April 6, 2018
For several years now, the use and importance of non-voice support channels has continued to grow. Channels like chat, social media and SMS/text are accelerating their move to the forefront. While this has been an exciting transformation for consumers and companies alike, it has presented a unique set of challenges when it comes to measuring success. This is especially true as companies increasingly focus on creating an exceptional customer experience (CX) across channels. Beyond the technological challenges related to these sorts of non-voice interactions, organizations are still not sure which metrics they should use or how to apply traditional CX metrics. Without proper measurements, it becomes nearly impossible to ensure delivery of exceptional CX while also ushering in ongoing performance improvements.
Many call center metrics focus on platform efficiencies like speed of answer, handle time, schedule adherence, etc. But by attempting to apply traditional call center metrics, the things being measured aren’t necessarily what matters most to customers. In Customer Experience Management Benchmark (CXMB) Series research conducted by COPC Inc. and Execs In The Know, consumers are very clear regarding their expectations of non-voice solutions. They want solutions to be quick and easy to use while providing accurate information and fair resolutions. If this is what consumers expect, then organizations need to have mechanisms for measuring performance in these areas. In this post, we explore which metrics will accomplish that.
Below is a list of essential metrics as well as other metrics that look at some of the things that matter most to consumers. When companies build measurement programs around these central metrics, they develop a program that’s highly attuned to their customers’ needs.
For more details about these and other customer experience metrics, we invite you to visit the COPC Standards section of our website and download the COPC Customer Experience (CX) Standard, Customer Service Provider version – the industry’s most well-known and respected Standard. The COPC CX Standard was developed in 1996 for call center and customer experience operations. Best of all, it is available at no cost for anyone to download and use.The above metrics set a strong foundation for measuring what matters most to consumers, specifically in non-voice channels. However, this list should be a starting point rather than an end point. Industry-specific (or even brand-specific) metrics are also important and should be implemented where appropriate. But whatever the measurement, those who collect and analyze the information should always do so with an understanding of how that measurement fits within the customer’s expectations and how what is being measured contributes to the overall customer experience.
Furthermore, companies should strive to place these metrics within the wider context of the entire customer journey. Regardless of whether a brand considers the experience it provides as omnichannel or multichannel, it should measure the experience across the entire journey. This is truly the only way to take a customer-centric approach to monitoring and measuring the customer experience.
The importance of delivering an exceptional customer experience, particularly through channels other than voice, should not be underestimated. According to results from the recently released 2017 CXMB Series Corporate Edition report, more than a quarter of all consumer interactions occur outside of Traditional Care solutions like phone, in-person and email. Some in the industry even suggest these types of interactions will outnumber voice interactions in the very near future. Therefore, it is critical for brands to establish meaningful measurement practices now as the growth of volume in these channels continues to accelerate.