Benchmarks

Benchmarks are an essential tool in the world of contact centers, serving as critical performance indicators that enable organizations to measure, compare, and improve their customer service operations. In the dynamic and competitive landscape of customer support, benchmarks play a pivotal role in driving excellence and achieving strategic objectives.

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):  Benchmarks in contact centers are typically based on a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that help gauge various aspects of customer service delivery. Common KPIs include average response time, first-call resolution rate, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), net promoter score (NPS), and agent utilization rates.
• Industry Standards: Benchmarks often draw from industry standards and best practices. These benchmarks help contact centers assess their performance relative to peers and competitors. For example, a contact center may compare its average response time to the industry benchmark to determine if it is meeting customer expectations.
• Internal Performance Measurement: Benchmarks are not limited to external comparisons. Contact centers also use benchmarks to measure their own performance over time. By setting internal targets and comparing current performance to past benchmarks, organizations can track progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Continuous Improvement: Benchmarks are instrumental in driving continuous improvement efforts within contact centers. When performance falls short of benchmarks, it prompts organizations to take action to address bottlenecks, improve processes, and enhance agent training.
• Resource Allocation: Guide resource allocation decisions. If a benchmark indicates that a contact center’s average response time is higher than industry standards, the organization may invest in additional staff or technology to improve response times.
• Customer Satisfaction: Benchmarks are closely tied to customer satisfaction. High CSAT and NPS scores are often used as benchmarks themselves. Contact centers strive to meet or exceed these to ensure that customers are delighted with their service.
• Employee Performance: Benchmarks extend to employee performance evaluation. Contact center agents are often evaluated against benchmarks related to metrics like call quality, resolution rates, and adherence to company standards.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Benchmarks rely on data and analytics to provide meaningful insights. Contact centers use sophisticated reporting and analysis tools to collect and interpret data, allowing them to make data-driven decisions.
• Customization: Benchmarks are not one-size-fits-all. Contact centers can tailor these to align with their unique business goals and customer expectations. This customization ensures that benchmarks reflect the specific needs and priorities of the organization.
• Customer-Centric Focus: Ultimately, benchmarks in contact centers serve to maintain a customer-centric focus. They help organizations deliver exceptional customer experiences by providing clear, actionable insights into what customers value most.

Contact center benchmarks are indispensable yardsticks for incremental improvement. They enable organizations to assess their performance, make informed decisions, and continuously improve their customer service operations. By setting and striving to meet or exceed these, contact centers can ensure that they are not only meeting customer expectations but also positioning themselves for success in a competitive marketplace. Benchmarks are the compass that guides contact centers toward excellence in customer service.

More Benchmark Resources for Call & Contact Centers

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Setting the Standard: Essential Healthcare Benchmarks for Evaluating Patient Engagement Strategies – LiveVox

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The most important metrics for call-based support should assess how well support addresses customer needs. None of these customer experience KPIs should be viewed in a silo. A skilled manager will look at all of the data and understand the story told by the various metrics in combination with one another, like putting pieces of a puzzle into a coherent, recognizable picture.

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Before choosing how your company will capture VoC, identify a common objective. Customer feedback runs the gamut. If you gather data without a specific objective in mind, it’s harder to implement the findings to improve your business.

Pose a common objective in the form of a question. It’s helpful to include a benchmark metric too. Here are a couple of examples of what a VoC program objective can look like.