Getting Measurement Right

Measurement of performance is critical in any business.  Measurement of call centre performance even more so due to the sheer volume of costly variables.

If we get our business estimates wrong our budgets blow out the window and clients walk out the door.

Call centre managers get excited about measuring performance.  Never has an industry employee been more closely scrutinised.  The call centre agent sits on a modern day production line that could quite possibly measure their every inhale and exhale if need be.  But then what use is their respiration rate to management?

The art of measurement is focus. Technology sometimes tempts us to stray from the path of meaningful measurement and intelligent interpretation.

Call centre managers and work force planners must concentrate on the Key Performance Indicators that impact their business.  They must focus on their costs, accessibility and the satisfaction of their customers.

Cost Per Call is critical to business profitability.  Cost Per Call has many component variables.  Managers must focus on the components they have control over.  Look at talk time within the context of call content. 

Average handling time will vary depending upon the amount of information required within the call labour intensive calls will go beyond industry averages for handling and wrap up.  If this is the case, the manager needs to cost the call accordingly. 

It is also important to examine the processes within a call.  Can after-call clerical work be completed during a quiet period?  Can the call be pre-screened and routed to an appropriately skilled agent?  Can the agent email the customer information rather than getting up to send a fax?

Accessibility is a measure for management and not for agents.  Don’t hassle staff with indicators they cannot control.  If accessibility is going through the floor, management must examine the issues.  Is attrition or absenteeism the cause?  Is the roster out of kilter with call forecasts?  Should we review the forecasts?  Do we have technical issues that are interrupting calls, either inbound or outbound?  Find the cause and rectify the problem.

Service Level is what we live and die by.  Our delivery on Service Level commitments is what makes happy customers.  Our failure to deliver destroys our credibility and adds further to our costs.  Service Level goes beyond answering 80% of calls within 20 seconds.  Research suggests that 25% of operational costs can be saved by satisfying the customer during the first call.

Everyone cares about Service Level – management, clients, customers and even agents.  With Service Level the KPI often linked to reward and recognition programs, agents are keen to have it measured accurately. 

Real Time Monitoring (RTM) adds another dimension to the integrity of measurement.  RTM brings currency and life to measurement instead of it becoming historical fact.  With RTM, managers can respond immediately to peaks and troughs in call volume and make fine tuning adjustments to optimise performance. 

Most importantly, measurement of Key Performance Indicators must be accurate, consistent and meaningful. 

Call centre managers must have an astute regard for the measurement and interpretation of their team’s performance.  Only then can they deliver on their commitment to clients and reward staff appropriately for a job well done.