When we are looking for a potential partner to outsource call center operations of our business, it is important to have a potent mechanism in place that can measure its performance. In a 24 hour call center environment, it is a recommended practice to keep a tab on the key performance indicators (KPIs), so that we can evaluate how our call center operations are progressing and define the areas where we need to improve.
Let us now examine some of the important KPIs in detail that we need to track in order to ensure success while evaluating the results of a call center.
- An eye on the percentage of calls blocked
In a fast-paced world of call centers, it is important to keep a track of the percentage of inbound callers that listen to a “beep” sound because they are getting a busy signal. It might sound strange to many people that any caller would get a busy tone while they are calling up a high-traffic call center. This can be attributed to the fact that in many of such call center units, the call queues are often full or the software that services the requirements of call center is unable to handle the volume of calls incoming calls being received. Every business entity needs to understand the fact that every missed inbound call is a missed business opportunity. So, it becomes all the more imperative that we don’t ignore this KPI.
- Reducing average time in queue
This is another one of the most important KPIs to track as it keeps a track on the total hold time of all the callers in a 24hour call center divided by the total number of callers who took out important time from their busy schedules top make the effort to contact a call center. Every business entity operating in business markets, as well as the companies serving consumer markets needs to make sure that the average time comes within an acceptable range so that customers and prospective get real-time service that they rightfully deserve.
- Tracking average abandonment rate
In a competitive market, no business entity wants their potential customers to hang up the call before the call actually reaches the call center executive. This is exactly what this KPI keeps a track of. According to a recent survey by a leading BPO journal, it was found that call abandonment has a negative impact on the customer retention rates. Hence, it is important to select a partner that has certified benchmarks for this KPI, as these are the ones who make extra efforts to stick below that level.
- First call resolution holds the key
This is perhaps one of the most visible KPIs as it gives a direct measure of customer satisfaction levels. First call resolution is a mechanism to evaluate the percentage of calls where the call center executive addresses all the customer queries, without having to escalate, transfer, or return the call. Many of the industry experts stand by this metric as the single most important KPI related to customer service and improved levels of customer satisfaction. In any event, it can be called as the best tool that measures the effectiveness of executives, also having a positive impact on the overall ratings that measure customer satisfaction.
- Gauging customer satisfaction scores
It is a well-established industry fact that in most of the cases, our call center is the first point of contact for our customers. It is a representative of our business to our current and prospective customers. So, it is pivotal to have high customer satisfaction scores as it is a critical area of our business. A proficient 24 hour call center tends to offer surveys after calls and comprise it with its quality assurance measurements in order to come up with this KPI.
Thus, we can conclude from the above discussion that call centers and answering services are a vital component of our business. Business units decide to partner with a call center unit that has a sense of professionalism about their operations and have a proven track record in delivering exceptional customer service and understand the nuances of dealing with their valued customers.
