Companies are always looking for new ways to improve customer satisfaction and increase modes of productivity. One way to do that is to field as many incoming calls as efficiently as possible. This is a company’s chance to make a great first impression with customers, and customer satisfaction levels increase when customers can get through to a company rep quickly to get their calls resolved.
When phone lines become inundated with callers, it can be difficult for companies to track who’s calling when, how long those calls last, and if and when customer issues are getting resolved. That’s where phone system metrics come in. Phone system metrics qualify and quantify each interaction with customers over the phone, so it’s easier to target areas of improvement.
Why Track Phone System Metrics?
Both maintaining and improving customer experiences can feel like lofty goals without clear data to back your strategy. Fortunately, phone system metrics help quantify those objectives.
You can segment activity into smaller subcategories to more accurately assess the performance of individual employees, teams, and departments. As you collect data, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about which best practices to double down on, and where improvements can be made. We’ve compiled a list of the most common metrics your company should be tracking, so when it comes to assessing your phone system, you have a clear picture of what’s working and what isn’t.
1. Call Availability
Call reps must field dozens of calls a day. The question becomes how quickly reps are able to resolve or redirect each of those calls to free up the line. Call availability measures just that—the frequency of availability among reps and the speed at which reps are able to resolve each call.
Managers can then look at this data to assess availability of a rep compared to their peers as well as reps’ ability to resolve calls quickly. Based on this data, managers begin to brainstorm new modes of efficiency, shifts in personnel, call quotas, and so on.
2. Average Call Abandonment Rate
The average call abandonment rate reflects the numbers of calls dropped by customers during wait time or active call time with a rep.
Managers can then use this data to hone in on customer pain points. If wait times are long, it may be a matter of staffing concerns due to low call availability. However, if the call abandonment rate is high despite high levels of customer satisfaction, this data could point to a larger technology issue, such as a phone system unintentionally dropping calls. If this is the case, the goal must be to resolve these tech issues as quickly as possible so they don’t have a lasting effect on customer satisfaction levels as a whole.
3. Average Time in Queue
Companies must set a precedent for positive customer experiences from the get-go. Before a customer interacts with a rep, they’ll likely be put on hold. While customers will tolerate and even expect to experience brief wait times, excessive time in the queue may also affect the customer experience.
To determine the average time in queue, simply divide callers’ total wait times by the total number of calls answered. Because the time in queue can affect call abandonment rate, it’s imperative that managers monitor this metric closely.
4. Average Handling Rate
Managers want to know not only how quickly reps can respond to a call, but how long it takes reps to resolve each of those customer inquiries. This is known as the average handling rate (AHR) or average handling time (AHT).
Although high-quality customer service is the number one concern for businesses, high-performing ROI becomes a close second place. Reps must be able to resolve issues quickly so that more customers can be helped in less time. If an AHR or AHT is high, managers must consider how best to shift personnel so that customer needs are being met in a timely manner.
5. First Call Resolution
Customers dread wait times. Both customers and call reps dread prolonged conversations without meaningful solutions. Customers call a customer service line looking for more information or hoping to resolve a complaint the first time around, without any extra steps necessary. First call resolution measures reps’ ability to resolve a customer’s issue within the first call.
Not only does this improve customer satisfaction, but it subsequently improves many associated phone system metrics including AHR and customer churn rate, which we’ll get to next.
6. Customer Churn Rate
Despite best efforts, not all customers stick around after their interactions with a customer support team. Customers that companies are not able to retain represent the customer churn rate, or CCR.
Company’s primary objective is to keep the CCR as low as possible. In order to do so, they must prioritize all of the aforementioned phone system metrics. If not, this could cause serious ROI risks for the company.
7. Customer Satisfaction
The ultimate goal is customer satisfaction. Companies employ customer surveys and questionnaires to prompt feedback about their experience.
When issues with a company’s products or services arise, customers want to know that the company has the resources available to rectify the issue in a timely manner. Positive interactions with company reps can have ripple effects when it comes to future purchases with the company in question.
CPI sets both your reps and customers up for success. Learn more about our comprehensive phone systems and request a quote or consultation to get started with CPI’s services, phone systems, and equipment today.
