Top Call Center Metrics and KPIs to Every Business Should Track

Running a call center is stressful as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of calls that you have to manage every day while ensuring to deliver outstanding customer service. So how do you determine the success of your business? Well, to measure your call center’s effectiveness, you first need to keep track of a few relevant call center metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs). 

There’s no denying that call centers are complex operating environments and their primary goal is to deliver an outstanding customer experience. But when it comes to discovering the effectiveness, monitoring the efficiency, and optimizing the performance, it is crucial to measure the call center metrics. But how do you decide what metrics are to measure? 

While there are a variety of metrics to choose from, we have listed some common KPIs that ensure every call center should consider. Analyzing these metrics will enable you to make informed decisions and help you achieve your desired business goals. Keep reading this blog further to know more about the top call center performance metrics to track for success. 

• First Call Resolution

First call resolution, also known as first contact resolution or FCR, is one of the most important components to manage the relationship with customers, measuring the call center’s ability to resolve customer problems on first contact, with no follow-up required. In other words, it refers to the percentage of customer concerns resolved during the first call. It is said that the better the call center agent is, the higher their first call resolution rate will be. However, in some cases, the concerns may need action by others than the agent and the assessment could be difficult. So, call centers must measure the FCR with great caution and care. According to HubSpot, 70-75% of customer issues should be resolved during the first call. What is your number? 

• Customer Retention Rate

When it comes to the success of a business, customer loyalty and customer retention are two of the most valuable call center metrics. Acquiring a new customer costs more than retaining the already existing ones. This is why it is crucial for call centers to keep their customers happy and boost their customer retention rate to ensure overall business success.

• Call Abandon Rate

Abandon rate refers to the percentage of calls that are terminated or dropped by the customer. This percentage generally enables your customer service teams to evaluate how satisfied your customers are with their call experiences and wait times. Additionally, abandon rate is one of the call center performance metrics that also helps you determine if your call center’s calling system is up to date or not. HubSpot suggests that the call drop rate before resolution should only be between 5-8%. This is because, if customer satisfaction is high, but so is the abandon rate, then this indicates that your call center software may be inadvertently terminating calls. Thus, it is vital that quickly resolve such issues as they may negatively influence your customers’ experience. 

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

Building on our previous point, the overall level of customer satisfaction plays a pivotal role in the success of your call center regardless of its size. The entire operations of your business depend on how satisfied your customers are with the service you provide to them. Not just that, this will give you an in-depth insight into what your customers think about you and your ability to support them with their problems and needs. Some reports suggest that if a customer is happy with your service, they will recommend you to an average of three friends. Therefore, keeping a timely track of your Customer Satisfaction score should always be your topmost priority. The better the customer satisfaction score, the more successful your business will ultimately become. 

• Net Promoter Score ​

Just like Customer Satisfaction Levels, the Net Promoter Scores (NPS) are also priceless loyalty indicators. It refers to the possibility that your existing customers will promote your business to their network. If tracked and measured correctly, they can play a huge role in helping you scale your business to the next level. But how do you measure this metric? Well, when it comes to measuring the Net Promoter Score, your customer service efforts serve as a key driving force. Scoring here is based on a sliding scale, with 9 and 10 being promoters, 7 to 8 being passive, and 0 to 6 being detractors. This score is evaluated by subtracting the detractors’ percentage from the promoters’ percentage. If the NPS for your business is over 50, it is considered acceptable. 

• Average Speed of Answer

Average answering speed refers to the time taken by the agents to answer the call once assigned to them. It is also one of the most important call center performance management metrics that shows how quickly your agents respond to the calls and address the customers’ issues or concerns. This metric not just helps your call center determine the performance of your call center agents, but also enables you to improve your customer services to provide your customers with an excellent experience. Ideally, the average speed of an answer in any industry is around 28 seconds. If the ASA times are longer, it increases the risk of customer dissatisfaction.

• Average Call Hold Time

As the name suggests, average call hold time refers to the amount of time an agent keeps a customer on hold during a call that contributes to the overall length of the call. Generally, an agent keeps a customer on hold while looking up something or contacts the concerned person to seek out the answer to the customer’s issue. When it comes to determining whether the agent is offering appropriate support or service to the customer, Average Hold Time is the call center performance management metric to be tracked. This KPI is calculated by the cumulative time customers wait on hold by the total number of calls answered by call center agents. 

Elevate Your CX with Right Call Center Software

Measuring the above-mentioned call center metrics and KPIs provides invaluable insight into customer service success, call center agent effectiveness, overall productivity, and profitability of your business. 

If you are looking to boost your call center’s performance, HoduSoft is here to help. Our call center software is an intelligent system, designed to help businesses readily improve their customer service strategy and meet the expectations of their customers. Developed using advanced technology, our world-class software empowers you to improve as well as match with the call center metrics industry standards and evaluate your business success. What are you waiting for? Get started today! 

For more information about our call center performance management products or software, please feel free to get in touch with our experts at [email protected].