Each month, I highlight one Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for service and support. I define the KPI, provide recent benchmarking data for the metric, and discuss key correlations and cause-and-effect relationships for the metric. The purpose of the column is to familiarize you with the KPIs that really matter to your organization and to provide you with actionable insight on how to leverage these KPIs to improve your performance! This month, I depart from our usual format, and instead of discussing a single metric, I will introduce and discuss a number of metrics that are unique to chat. The Chat Channel If you are like most consumers, you have probably experienced a chat session. Perhaps you engaged in chat with an agent at your bank or insurance company to resolve a payment issue. Or you may have used chat to troubleshoot your new computer or a software application you installed. Why chat? One reason is that some people simply prefer this channel for service and support. Chat is the channel of choice for a growing number of consumers and businesses, particularly among millennials. The second reason is economics. An effective chat channel can significantly reduce the cost per transaction versus a more traditional live voice support model. Because of this, chat has the potential to both improve customer satisfaction (by giving customers an alternative channel choice) and reduce the cost per ticket. Costs are typically lower in the chat channel because chat agents can handle more than one chat session at a time. These are called concurrent sessions, and some agents are talented and skilled enough to handle as many as four concurrent chat sessions. When agents handle more than one session at a time, the cost per session is reduced accordingly. Chat Metrics Many chat metrics simply mirror their live agent counterparts. For example, customer satisfaction for chat is the same metric as customer satisfaction for the live voice channel. However, the values for the metrics in each channel are likely to be different—sometimes dramatically different. Customer satisfaction in the traditional voice channel might be 80%, while customer satisfaction for chat might be 90%, or vice versa. The metrics listed below are common to both the chat and voice channels. Some names might vary slightly—for example, speed of answer in the voice channel becomes speed of response in the chat channel, and call abandonment rate becomes chat abandonment rate in the chat channel. Cost Metrics Cost per Chat Session Cost per Minute of Chat Handle Time Productivity Metrics Chats per Chat Agent per Month Chat Agent Utilization Ratio of Chat Agents to Total Headcount Service Level Metrics Average Speed of Response Chat Abandonment Rate Percent of Chats Answered in 30 Seconds Quality Metrics Customer Satisfaction Chat First Contact Resolution Rate Chat Quality Agent Metrics Annual Chat Agent Turnover Daily Chat Agent Absenteeism Chat Agent Occupancy New Chat Agent Training Hours Annual Chat Agent Training Hours Chat Agent Tenure Chat Agent Job Satisfaction Contact Handling Metrics Average Chat Handle Time There is another category of metrics unique to chat. These include the following: To continue reading and to access recent benchmarking data for this KPI, you must become a member. Membership is free and sign-up only takes a moment. Click the sign-up button below, complete the short form and checkout. No credit card is required and your membership never expires! Sign Up Already a member? Login
