“I believe that an over reliance on metrics plague the call center industry at the expense of the customer experience.” (Metrics-Schmetrics « rich mclafferty’s customer experience weblog)

Rich has an interesting point. Although I only partially agree, the fact is that metrics alone is not the way to measure your call center. Measure your center by understanding what it is your customers are looking for and then focusing on those aspects. As he said, a customer that doesn’t get a resolution when the phone is picked up because the agent is rushing through is a customer that will be extremely dissatisfied. The point of the call isn’t to get the customer’s question rushed through … it is to get the customer’s question answered. If it’s not, then reconsider why you’ve got a call center.

Customer satisfaction. Isn’t that why you’re answering the call? Look at the reasons — the REAL reasons.

Possible Reasons

1. My product doesn’t work. I need help. — What is this really? It is an unsatisfied customer who, if resolved, will be satisfied.
2. My bills wrong and I want it fixed. — Again, what’s the customer looking for? They’re currently not happy. They want to figure out what it should be and hope to walk away satisfied.
3. I can’t find X. Where do I buy Y? — Again! Satisfying the customer is the goal behind the reason for the call. The customer can’t find something. Help them find it. They wan to buy something. Help them buy it by telling them where that can be done.

I’m sure there’s reasons that customer’s call up because they’re not looking for satisfaction, but I can’t think of any off the top of my head. Because of this, think about why your call center is currently running and focus on the necessary aspects of managing it.

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