The request for customer feedback from brands can be found everywhere; from in-store to online and on social media. While customer service centers are set up to deal with customer queries or complaints, how do we rate the level of service this service provides?

Achieving excellent customer service is one of those ever moving goal posts as it requires continuous improvement. Performance is tracked across multiple metrics, and the challenge is to turn the data into information that gives you direction and insight to maximize improvements. We have outlined some key areas that you can measure to help gauge your teams’ performance, which will quickly let you know what is working and what requires attention.

Assess the number of requests:

Understanding the level of workload gives you a good indication of how busy your team are and whether they require additional assistance. It will also give you an indication of the productivity levels of the individuals within the team. Are they performing optimally or do they require additional training?  It is also good to calculate whether the number of requests for assistance and/ or queries and complaints are increasing or decreasing compared to previous periods? This can help clarify if there are some busier periods, and what the influence of this may be.

 First Contact Resolution

For customers, having their queries resolved during their first contact with the company is important. On average, how many responses does it take to resolve requests? Is there multiple correspondence required? If so, why? Are the queries being directed to the right people? The focus here should be to see how you can maximize the quality of your first response to reduce the number of responses required.

 Timely Response

Timing is always a hot topic of debate in customer service. Generally, customers expect timely responses, and although they do have varying expectations depending on the channel they used, the consensus is the faster the better. What are your average response times across each channel? Is this better than your competitors? Are customers waiting a long time to get a response? Shorter waiting times lead to happier customers, and as a result, response times directly correlate with customer satisfaction.

Frequency

Are there queries or complaints that come up time and again? If so what can be done to permanently resolve the issue? What steps have been put in place and how can you effectively communicate this to the customers?

While the above metrics may seem like common sense, drawing insight from this data is what will fuel your progress.  Evaluating the efficiencies in your customer service department needs to be done regularly to monitor and track improvements.

Savvy consumers have increasingly high expectations of the customer care they expect throughout their purchasing journey. Technology  has made it quick and easy for customers to leave reviews and ratings. This faceless forum can give people the confidence to be brutally scathing. Make sure you deliver excellent customer service so to not not fall below their quality mark.