Contact center management is the art of coordinating people, processes, and technology to build an exceptional customer service system.
It’s not too dissimilar to being the conductor of a busy orchestra.
Every player, from agents to tech systems, has a crucial role — and, just like a conductor cues the strings to swell and the brass to hold steady, you wave a metaphorical baton to make sure your team hits the right notes (which could be quick resolutions or a personalized service).
Here, we’ll highlight what contact center management is, what it involves, and how you can keep your team playing together in absolute harmony.
Contact center management KPIs to track
There are many pros to tracking call center performance. But to do it well, you have to know what to track.
This is where KPIs (key performance indicators) come into play.
The important thing to remember is that not all KPIs are created equal — not for you, anyway. The ones you focus on should reflect your goals, whether that’s faster resolutions, omnichannel customer support, happier customers, or just more efficiency across your entire call center operations.
Here’s a closer look at some KPIs worth your attention.
Transfer rates
Your transfer rate measures how often customer inquiries are passed from one agent to another or escalated. High transfer rates can frustrate customers and waste time, often signaling a lack of agent training or unclear workflows.
Average handle time (AHT)
AHT tracks how long it takes to resolve an issue, from the moment a customer connects to when the interaction ends. While shorter times can indicate your ops are more efficient, don’t sacrifice quality for speed. The goal is to strike a balance between resolving issues thoroughly and avoiding unnecessary delays.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
CSAT is a direct measure of how happy your customers are with the service they receive. The most typical way to “gather” your CSAT is via post-interaction surveys where you ask customers to give you a rating out of 10. High CSAT scores indicate your team is meeting or exceeding expectations, while low scores can highlight areas needing attention.
Abandonment rate
This KPI shows how often customers hang up or leave a chat before reaching an agent. A high abandonment rate often points to long wait times. The easiest way to tackle this issue is to improve staffing levels or streamline workflows.
First call resolution (FCR)
FCR tracks the percentage of issues resolved in the first interaction, without needing follow-ups or transfers. High FCR scores mean your team is skilled, efficient, and empowered to solve problems. This KPI is often directly tied to customer satisfaction because the quicker an issue is resolved, the happier customers tend to be.
Cost per call (CPC)
CPC measures the average cost of handling a single customer interaction. It’s a useful metric for keeping an eye on budget efficiency. If your CPC is high, look for ways to speed up or automate processes, invest in better tools, or optimize staffing.
Service level (SL)
Service level measures how well your team meets specific performance targets, like answering a certain percentage of phone calls within a set time. It’s a critical KPI for evaluating your ability to handle demand and manage customer expectations.
Occupancy rate
Occupancy rate reflects how much of an agent’s time is spent on active work, like handling calls or chats, versus idle time. Striking the right balance is key — call center agents who are too busy risk burnout, while a glut of agents who are sitting around twiddling their thumbs may indicate overstaffing.
Customer effort score (CES)
CES measures how easy it is for customers to get their issues resolved. Obviously, the lower the effort required, the better. A low CES often translates to happier, more loyal customers who are less likely to churn.
How Assembled can help
Managing a contact center isn’t a small task. In fact, it’s quite a big task. Between juggling agent schedules, meeting customer expectations, and staying on top of performance metrics, it can feel like a constant balancing act.
This is where Assembled Assist can make your life considerably easier.
Assembled Assist is an AI-powered tool designed to bring together and optimize everything that goes on in your contact center. It does this by:
- Automating ticket resolution with genAI, making it easier to manage tickets at scale with virtual agents available 24×7.
- Helping your agents succeed by automatically suggesting replies, eliminating manual data lookups, and reducing call transfers.
- Making it easy for your team to build workflows that help manage support operations.
Ready to see Assembled Assist in action? Book a demo today and discover how it can completely transform your contact center management