overall improvement.
5. Average speed of answer (ASA)
The average speed of answer measures the average time a caller spends waiting on hold before speaking to an agent. It's a critical metric for evaluating call center responsiveness.
Interpretation: A lower ASA suggests better call center responsiveness and customer satisfaction. A higher ASA might signal staffing issues, call volume spikes or system problems. ASA is widely used to measure call center performance against industry benchmarks.
🔧 How to reduce ASA
Reducing ASA involves a combination of strategies, including optimizing staffing levels, improving call routing and implementing effective call queuing systems.
6. Occupancy rate
The occupancy rate measures the percentage of time agents spend actively engaged in call-related activities, including talk time, hold time and after-call work (ACW).
Interpretation: Occupancy rate indicates how effectively agents utilize their scheduled time. A high occupancy rate suggests efficient use of labor resources, while a low occupancy rate might indicate understaffing or idle time.
🔦 Why occupancy rate is tricky
The occupancy rate is a crucial metric for workforce management and cost optimization. It's often used to determine staffing requirements and schedule adherence.
An excessively high occupancy rate can lead to agent burnout and negatively impact customer satisfaction. On the other hand, a very low occupancy rate indicates inefficient call center agent utilization.
7. Cost per call (CPC)
The total cost of handling a single call includes agent salaries, infrastructure, technology and other overhead expenses.
Interpretation: A lower CPC indicates better cost efficiency. It's essential to balance cost reduction with maintaining service quality. CPC also compares performance across different call centers and identifies cost-saving opportunities.
Now that you know the key call center performance metrics, let's find out the call center metrics that reflect agent performance and how this works.
- Agent performance metrics:
Call center agent performance metrics assess how effectively your agents handle daily customer interactions. They measure the responsiveness and accuracy of agents in addressing customer inquiries. Let’s examine these metrics.
8. Adherence to schedule
Adherence to schedule measures an agent's ability to adhere to their assigned work schedule, including login and logout times, breaks and lunch periods.
Interpretation: High adherence indicates discipline and reliability, which contribute to efficient call center operations and help call centers maintain service levels and operational efficiency.
💡 Pro Tip
In the industry, adherence to schedule is seen as a critical metric for workforce management and is often linked to effective scheduling. While adherence to schedule is crucial for efficient call center operations, a rigid focus on it can backfire. Instead of solely monitoring adherence, consider a more holistic approach that incorporates:
- Realistic scheduling: Account for buffer time between calls and potential call volume fluctuations.
- Open communication: Encourage agents to communicate scheduling challenges proactively.
Learn More about schedule adherence report.
9. Average talk time (ATT)
Average talk time (ATT) measures the average duration an agent spends talking to a customer during a call. This metric helps evaluate the efficiency of interactions and can provide insights into the complexity of customer inquiries.
Interpretation: A moderate ATT indicates that agents resolve customer issues efficiently without rushing. Extremely low ATT might suggest that agents are not spending enough time to fully address customer needs, while very high ATT could indicate that agents are struggling with complex issues or are not managing call time effectively.
10. After-call work time
After-call work (ACW) time measures the average amount of time an agent spends completing tasks related to a call after the call has ended. These can include updating customer records, processing transactions and completing any required follow-up actions.
Interpretation: A reasonable ACW time indicates that agents efficiently handle post-call activities without unnecessary delays. However, excessively long ACW times can reduce the overall availability of agents to take new calls, leading to increased wait times for customers. Learn about different types of after-call work.
11. Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
It measures customer satisfaction with service. This metric is usually gathered through post-call customer surveys, where customers rate their satisfaction on a scale (e.g., 1 to 5 or 1 to 10).
12. Net promoter score (NPS)
Net promoter score (NPS) gauges customer loyalty and how likely they are to recommend your service to others. Customers are asked to rate on a scale of 0 to 10 how inclined they are to recommend the product or services to family, friends or colleagues.
Typically, the customer’s score determines whether they are promoters, passives or detractors. Here’s how they are categorized.
- Promoters are satisfied, happy customers who give a score of 9 or above.
- Detractors are customers unhappy with their experience and give a score between 0 and 6.
- Passives are satisfied but not fully engaged customers who give a score of either 7 or 8.
Interpretation: A high NPS score indicates that an agent has created a loyal customer. A low NPS score suggests opportunities for improvement in customer experience.
Bonus Read: How to Improve the NPS of your brand
13. Call quality scores
Call quality scores assess the quality of an agent's interactions with customers based on predefined evaluation criteria. They are typically obtained through random call monitoring and evaluation.
Interpretation: High call quality scores indicate strong adherence to call center standards, effective communication and problem-solving skills. Low call quality scores highlight areas for improvement in agent training and coaching.
😊 Good to know
With Sprinklr’s AI-powered quality management software, you can now score your daily conversations based on over 30 quality and compliance-related parameters, including opening/closing quality, introduction, active listening, customer empathy and more. The AI-powered platform evaluates these parameters and provides reasoning behind the scores.
But that's not all! Sprinklr AI allows you to understand your customer's sentiment and intent and track shifts in CSAT scores in real time. Leverage this valuable intel to assist customers in the best way possible and create happier, more satisfying customer experiences.
14. Average call transfer rate
The average call transfer rate is the percentage of calls transferred to another agent or department. It measures your call center’s ability to resolve issues without the need for transfers.
Simply put, if 20 out of 200 calls are transferred between agents in your call center, your transfer rate is (20/200) x 100 = 10%.
Interpretation: A low transfer rate suggests that agents are well-trained and capable of handling various issues, leading to higher customer satisfaction and efficiency.
15. Escalation rate
Escalation rate measures the frequency with which a customer request is escalated to a supervisor or manager.
