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Which Are the Best Contact Center KPIs and Metrics to Measure Inbound Call Success?

Managers should proactively evaluate KPIs to monitor performance. Contact center KPI metrics give a clear view of customer satisfaction, responses, and sales.

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Managers should proactively evaluate KPIs to monitor performance. Contact center KPI metrics give a clear view of customer satisfaction, responses, and sales.

It’s relatively easy to obtain KPIs, but the challenge is formulating the right ones to track. However, there are specific ones that help you measure inbound call success. If you want to determine whether your call center is performing efficiently, it’s best to narrow it down to a limited number of metrics and actionable KPIs.

Here are the top contact center KPI metrics to watch:

Service Level Usage

Service level usage is a contact center metric that measures the percentage of agents’ answered calls within a certain period. The analytics dashboard displays this metric in real time, and both agents and managers can leverage it to make crucial decisions. A high service level of around 80 percent indicates excellent call center performance.

Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

The ASA is the average time for an agent to answer a call within a specified time frame. Ideally, the ASA should be lower than 28 seconds. A lower ASA indicates that customers spend less time waiting before agents answer calls, limiting call abandonment. On the other hand, a high ASA indicates customers stay on the call longer, indicating poor customer service.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

AHT is the average time an agent takes on a call, including the hold time. To figure out the average handle time, simply calculate the total time spent on calls divided by the number of calls. This contact center KPI metric gives insights into an agent’s efficiency and performance in solving customer concerns.

A low AHT might indicate customer frustration or an agent’s difficulty in solving issues. It may also suggest that customers don’t understand some things, hence the need for more explanation from agents. Managers can use this metric to determine which agents require more training on handling calls.

Average Hold Time

How long do agents keep customers on hold? The average hold time is the percentage of time spent on hold against the total time on the call.

A high average hold time indicates agents keep customers on hold for a longer period. It also indicates that agents have to find solutions elsewhere, making the customer wait. This could ruin the customer experience and lead to a high churn rate.

Transfer Rate

The transfer rate is the percentage of calls that agents transfer to other people to provide solutions. There could be many reasons for a transfer, and call center managers should figure out these reasons. Ideally, your call center should have a low transfer rate.

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

The FCR is among the most important call center KPI metric related to customer satisfaction. It measures the percentage of calls resolved by the first interaction with the contact center. The FCR is the percentage of calls where an agent has addressed the customer’s needs without transferring elsewhere. A low FCR indicates that customers get solutions on the first contact and results in higher satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

The customer satisfaction score indicates how satisfied or unsatisfied the customer is. Surveys regarding agents’ resolutions are the data collected for this score. The feedback scale typically ranges as follows:

  • Very satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neither satisfied nor satisfied
  • Not satisfied
  • Very dissatisfied

The total customer satisfaction score measures the percentage of satisfied and very satisfied customers against the number of respondents. A low CSAT indicates that most customers aren’t satisfied, or agents don’t meet their expectations when providing solutions.

Bottom Line

These contact center KPI metrics provide valuable insights into the inbound call performance. Any call center manager who wants to improve inbound call success and customer experience should utilize these metrics.

SuccessKPI is the ultimate contact center solution that provides the necessary contact center KPI metrics to measure inbound call success and performance. Our tool provides all essential metrics that you may need to improve efficiency in the call center. Contact us today or schedule a demo to understand how you can revolutionize your organization with SuccessKPI!

About the Author

Dave “Renny” Rennyson is the CEO of SuccessKPI. He is a passionate SaaS veteran, global executive, a lifelong learner, and the co-author of “The Art of SaaS.” Dave is obsessed with customer success, solving big problems for his customers, and building highly usable SaaS products that transform the customer experience. Prior to his role at SuccessKPI, Dave served in various senior executive roles at MicroStrategy, Genesys, Angel, Broadband Office, Interactions, Spirent, and Verizon. He enjoys running, reading, skiing, traveling, and trying to play Catan at times a bit too competitively with his family.