Analytics – Big Word, Simple Math

Sometimes the word associated with a certain business process, such as performance analytics, seems to suggest something complicated; however, this is not always the case. Analytics are your best friend when it comes to in-house development and efficiency improvements, and what’s more, they aren’t that difficult to obtain and interpret.

Analytics is simply the process of collecting information from various data sources and analyzing that data via analytics tools. Of course, as is the case with all things, there is more advanced analytics that can provide complex data interpretations. Still, these are not always necessary to identify areas of call center performance that can benefit from process improvements.

Data Metrics Sources

You may be wondering where customer data can be collected for analysis. When it comes to customer experience call centers, some of your most valuable and insightful sources include customer satisfaction surveys, average hold/wait times, and call volume. You’ll want to consider resolution rates and abandonment rates, with the call times for each. The call recordings provide first-hand reports on call times and the service level.

Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Customer satisfaction surveys get a first-hand customer perspective of how pleased or displeased your customers are with their customer journey at your call centers. These surveys will give you insight into how well your agent performance is impacting your customers.

One of the best ways to procure data metrics from this source is through random survey requests. Randomizing these surveys ensures that you are compiling data that is not likely influenced by temporary or independent issues.

For instance, if you collected customer satisfaction surveys on just one single day within a defined period of time, that data may be inadvertently influenced by environmental or mechanical factors that may not be consistently present.

Some of these temporary factors could include an unusually low workforce due to a power outage or malfunctioning computer systems impacted by network interruptions. Therefore, collecting data randomly and across a broad length of time ensure temporary factors don’t creep into your data analytics.

Opportunities for Sales Conversions

Call center metrics go far beyond the number of calls received, handled, and routed. Powerful performance indicators include how customer issues are resolved, and FAQs are answered.

When it comes to business, nearly everyone can be part of the sales funnel. A well-trained customer experience center, like the ones we offer at Awesome CX, can impact a business’s conversion rates. Opportunities like these can include chances for up-selling and cross-selling.

Customer engagement on this level can contribute to their decision-making process when they resolve an issue with the product (customer retention). Even more importantly, real-time support may encourage customers to purchase the product in question once their concerns over sizing or quality are answered.

Workflow and Product Improvement

Optimizecustomer interaction opportunities by learning what isn’t right with the purchase or translation in question. Call center managers should encourage employees to take careful notes, including common questions or patterns when speaking with customers. With the proper technological analysis, call centers can provide insightful metrics to improve products and services.

These notes become data that becomes actionable insights, especially when it comes to the manufacturing process.

For example, if a call center learns that the zipper on a jacket is repeatedly malfunctioning, they alert the manufacturer before the next shipment is made. This prevents future losses, enhancing the bottom line so everyone can meet their KPIs: Business intelligence at its finest — Not to mention, CX becomes the real hero when these observations are brought to their attention.

Average Hold & Wait Times

The average hold and wait times your customers' experience will greatly impact their customer satisfaction and the customer journey. If your call center analytics consistently represent long hold and wait times, it is highly likely agent productivity, and call center operations need intervention.

Long hold and wait times are one of the biggest negative impacts on customers’ happiness and attitudes toward your delivery. Identifying this issue and rectifying it will go a long way toward putting smiles back on your customers’ faces.

Note that wait lines go beyond chatbots to include fields like social media. Speedy responses to customer compliments and complaints on social channels can help boost brand loyalty.

Call Volume

At first, it may seem like call volume has nothing to do with call center analytics, but they do. Consistently high call volumes indicate that either your products or services need improvements or your call center resolution rates are not adequate. Or both.

When you are experiencing constant call volumes that exceed your call center capabilities, it is vital to determine the root cause of the service issues that the customers are experiencing.

Once identified, implementing controls that correct these issues should cause an immediate reduction in call volume. As your call volume decreases, so will hold times. These factors combined lead to higher customer satisfaction.

Resolution Rates

Resolution rates give your company insight into agent performance, agent productivity, and valuable insights into performance metrics and training effectiveness.

For instance, if your call center analytics produce data that identifies a majority of complaints that are resolved with first contact resolution, you know that your agents are performing well and that your training is effective.

