How do you benchmark and compare your call center SLA performance with competitors and industry standards?

1 Define your SLA metrics

The first step in benchmarking and comparing your call center's quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction is to define the SLA metrics. Common SLA metrics include Average Speed of Answer (ASA), Average Handle Time (AHT), First Call Resolution (FCR), Abandonment Rate (AR), and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). ASA measures the average time it takes for an agent to answer a call, AHT measures the average time it takes for an agent to complete a call, FCR measures the percentage of calls that are resolved on the first contact, AR measures the percentage of calls that are dropped or disconnected before reaching an agent, and CSAT measures the percentage of customers who rate their call experience as positive or satisfactory.

2 Find your SLA benchmarks

The next step is to locate SLA benchmarks to compare your performance with. These benchmarks represent the average or expected values of SLA metrics for your industry, market, or segment. You can find these benchmarks from various sources, such as industry reports and surveys published by research firms, associations, or media outlets; peer groups and networks that are forums, communities, or platforms for connecting and exchanging information with other call center managers; and online tools and calculators that enable you to enter your SLA metrics and get instant feedback on how you compare with other call centers or best practices.

3 Analyze your SLA gaps

The third step is to analyze the gaps between your SLA performance and your SLA benchmarks. This will identify areas where you need to improve or maintain your call center's service level. To do this, you can use gap analysis, which compares your current and desired SLA values and identifies the causes and consequences of the differences. Additionally, you can use a SWOT analysis to evaluate your call center's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to your SLA performance. Finally, root cause analysis is a process that traces the source of a problem or issue that affects your SLA performance and finds solutions to prevent or resolve it.

4 Implement your SLA improvements

The final step is to implement the improvements identified from your SLA gap analysis. These are the actions or strategies that you need to take to enhance your call center's service level. For example, training and coaching your agents to help them handle calls more effectively and efficiently, using software, hardware, or systems to optimize operations, and reviewing and updating call center procedures, rules, or standards that can affect SLA performance.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?