Top Contact Center Efficiency Metrics

Keeping an eye on your contact center efficiency metrics is key for understanding how effective your operations are. While it is clear to most contact center professionals that they need to keep track of their metrics, it is less clear what those metrics are and how to calculate them. Here are the top five contact center efficiency metrics that will help you start managing your operations efficiently!

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

First Contact Resolution (FCR) is fundamental to successfully maintaining your company’s customer relationships. FCR is a key contact center efficiency metric, as it directly indicates a contact center’s capacity to directly solve customer problems and questions. FCR is key for maintaining customer loyalty and contact center efficiency. Therefore, it should be one of your top contact center efficiency metrics to keep track of.

You can calculate FCR by dividing the number of issues resolved in a single call by the total number of issues that have been resolved.

To explore the topic in more detail, be sure to head over to our comprehensive guide on what is FCR and why it matters.

Percentage of Calls Blocked

Another contact center efficiency metric that is relevant to customer loyalty is the percentage of calls blocked. This metric measures the percentage of inbound calls that were met with a busy line, leaving them unable to connect. A high percentage of calls blocked can usually be attributed to a lack of available agents and bad queue configuration. In order to avoid this, make sure that your software is configured to bring out the maximum capacity of your contact center, with features, such as the predictive dialler and techniques, such as skills-based routing.

Remember that this metric should not be ignored. Each blocked call is a missed opportunity for building your relationship with your customers.

The formula for calculating this metric is the following: Divide the number of calls that do not reach agents by the total number of incoming calls, and multiply that number by 100.

Service Level

This metric indicates the number of calls answered within a specified amount of time (usually seconds). This metric needs to be kept low, in order to tend to customer needs as soon and as efficiently as possible. Ideally, this metric is displayed in real-time for both agents and contact center managers to see, letting them adjust their approaches if needed in order to keep this number low. According to a recent study by call center helper, 62.7% of contact center leaders see this efficiency metric as their most relevant KPI.

To calculate this efficiency metric, you need to divide the total number of answered calls within the specified time set by your contact center, by the total number of calls and the total number of abandoned calls. Once you have this number, multiply it by one hundred.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

One of the most commonly measured efficiency metrics, Average Handle Time measures the amount of time from when the agent answers a call until the agent disconnects. It is important to mention that this time also includes the amount of time a customer is placed on hold during the call and the agent’s after-call work time. Directly linked to customer satisfaction, a good way to keep AHT as low as possible is quality agent training and product or service knowledge.

Customer Satisfaction Score

At the end of the day, the fundamental goal of any contact center is to keep customers happy and satisfied. This is where the customer satisfaction score comes in. According to a recent study, businesses that take the time to take this metric into consideration have a 30 to 50 percent increase in customer recommendations. This efficiency metric can be optimized by both agent coaching and improved in relation to other metrics. If you improve contact center efficiency metrics, such as service level and average handle time, you can expect this score to improve.

Your Customer Satisfaction Score can simply be calculated by asking for your clients’ feedback after their interaction with your agents. Simply ask them to share their experience over the phone or in the form of a follow-up email, with questions such as “Were we able to help you with your issue?” or “How pleased were you with your experience?”. The client can then answer on a 1 to 5 scale, from least satisfied to most.

While not an exhaustive list, these top five contact center efficiency metrics should help you start tracking your success! First Contact Resolution, Percentage of Calls Blocked, Service Level, Average Handle Time (AHT), and Customer Satisfaction Score should help you get an idea of how your agents are doing and how your customers relate to your brand!