Call Center Management Featured Article
Measuring Inbound Call Center Success
The performance of an inbound call center can make or break a company. Inbound customer service representatives are the first point of customer contact, and if customers are reaching out to a company, there is typically an issue that needs to be resolved. Understanding the importance of inbound calls isn’t enough to ensure success, and companies must be diligent in delivering the best customer interactions possible.
A recent article from tenfold, a company that specializes in facilitating compelling and consistent customer interactions through technology, examines the key metrics for inbound call center performance. More than 60 percent of contact centers understand the importance of First Contact Resolution (FCR), and track it as a KPI. High FCR numbers are directly linked to customer loyalty, and can also drive profitability in the contact center. Contact centers can achieve FCR success by laying out clear goals and outcomes for agents, providing the best training possible, and using activities like gamification to inspire agents to turn in their best performance.
The cost per contact is another key metric for inbound call center success. This number references the total expenses for running a contact center divided by the total number of contacts handled. Breaking down this information can help contact centers determine which channels are most successful in achieving positive outcomes for customers, as well as cost savings for the contact center. Agent schedule adherence and attrition rates are also important in determining inbound call center success. High performance metrics here contribute to high levels of customer service and loyalty. Contact centers can facilitate agent cooperation by using automated workforce management tools that give agents some flexibility and autonomy regarding their work schedules.
Of course, service levels are a powerful metric in measuring call center success. Unplanned service outages, high call volume and agent absenteeism can all impact otherwise good service levels. Call center analytics software can go a long way toward predicting these wildcard variables, as well as ensuring call centers have the necessary resources to handle a variety of situations. Abandoned call rates are a performance metric no contact center likes to deal with, but are a fact of life. A shocking 67 percent of customers on average will hang up before an agent takes their call and resolves their issue. Self-help options, callback capability and transparency about wait times can all help offset abandoned call rates.
The average speed of answer time for calls, the average handle time and the average call transfer time are also important metrics. Automation, proper training and coaching and user friendly interfaces within call center management software are all useful tools for speeding up call answer, handling and transfer times. Additionally, IVR systems should be easy to navigate and offer clear descriptions of departments to help route customer calls to the best available agent.
Customers provide the final and most important ingredient in measuring inbound call center success. Customer satisfaction is key, and paying attention to customer feedback leads to increased loyalty and profitability as well as customer retention and low churn rates.
Obtaining the best scores possible on these key performance metrics comes down to good call center management. A well managed inbound contact center will employ happy, motivated agents who will resolve issues quickly and efficiently, leading to high rates of customer retention and good customer feedback. And the end result will be a smoothly operating contact center with high levels of efficiency and profitability.
Edited by Maurice Nagle