Essential KPI's for successful outbound calling operations

Your staff who are on the telephone are at the heart of a company’s business practices. Whether they are managing customer service, following up with leads, or working on debt collections, agents have a tremendous impact on a brand’s success and customer satisfaction. Certain key performance indicators, or KPI's for successful outbound calling, are important to measure for both inbound and outbound operations. KPIs can show a business, for example, if their agents are achieving maximum productivity or if customers are not answering outbound calls at an optimal rate. Outbound call centres in particular have specific KPIs that should be monitored closely, as agents must be strategic when deciding how and when to call customers, and so address a certain service-level.

 Here are 8 essential KPIs to monitor for outbound operations

Call pickup rate

One of the most important KPIs for outbound calling is the call pickup rate. This KPI measures the proportion of outbound calls placed by agents that are answered by customers. For example, if you call 100 customers and 60 of these customers answer the call, the call pickup rate would be 60%. The higher the percentage, the better. A high number typically means that the outbound call strategy is working well—you may be calling at optimal times when customers are likely to answer, and your business phone number has not been identified or blocked by customers. A high call pickup rate translates to greater transformation rates and ultimately, a greater ROI, as your staff help turn prospects into loyal customers.

Average call duration

This KPI, also monitored for inbound calls, refers to the average conversation time which takes place between you and a customer. A high average call duration means that an you are spending too much time interacting with a customer. If this is the case, you must look closely to determine the problem. The operation may need technology, such as a automated dialler or a software solution that gives them greater efficiency, or a CRM that provides quick access to customer data. They may also find a need for additional training or better communication between your staff for greater productivity. While you should aim to offer quality interactions and not rush through a call, long interactions can also lead to customer frustration or churn if you are not finding an efficient solution or making an interesting sales offer. Ultimately, you are losing time that could be spent assisting other customers or driving sales.

Average handling time

The average handling time, or AHT, combines the average call duration with the time an agent spends post-call to finish the transaction. For example, you may hang up the phone but still need to consult with another staff or enter customer data into a CRM. This KPI allows you to understand the time needed to handle contacts across multiple channels. A long AHT can indicate that staff are spending too much time with customers or on post-call tasks and therefore lacking in productivity, for the same reasons the average call duration may be high.

Rejection rate

The rejection rate refers to the number of calls which are simply not answered. Essentially, the customer or prospect refuses to answer the call. Outbound operations may decide that the phone number being used should be changed if they feel that customers are bothered by the company and are choosing not to answer.

Agent wait time between two customer cases

When you call customers, you need to prepare in advance. You typically consult a customer’s file to understand who is being called and for what reason. If using a dialler, you may use a preview, or progressive

mode to view this information before making a call. The average wait time between two customers’ file corresponds to the average time elapsed between the closing of one file and the escalation of the next. The lower the wait time, the better, as you need to be able to move quickly from one customer call to the next. If the Agent Wait Time between two customer cases is high, it means that your staff spent more time waiting for a case than processing one. When they efficiently move from one case to another, they will reduce handling time, gain productivity, and offer stronger service and a better customer experience.

Conversion rate

This outbound call KPI is essential to understanding how sales may be driven. Put simply, the conversion rate refers to the number of sales made out of a total number of calls. The higher the number, the better. When you are able to convert in high numbers, companies can conclude that their outbound call campaigns are working well and resulting in high profitability. If the conversion rate is low, it may be necessary to look at aspects such as the time of day when you call, answering machine detection rates, call script quality, and individual staff who may need additional training to sharpen their skills.

After call work rate

This KPI refers to the time you spend wrapping up a customer case post-call. You may make notes or updates to the customer’s file, such as noting the reason for contact, updating service or sales information, noting follow-up plans, communicating with other staff about the call. This rate should be as low as possible to ensure that you can place more calls for maximum efficiency and service.

Pause time

This KPI simply refers to the time during which staff are not working on any customer case. While staff must have breaks to manage stress and keep focus, managers can look at this KPI to determine if time is being wasted. For example, staff may need to spend too much on manual tasks and then require longer breaks after long and stressful interactions. Offering staff the right tools and support is essential to keeping them comfortable, so that pause time does not become excessive.

Monitoring KPIs is essential to help your staff perform at their best ability while ensuring a company's long term success