You’re struggling to evaluate your customer service performance. What metrics should you focus on?

1 Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

One of the most basic and common metrics to measure customer service performance is customer satisfaction (CSAT). This metric reflects how happy your customers are with the service they received, usually on a scale from 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. You can collect CSAT feedback through surveys, emails, or other channels, after each interaction or at regular intervals. CSAT can help you understand how well you are meeting your customers' expectations, how loyal they are, and how likely they are to recommend you to others. However, CSAT can also be influenced by factors outside your control, such as the customer's mood, the product quality, or the market conditions. Therefore, you should not rely on CSAT alone, but combine it with other metrics to get a more comprehensive picture.

2 First Response Time (FRT)

Another important metric to measure customer service performance is first response time (FRT). This metric indicates how long it takes for your customer service team to acknowledge and start working on a customer's request, whether it is via phone, email, chat, or social media. FRT can affect your customer's perception of your service quality, their level of frustration, and their willingness to wait for a resolution. FRT can also reflect your team's efficiency, availability, and workload. Ideally, you want to keep your FRT as low as possible, without compromising the quality of your service. You can improve your FRT by using automation tools, setting clear expectations, prioritizing urgent issues, and training your staff.

3 Resolution Time (RT)

Another metric that is closely related to FRT is resolution time (RT). This metric measures how long it takes for your customer service team to solve a customer's problem or answer their question, from the moment they receive it to the moment they close it. RT can impact your customer's satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, as well as your team's productivity, cost, and performance. RT can vary depending on the complexity and urgency of the issue, the channel of communication, and the skills and knowledge of your staff. You can reduce your RT by providing self-service options, creating knowledge bases, streamlining your processes, and following up with your customers.

4 First Contact Resolution (FCR)

Another metric that can help you evaluate your customer service performance is first contact resolution (FCR). This metric shows how often your customer service team can resolve a customer's issue or question on the first contact, without requiring any follow-up or escalation. FCR can indicate your team's competence, effectiveness, and consistency, as well as your customer's satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. FCR can also help you save time, money, and resources, by reducing the number of contacts, transfers, and callbacks. You can increase your FCR by empowering your staff, providing them with the right tools and information, and encouraging them to ask for feedback and clarification.

5 Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Another metric that can complement your customer service performance evaluation is net promoter score (NPS). This metric measures how likely your customers are to recommend your product or service to others, on a scale from -100 to 100. NPS can help you assess your customer's overall satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy, as well as your brand reputation and growth potential. NPS can also help you identify your promoters, who are your most loyal and enthusiastic customers, your passives, who are satisfied but not loyal, and your detractors, who are dissatisfied and likely to switch or complain. You can improve your NPS by delivering exceptional customer service, exceeding your customer's expectations, and creating a loyal community.

6 Customer Effort Score (CES)

Another metric that can provide you with valuable insights into your customer service performance is customer effort score (CES). This metric evaluates how easy or difficult it is for your customers to interact with your company, whether it is to find information, purchase a product, get support, or provide feedback. CES can reveal how user-friendly, convenient, and accessible your customer service is, as well as how satisfied, loyal, and engaged your customers are. CES can also help you identify and eliminate any friction points, obstacles, or inefficiencies that may affect your customer's experience. You can enhance your CES by simplifying your processes, offering multiple channels, personalizing your service, and anticipating your customer's needs.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?