10 Call Center KPIs You’re Probably Ignoring (But Shouldn’t Be)

Call center KPIs are measurable values that reflect how effectively a call center is achieving its objectives, on the basis of customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, or agent performance. These contact center metrics provide practical takeaways that help managers make informed decisions, improve service quality, and time-saving operations.

Be it monitoring average handling time, first call interactions, or customer satisfaction scores, understanding and using contact center KPIs effectively is critical to the success of any call center.

Call Center Metrics and KPIs You Should Monitor

1. Average Handle Time (AHT)

This indicator measures the average duration spent on the whole call, including talk time, hold time, and after-call work. Helps forecast staffing and schedule shifts by improving customer experience to provide fast and effective resolution.

2. First Call Resolution (FCR)

This helps to find out the percentage of customer issues resolved in the first call without follow-up, and high FCR usually indicates good agent training and well-organized processes.

3. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

The rating scale between 1-5 or 1-10 is marked based on customer feedback collected via surveys after the call. Helps identify high-performing agents and best practices. 80%–90% is generally considered excellent.

4. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Based on a single question, customer loyalty was measured by a scale rating between 1-10 by asking how likely they are to recommend the company.

5. Call Abandonment Rate

This denotes the percentage of callers who hang up before speaking to an agent. Higher rates may indicate longer wait times or insufficient staffing.

6. Agent Turnover Rate

They measure how often agents leave the call center. The standard of service and price markup are affected when the turnover is high.

7. After-Call Work Time (ACW)

The time spent by an agent helps evaluate productivity beyond live interaction on after-call tasks. Lower ACW generally means agents are more efficient and systems/processes are streamlined.

8. Repeat Call Rate

This tracks how frequently the customers call back for the same issue, indicating a low FCR, combined with a high repeat call rate, signals underlying problems.

9. Agent Utilization Rate

This shows how much of an agent’s total paid time is spent handling calls and balancing workload vs. idle time, and helps optimize staffing.

10. Call Volume Per Channel

This measures how many interactions come through phone vs. email, and chat, as it is very important for multilane support centers to balance resources.

Enhancing Call Center KPIs Through Cloud Telephony

The role of a cloud telephony solution like dooCTI in achieving and improving call center KPIs is critical. The technology impacts the performance outcome directly by playing a vital role across the areas below,

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

Analytics platforms in cloud telephony track contact center KPIs like AHT, FCR, CSAT, and more automatically. Also, the call center metrics, analytics, and reporting dashboards help managers and agents respond proactively. They even enable historical analysis for trend detection and planning.

Improving First Call Resolution (FCR)

The integrated CRM’s give agents on-demand access to customer history. AI and searchable knowledge bases help agents resolve issues faster. The customers reach the right department through call routing systems.

Reducing Average Handle Time (AHT)

Features like screen pop-ups pull up caller information from the CRM and sync call data automatically to reduce physical work.

Enhancing Customer Experience (CSAT, CES, NPS)

Through omnichannel integration, customers can reach you via their preferred channels (phone, chat, email). Eventually, the IVR systems route calls efficiently and reduce wait times. The post-call surveys can also be automated for CSAT/NPS collection.

Summary

Now is the time to take a closer look at the benchmark you might be overlooking. Reassess your current performance measurement strategy by identifying the blind spots and start tracking the call center KPIs that truly matter.

Ignoring key performance indicators in a call center can mean missed opportunities for growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. The contact center KPIs we’ve highlighted aren’t just numbers on a dashboard; they’re powerful call center metrics that help you offer an exceptional customer experience.