Customer support service is a must have business unit in every company that sells products and services. If a company does not maintain own call center it should definitely use services of individual call center companies that serve customers in various industries. Development of an effective call center is a more complex process as one might think. It is not a big problem to hire call center operators who would answer the same questions all over again. In fact, a call center is a complex business unit that is an inseparable part of a company organization structure. Consequently, it should operate in concordance with company goals, strategies, values and mission. To make sure your call center is operating as per company needs and strategic goals it is recommended to start using Balanced Scorecard which is a fantastic strategic management framework chosen by iconic companies from all over the world.
Basics of helpdesk performance
Balanced Scorecard in a call center plays a dual role. On the one hand, BSC measures performance of a call center based on values of KPIs. On the other hand, Balanced Scorecard helps in adjusting call center measures and strategies to requirements of company missions and goals. If Balanced Scorecard fulfills only one function it does not show its true power. Thus, it is not reasonable to use BSC in a call center just as performance evaluation tool. Being aware of own performance is great, however this info should be used in strategic management.
Some of the most important call center KPIs include such measures as cost per call, first resolution calls rate, abandoned calls rate etc. Of course, the number of indicators in not limited. At the same time it is recommended not to overburden call center BSC with a huge number of indicators as it will make it “heavy” and difficult to interpret.
What is an efficient call center
Cost per call includes as expenses related to handling one call, for example wages for a call center operator, telecommunication costs etc. moreover, some call center managers calculate these expenses separately. Of course, it is important to lower cost per call. However, one should find a balance between quality support (quality of telephone line, call center operator knowledge etc) and expenses related to call handling.
Lots of managers mistakenly think that the number of handled calls per hour (or any other period of time) is all important. However, experience shows that quality of support is of superior importance.