Customer satisfaction is key to call center operations. Since there are many factors that make up positive customer experience, it’s important for call center managers to keep careful track of metrics. With the right measurement, you can pinpoint specific areas where your service representatives need to improve.
Your virtual call center software likely has complex metric tracking tools, so it can be tricky to know which to focus on. The following are some of the main factors that all call center supervisors should track over time. These data points make up the foundation of positive customer experience.
Customer satisfaction
This may seem like a vague metric, but it is one of the most important data points to track. One way to measure customer satisfaction is to send out regular surveys. This might pop up after a live chat session or be sent to customer emails. A few simple questions about their experiences with your customer service team can generate a useful metric. Be sure to set goals for your team and brainstorm tangible ways to boost your score over time.
Response time
Your customers don’t like to wait, so it’s best to keep your response time low. This metric measures how quickly your team answers calls, live chats, and emails. If you notice that response and hold times are long, be sure to look more closely at the issue. Your service representatives might be lacking efficiency, or you might need to hire more employees for this role. Again, be sure to set goals and practice ways to make contact with customers more quickly.
First contact resolution
This data point measures how many times a customer needs to call to resolve an issue or have their questions answered. While it can be tricky to measure this metric without listening to each customer call, you can introduce other data points to find trends. For example, track how many times a customer calls within one week. If you see that one customer has called your center several times within this period, take a look at the case notes. You can then take measures with your team to better resolve customer issues within one or two call sessions, at most.
Abandon rate
Customers can get heated in any call center, and this may cause them to abandon the call. The abandon rate metric measures how many calls customers drop. This often means that they hung up, but it can also point to connection or technology issues. When you notice a high abandon rate in your call center, sample a few call recordings. If you notice that customer are hanging up often, schedule additional training for your employees. In the case that the calls are dropping due to poor connection, it may be time to update the technology in your call center.
Quality score
Your employees deserve to know how they are performing. While regular check-ins and performance reviews can provide constructive feedback, it can be helpful to have a number attached to their work. Your call center software can track most metrics, but this data point requires an in-house team. Ask a quality control team to listen to random call recordings and apply a score to each. You can then accumulate an average score for each employee or your entire team, working together to improve the quality of each call.
There are many factors that keep a call center moving. By measuring some key data points, you can find areas for improvement and celebrate your team’s victories. Over time, you will likely see a boost in customer satisfaction and experience, which can bolster your company’s overall reputation.