Quality metrics for the call center

Quality metrics for the call center

We'd like to know what metrics we should use to measure quality in our call center. We are an inside sales organization (in the high-tech industry), servicing a combination of our own sales staff, customers and occasionally partners. We do not receive a large volume of calls, but we still want to measure our activity. Quality is important to us, and we're not sure how to include quality in our metrics.

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Inside sales organizations require metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs), just like any operating area or call center. As the primary goal of an inside sales organization is to generate revenue, the primary measure of success for your department and for each inside sales representative should be revenue. It's essential for your department to have a revenue goal that is aligned with corporate revenue objectives. It's also important for your department to work cooperatively with field sales and distribution partners to assist them in meeting their goals. However, as inside sales is still a call center, productivity, quality and customer satisfaction matter as well.

Here is a general list of KPIs for your inside sales organization:

Productivity metrics:

Inbound:

  • # of calls offered and handled
  • Percent of calls answered in 20 seconds
  • Average talk time
  • Average wrap time
  • Average handle time
  • # of emails handled
  • Average time to respond to emails
  • Percent of calls resolved in first contact
  • Percent of transactions resolved in first contact

Outbound:

  • # of outbound calls
  • Average talk time
  • Average wrap time
  • Average handle time

Orders and quotes:

  • # of quotes processed
  • # of lines/quote
  • # of proposals issued
  • # of lines/proposal
  • Average price per quote
  • Total dollar amount of items sold
  • Average quote turnaround time
  • Average proposal turnaround time
  • # of up-sell/cross-sell opportunities
  • # of leads identified
  • # of referrals

Quality metrics:

  • Accuracy of orders
  • Accuracy of quotes
  • Call QM score
    - Product knowledge
    - Technical knowledge
    - Communications skills
    - Problem solving skills
  • Email QM score
  • Quality of technical knowledge
  • Reasons people called

Satisfaction metrics:

  • Monthly real-time survey of customers
  • Monthly real-time survey of field sales staff
  • Monthly real-time survey of partners/distributors

Note: It is critical to measure the performance of each inside sales representative, call center site and the overall department on a consistent basis.

This was first published in October 2005