Interpretation: A high escalation rate might indicate complex issues, agent skill gaps, or customer dissatisfaction. It's essential to analyze the reasons behind escalations to identify underlying problems.
Deep Dive: Escalation Management: How to Manage It Effectively
Key strategies and emerging trends to improve call center metrics
Understanding call center metrics is one thing, but transforming them into actionable insights requires a strategic approach. Here are four effective strategies with pro tips to empower your agents and enhance call center performance.
1. Set SMART goals
Establish clear and achievable SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals for critical metrics such as average handle time (AHT) and customer satisfaction (CSAT). For example, aim to reduce the average handling time from 6 to 5 minutes within 3 months by improving product knowledge, effectively using call scripts and utilizing available support tools.
2. Invest in call center technologies
Technology is your call center's unsung hero. Imagine a scenario where agents have instant access to customer information, calls are routed efficiently and quality is monitored automatically and seamlessly. By integrating robust contact center CRM systems, intelligent IVR and advanced call center analytics, you can streamline call center operations, empower agents and delight customers.
3. Make experience sharing a practice
Equip your team with the knowledge and tools they need to excel. Identify your star agents and analyze how they handle the same queries or situations that others take longer to resolve. While external factors can influence each customer service scenario, identifying resolution patterns across demographics allows you to develop pre-emptive approaches to resolution, thereby reducing resolution times overall.
Encourage agents to share their experiences, both good and bad, with the team and their learnings from these interactions. This fosters a strong sense of empathy and connection among agents for their peers and customers alike.
4. Make data-driven decisions
By diligently analyzing call center metrics, you can uncover more than surface-level insights and delve deeper into the patterns and behaviors driving your call center's performance.
Imagine leveraging predictive analytics to forecast call volumes with precision. This foresight allows you to staff your call center appropriately, ensuring that peak times are adequately covered without overstaffing during quieter periods. Here is everything you should know about call center forecasting.
Similarly, with customer segmentation, you can identify distinct customer groups with unique needs and preferences. These insights allow you to personalize your service, designing specialized training for agents and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to address specific customer segments effectively.
How to evaluate your call center’s metrics monitoring tool
Selecting the right call center metrics measurement tool is a critical decision that significantly impacts your ability to navigate, optimize and grow. Here are the essential factors to consider:
- Core functionalities
The ideal call center metrics monitoring tool should be versatile and include:- Data collection: The tool must efficiently capture data from various sources, including phone systems, CRM and other relevant systems.
- Real time monitoring: The ability to track key metrics in real time is essential for making timely decisions.
- Reporting and analytics: The tool should generate customizable reports and provide insights into performance trends.
- Forecasting: Predictive analytics capabilities can help in workforce management and resource allocation.
- User-friendliness
A user-friendly tool is crucial. Your team should be able to navigate it intuitively, customizing dashboards to their specific needs. Accessibility is also important, whether on a desktop or mobile device. - CRM integration
Seamless integration with your CRM system is essential for a holistic view of customer interactions. Additionally, consider if the tool can be integrated with other systems like workforce management tools, ERP or HRIS. - Data security and privacy
Ensure the tool complies with essential data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Additionally, it is vital to evaluate whether the tool strictly adheres to best practices in access management to prevent unauthorized access and safeguard sensitive customer data. - Vendor support
Assess the vendor's ability to provide training and support during implementation. Reliable and responsive customer support is crucial for resolving issues and maximizing tool usage. Additionally, evaluate the adoption of new features, their utility and whether the cost is justified.
Why Sprinklr is your best ally
Sprinklr Service stands out as a comprehensive call center solution for monitoring call center metrics thanks to its built-in AI capabilities. Its advanced features help you anticipate trends, act in real time and delve deeper into underlying issues, highlighting gaps caused by people and processes.
Why you stay ahead with Sprinklr:
- Real time insights: Leverage AI-driven sentiment analysis to gain real time insights into significant moments during customer conversations. This enables you to manage escalations effectively and ensure customer satisfaction.
- Supervisor visibility: Provide your supervisors with complete visibility into cases. Analyze key insights such as channels used, customer sentiment and agent behavior. This data guides decisions on agent self-learning, coaching and engagement strategies.
- Performance monitoring: Seamlessly monitor individual agent performance and overall team metrics. Identify trends and root causes of performance anomalies to drive continuous improvement.
Sprinklr equips you with the tools to transform your call center from a reactive unit to a proactive powerhouse. Don’t just take our word for it — experience the power of Sprinklr Service yourself.
Take advantage of our free trial and contact our experts to address any queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Avoid over-relying on a single metric, ignoring contextual factors, and not considering the customer perspective. Misinterpreting data trends without understanding the underlying causes can lead to ineffective strategies. Ensure a balanced view by combining quantitative metrics with qualitative insights.
Call center metrics identify performance gaps and training needs, enabling targeted coaching. Metrics like CSAT and FCR highlight areas for improvement, while detailed call analysis helps refine training content. By addressing specific weaknesses, agents perform better, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction.
Set benchmarks based on industry standards, historical data, and business goals. Involve stakeholders in the process to ensure alignment. Regularly review and adjust benchmarks to reflect changes in business strategy and market conditions. Use a mix of short-term and long-term benchmarks for comprehensive performance evaluation.
Use clear, visual reports and dashboards to share metrics with relevant teams. Hold regular meetings to discuss findings and action plans. Ensure alignment between departments by setting common goals and fostering collaboration. Provide training on data interpretation to empower teams to make informed decisions.
Retail businesses might focus on metrics like cart abandonment rate and customer retention rate, while financial services may prioritize compliance rates and fraud detection times. Healthcare call centers could track appointment scheduling efficiency and patient satisfaction scores. Tailor metrics to the unique needs and objectives of your industry.