First-call resolution rates that are low are indicative of a much larger problem than just long wait times. They have a cascading and domino effect on your call center productivity, as well as customer satisfaction.

Customers expect to receive top-notch care and assistance when they call in with a problem, especially those that are technical in nature. Technical issues generally prevent the customer from utilizing your products and services. When they cannot get help from the source, it causes higher levels of frustration and customer attrition.

Suppose your call center analytics suggest multiple callbacks and communications with customers prior to resolutions. In that case, you need to identify the source of the issue and institute countermeasures to stop the dominos from falling and stand them back up.

Abandonment Rates

Abandonment rates are a key analytic to measure and use when determining your call center productivity and efficiency. Abandonment rates are the direct result of long wait times.

As we have already seen, several factors weigh into wait times that aren’t just associated with staffing or logistical issues. Sure, those issues can influence wait times. However, agent productivity, inadequate training, resolution issues, and product/service quality can all factor into these wait times.

If your abandonment rates are trending higher, similar to resolution rates, it is vital that you and your team determine the issue most responsible for causing long wait times. Identifying this area of concern and instituting mitigating factors should significantly decrease abandonment rates and increase customer satisfaction.

Call Recordings

This is one of the oldest analytic tools utilized by companies for dozens of years. Recording phone calls between customers and your call centers is an excellent resource for analytic data to derive from.

You’ve probably called into a call center yourself and heard a recording letting you know that the call may or may not be recorded for training purposes. Stating that it is for training purposes is key and should be the reason you do it.

Sometimes your agents or representatives may not realize that they are speaking with a negative or condescending tone, so recording customer calls and letting them hear it from a third-party perspective is a fantastic training tool that can correct the behavior.

Call recordings also help you determine what your agents are doing right. If certain agents are receiving high marks for their performance from customers consistently, these phone calls can again be used for training, both for new agents and agents who are struggling.

These recordings can, in essence, serve as a benchmark for all of your call center personnel. Call recordings also give you proof that what was said between the customer and the agent cannot be refuted. This can go a long way in resolving customer disputes, substantiating customer complaints, and clearing agents of any wrongdoing.

Total Length of Call Times

Keeping calls between agents and customers productive requires maximizing time and utilizing it efficiently. This is yet another example of one issue that can contribute to long wait times and call abandonment.

It’s an art to learn how to professionally end a call with a chatty customer after their issue has been resolved. It’s important not to come across as pushy or rude. Great agents can accomplish this with ease, and the customer is none the wiser.

Reducing call times also factors into training. Agents who aren’t confident with your software systems, products, or services will tend to be on the phone longer, especially if they have to constantly consult training materials, other agents, or supervisors.

Once again, we have returned to the importance of training and education: Call time analytics will help you identify those agents who may need more training. After doing so, call queues and handling should be far more efficient.

Total Calls Received, Handled, and Routed

Lastly, analyzing the total calls you have received and handled within a defined time parameter is a great analytic to have, especially for future referencing. Defining a certain time period, such as a specific week, month, quarter, or group of months, can provide valuable data over time.

For instance, measuring your call volume during special holidays, especially those that play to your product or service, versus call volume outside of those holiday windows can illustrate spikes and valleys in sales based on the time of the year.

This data can also show a need to hire additional temporary staff during peak times of the year or outsource some of your services during that time of the year to adequately accommodate demand.

On the darker side of things, high call volumes can also be an indicator of poor product and/or service quality. If you are experiencing unusually high call volumes for the same time period compared to the same time period in the past, it may point to an issue with quality control.

Perhaps you just chose a new vendor to manufacture your product or a new server system to host your online services. Increased call volume analytics can help you measure the quality you are getting from these new partners or services.

Call Center Solutions for Customer Needs

Call center analytics are vital tools in your toolbox that can help illuminate areas of concern or shine brightly on areas of strength. In either case, the old adage out of sight, out of mind should not be employed. It’s important to know where you are succeeding and where you are failing.

Having this knowledge ensures your company has long-term success, consistent growth, and profits year after year.

Sources:

Why 2023 Is All About Analytics | Reseller News

How Call Center Analytics Drive Customer Satisfaction | CMSWire

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): Meaning, Types, Examples | Investopedia

What Is Cross-Selling? | Investopedia