10 metrics for Inbound Call Center Performance - Part 1
Abe Dearmer
Aug 02, 2021
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7 min read
Calling
As an employee or representative in constant communication with customers, delivering great customer experience is a challenging task. This article discusses the importance of setting the right metrics or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track inbound call center performance and improve customer service. By measuring and analyzing metrics such as First Contact Resolution, Cost Per Contact, Average Speed of Answer, Abandoned Call Rate, and Customer Satisfaction Score, businesses can enhance customer loyalty, increase profitability, and ensure a smooth-running call center.
Key Takeaways:
- First Contact Resolution (FCR) reflects the ability to solve problems and provide solutions on the first call, contributing to increased profitability and customer loyalty.
- Cost Per Contact helps identify the expenses incurred per customer and determines the effectiveness of different communication channels.
- Average Speed of Answer (ASA) should be kept low to avoid customer dissatisfaction and ensure efficient customer service.
- Abandoned Call Rate should be maintained at 5% or lower, indicating the need for efficient call handling processes and a user-friendly IVR system.
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measures customer happiness, leading to better brand loyalty and increased recommendations.
- Utilizing advanced software, like FIVE CRM, enables prompt tracking and analysis of metrics for a comprehensive view of the business and improved call center performance.
Employees and reps that are in constant communication with customers have a lot riding on their shoulders. Front-facing employees have to face all the challenges that come with delivering great customer experience on a daily basis. From handling queries, product or service related questions, customer complaints, sales calls, and more - their job doesn't just require answering and making calls, but also building a lasting relationship with the customer.
Customer service has a huge impact on retention and brand loyalty, but do you know what kind of service your reps are providing? The solution to this quandary is setting the right metrics or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track inbound call center performance.
Below are some of the most crucial metrics to measure, track, and analyse.
First Contact Resolution
First Contact Resolution or FCR is an integral part of managing relationships between your business and customers. It reflects the rep's ability of problem solving, answering queries, and providing the right solution the very first time a client or consumer calls. Tracking this vital metric can vastly contribute to increased profitability and customer loyalty, ensuring a successful and efficient way of smoothly running the call center.
How to calculate - FCR can be measured by dividing the total number of single call resolutions with the total number of problems that have been successfully resolved.
Cost Per Contact
Every time an agent answers a call, there are certain costs the call center incurs, such as employee salaries, operational costs, software and hardware, benefits, rent, utilities, and more. The Cost Per Contact is basically the amount of money that is needed for running the call center. Tracking this metric will also allow you to understand which of your communication channels is doing the best - is it phone, SMS, email, live chat, or social media?
How to calculate -To calculate Cost Per Contact, divide the total amount of money spent on operations with the total number of customers attended to.
Average Speed of Answer
The Average Speed of Answer or ASA helps in calculating the average amount of time in which the inbound customer call is required to be answered. Usually, the Average Speed of Answer should not be over 28 seconds.
A lower ASA score means customers aren't waiting for too long before their call is answered, while a higher ASA will lead to inefficient and negative customer service. Keeping an eye on this metric is important as it directly affects customer satisfaction.
How to calculate - Average Speed of Answer can be calculated by dividing the total amount of time customers were 'waiting' for their call to be picked by with the total number of calls picked up in a certain time period.
Abandoned Call Rate
Easy to understand, Abandoned Call Rate refers to the total number of calls where the customer hung up the phone before the call center agent could answer it. The most common reason for this is a long waiting time and a higher Average Speed of Answer at the rep's end. Usually, inbound call centers should maintain a 5% or lower Abandoned Call Rate.
Even with the estimated time for the call pick up given, a long queue will cause callers to hang up. An inefficient IVR system may also affect this and thus having a proper process in place to handle the huge number of calls is imperative. Call centers can do this by starting the call with a traditional ring tone instead of straightaway directing them to the IVR. This can also be remedied by using an IVR that has an easy to understand process and can transparently provide wait times as well.
How to calculate - To compute the Abandoned Call Rate, divide the total number of calls that were abandoned with the total number of inbound calls made to the call center.
Customer Satisfaction Score
In every business, it is already known that if your customers are happy, your company will stay profitable. This is why the main goal of every inbound contact center is to ensure customer satisfaction. The Customer Satisfaction Score or CSAT shows how happy your customers are with your services. A great Customer Satisfaction Score will lead to more recommendations and better brand loyalty as well.
How to calculate - Customer Satisfaction Score can be tracked by asking a simple question to the customer giving their feedback regarding the call with your agent. It could be something on the lines of, "Were you pleased with the services provides by our customer care agent?"
Next, provide them with a survey scale ranging from 1 to 10, where 1 is the worst and 10 is the best. You can then calculate any particular agent's Customer Satisfaction Score by adding up these numbers and dividing it with the total number of surveys from customers.
If you are looking for a perfect solution for your inbound call center and want to ensure smooth running, look no further than FIVE CRM for all your needs. Our advanced, scalable software comes with the required features to ensure prompt and real-time tracking. You can also measure and analyse metrics like the ones above to get a bird's eye view of your business.
Get in touch with us now to know more!
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