| Call centers are customer service centers that receive | | | | making use of new, possibly more effective practices |
| and transmit multiple requests by telephone (and also | | | | and methods. This presupposes, of course, a working |
| usually by email and other online channels). These | | | | way to evaluate performance, which is exactly what |
| were originally introduced as extensions of | | | | KPI's are useful for. |
| telecommunications services especially for large | | | | Some of the more obvious and common key |
| companies with customer support needs. They | | | | performance indicators for call centers include the |
| provide an effective, streamlined way of providing | | | | average amount of time that a call takes to resolve, or |
| consumers with customer and/or technical support. | | | | what is known as AHT (average handling time). This |
| Many companies, including telemarketing companies, | | | | combines the average time that a caller waits on hold |
| mail-order companies, and even computer dealers use | | | | and the average time that a caller spends talking with |
| call centers to provide customer support. | | | | the agent (ATT, average talk time). Other possible |
| Typically, call centers handle fairly high volumes of both | | | | measures (or metrics) include the percentage of |
| inbound and outbound calls. Inbound calls consist of | | | | successfully resolved calls, the number of calls per |
| consumers phoning in for inquiries, and to ask for | | | | hour per agent, and many more. |
| product or service support. These calls are forwarded | | | | Careful monitoring of these indicators can help |
| to skilled support staff employees, who then help to | | | | managers to build up a complete and objective picture |
| resolve the issue as quickly and easily as possible. | | | | of a call center's performance. Specific indicators may |
| Outbound calls, on the other hand, are usually company | | | | also point to areas of the most shortcomings, which |
| telemarketers promoting the company's products and | | | | would require immediate action. It should be mentioned |
| services to customers via telephone. | | | | here that these are only sample indicators; each |
| Dealing with customers directly is of course a very | | | | particular case might come with its own set of useful |
| sensitive matter, and every company strives to put its | | | | key performance indicators. Thorough analysis and |
| best foot forward with its call centers. These centers | | | | careful selection are key to the successful application |
| represent, after all, one of the company's fronts or | | | | of the KPI system. |
| faces to the public. Careful management is required, | | | | A successful call center is an invaluable asset to any |
| and this is usually performed using KPI's and | | | | company. It can ease the communication flow |
| benchmarking. | | | | between customer and company. It can greatly |
| This can help avoid the common complaints of | | | | improve customer retention and satisfaction. It can |
| customers about call centers, which include non-expert | | | | even help to resolve emerging customer service |
| operators, poorly trained agents unable to process | | | | issues before they get out of hand. The proper use of |
| simple requests, long waiting times due to automated | | | | KPI's to evaluate call center performance, and thus to |
| queues, scripted agents, and so on. Benchmarking is | | | | make the necessary management decisions, can |
| closely related to the KPI concept, and basically aims | | | | transform mediocre centers into stellar assets. |
| to reform an organization from the ground up by | | | | |