My years of experience managing customer support teams have made one thing crystal clear: data is your best friend when assessing and improving agent performance.
Sure, it’s easy to assume quick ticket resolutions are enough to measure success. But to truly understand how well your team is performing, you need a balanced list of key performance indicators (KPIs).
Your KPIs shouldn’t be arbitrary — they should be used to measure the outcomes your customers want. Here are seven critical KPIs I use to measure support agent performance and make sure customers are satisfied.
1. First Response Time (FRT): How Quickly Are You Responding?
First response time (FRT) measures how long it takes for an agent to respond to a customer’s initial inquiry. The 2022 Sprout Social Index shows that 76% of respondents value how quickly a brand can respond to their needs, so it’s an important metric to track. A quick first response goes a long way in setting the tone for the interaction and building customer trust.
Crucially, I prefer to measure FRT starting from the first meaningful response after an agent has reviewed the issue. Auto-replies and ‘We’ve got this’ emails are fine, but in my experience, customers would rather wait a few hours for a substantial update than simply be informed their case has been received.
With FRT, I look for consistency. If agents can’t respond consistently within established benchmarks, it could indicate a need for better time management or that we’re understaffed during peak periods. Improving FRT can often be as simple as providing agents with templates for common inquiries or implementing chatbots for initial helpful responses.
Why It Matters: A fast, yet meaningful, response shows customers that their issue is important to you, which helps to increase satisfaction and reduce frustration.
2. Average Handle Time (AHT): Balancing Efficiency with Quality
Average handle time (AHT) is another crucial metric that tracks how long an agent spends resolving an issue. While it’s important to resolve tickets quickly, quality shouldn’t be sacrificed for speed.
When looking at AHT, I pay close attention to the types of issues being handled. For example, at Cars.com an inventory data issue may require a significantly longer handle time than a simple account update. Complex issues naturally take longer, and that’s okay. The goal is to strike a balance between efficiency and quality.
If an agent has a consistently low AHT, I check whether they’re rushing through tickets and missing key details. Conversely, a high AHT might suggest that the agent is struggling with efficiency or doesn’t have the necessary tools to resolve issues quickly. Set your agents up for success by providing them the resources they need to resolve issues quickly and on their own and watch your AHT improve while improving quality.
Why It Matters: A well-balanced AHT ensures that agents are both efficient and thorough, creating a better overall customer experience.
3. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): What Do Customers Think?
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is one of the most direct ways to measure how customers feel about their support experience. After each interaction, we ask customers a simple question: Were we able to help you today? The options are “Yes”, “Sort of”, or “Not really”, with an accompanying text box asking for more information about their experience.
I analyze the written feedback that accompanies low scores. Did the customer feel rushed? Did they think the agent was unhelpful or didn’t understand the issue? This qualitative feedback helps me provide constructive coaching to agents and ultimately increases CSAT scores over the long term.
The key to getting this written feedback consistently is to make the CSAT survey short: just one to two questions long. Customers are much more likely to write how they’re feeling when they haven’t already been through a bunch of questions.
I treat this KPI as a window into what the customer sees during their interaction. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the team, uncover coaching opportunities, and follow up with dissatisfied customers immediately.
Why It Matters: High CSAT scores indicate that your team is meeting customer expectations, while low scores highlight areas for improvement in communication or problem-solving.
4. First Contact Resolution (FCR): Resolving Issues on the First Try
First contact resolution (FCR) measures how often a support agent resolves a customer’s issue during the first interaction. Ideally, we want to resolve as many issues as possible without the need for follow-up inquiries. High FCR rates shows agents are knowledgeable, equipped, and empowered to handle a wide range of issues without needing to escalate or request more information.
When I see a lower-than-expected FCR, I focus on two things: support processes and agent training. Are there specific types of issues where FCR is low? Do agents need more resources or better troubleshooting tools? Support processes should be set up to allow agents to troubleshoot and resolve issues quickly, so I’ll shine a spotlight on any gaps there and provide additional training for the team. By improving FCR, we’re not only improving the customer experience but also increasing operational efficiency.
