The benefits associated with the cloud are reason enough to consider the on demand call center. Organizations can lower the cost of ownership, remove unnecessary equipment from the data center and eliminate the burdens of ongoing maintenance. In the process, one thing will remain constant – measuring call center performance. The organization still needs to measure the effectiveness of campaigns to ensure continuous improvement.

There are two major flaws that exist within call center metrics, however, that can greatly impact overall outcomes. A recent Impact Learning post focused on this concept and the trap call centers can find themselves in when their efforts don’t match outcomes. Let’s take a look at their points and how their recommendations could improve the environment where the call center on demand is the optimal deployment.

Productivity versus Quality

It’s not uncommon for call center managers to be so focused on productivity that they forget to look at quality. The problem with that approach, however, is that they neglect measuring the satisfaction level of the customer when it comes to the experience. Typically, productivity measures focus on the internal only so the organization can better manage experiences. Quality measures tend to focus externally, helping you balance between the two. If the two channels are not integrated, you will miss opportunities to improve the quality of the interaction and most likely opportunities to expand revenue opportunities.

The Wrong Behavior is Measured

Keep in mind in every situation that the behavior that gets measured is the behavior that gets the most focus. It’s not uncommon for the focus to stay on old or the wrong behaviors. For instance, if your call center on demand agents are only rewarded when their average call per hour goes up and not when customer satisfaction numbers improve, they will focus on the speed of the call more than the outcome. The activities that you measure have to match what you are promoting as the priority or you won’t reach the outcomes you want.

If you take the time to examine your current metrics practices and what you’re trying to accomplish, you’ll better identify what you need to measure versus intended outcomes. If they don’t match, you’re not hitting your targets and you’re confusing your employee base. Set clear goals and measure according to those goals. At the same time, be sure the messages you’re sending to your team match those goals. In doing so, you’ll not only improve overall performance, you’ll cut out a lot of waste.