Why It Matters: High FCR rates minimize back-and-forth communication, which leads to quicker resolutions and happier customers.
5. Net Promoter Score (NPS): How Likely Are Customers to Recommend Us?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a KPI that goes beyond the immediate interaction. It measures customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your company or product to others on a scale of 0 to 10. Frontline support agents play a significant role in influencing NPS because they’re often the face of the company. Qualtrics found that 94% of customers will recommend a company if they consider their customer experience as “Very Good.”
I make sure to keep NPS and CSAT separate. They should not be part of the same survey since they serve two different purposes. Where CSAT is used to assess each individual customer interaction, I use NPS to assess the overall effectiveness of the support department. NPS surveys are given quarterly and are tracked to identify trends and immediate opportunities within the department.
NPS is also a good opportunity to work with departments outside of Support. A low NPS could indicate broader issues, such as problems with the product or gaps in service quality. In these cases, it’s essential to collaborate with other teams, like Product or Engineering, to understand what’s driving customer dissatisfaction.
Why It Matters: NPS helps you see the bigger picture. It’s a reflection of not just the customer’s experience with support, but their overall perception of your brand.
6. Agent Utilization: Are Agents Working Efficiently?
Agent utilization tracks how much time agents spend on productive tasks like handling customer issues, versus non-productive time like waiting for tickets or engaging in other activities. While you want agents to be fully engaged, it’s important to avoid burnout by balancing workloads.
If I notice low utilization rates, I assess whether we have enough tickets coming in or if our processes are inefficient. On the other side of the coin, if agents are over utilized, it could be a sign that we need more team members or that our workflows need adjusting to avoid overwhelming the team.
Agent utilization also helps bridge the gap for agent career development. From my experience, many companies invest a ton into career development resources. However, one of the most overlooked investments in employees is time to actually use those resources.
A plus of tracking agent utilization is it allows you to balance productive time with development time. You can build development time into your agent utilization goals to allow your agents time for meaningful career development.
Why It Matters: Maintaining a balanced utilization rate ensures that agents are neither underworked nor overworked, promoting both efficiency and well-being and allowing them to meaningfully develop their career.
7. Quality Assurance (QA) Scores: Ensuring Consistency and Professionalism
Quality assurance (QA) is one of the most comprehensive ways to evaluate agent performance. QA scores measure how well agents follow company guidelines, handle difficult situations, and maintain professionalism during customer interactions. These scores are typically based on call recordings, chat logs, or email transcripts.
Importantly, I view QA as a learning tool, not a punitive measure. If an agent consistently falls short in certain areas, it’s an opportunity for targeted coaching. Whether it’s tone of voice, problem-solving skills, or adherence to protocols, QA helps maintain consistency across the team.
QA scores also allow you to identify if the majority of agents are struggling in certain areas. It’s a great way to provide further training or brush up on productivity or communication tactics across the entire team.
Why It Matters: High QA scores ensure that agents maintain a high standard of professionalism and consistency in their customer interactions.
Implementing a Balanced Approach to Customer Support Agent KPIs
No single KPI tells the whole story, which is why I take a balanced approach when evaluating agent performance. A well-rounded evaluation system not only improves individual performance but also contributes to a stronger, more effective, and more engaged support team.
By closely monitoring these critical KPIs, you’ll have a clearer picture of how your support agents are performing and, more importantly, how to help them grow. I make sure I highlight not just areas for improvement but also areas where agents excel.
When agents feel supported and empowered, it leads to better service and happier customers. That’s a win for everyone.
If you’re looking to improve handle times, decrease resolution times, and improve overall customer satisfaction, Swifteq has tools that can help. Request a demo today!
Written by Tim Jordan Tim is a support manager at Cars.com and a writer for Supported Content. When he’s not busy leading his team, you’ll find him spending time with his wife and two daughters, usually on some Disney-related activity. He also blogs about personal finance at Atypical Finance. |
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