Five Steps to Setting Service Satisfaction Goals
14 Jul, 2011
By: Mike CholakIt’s not surprising that a main focal point for call center managers is improving the customer service experience. Historically, call centers have focused primarily on operational metrics like speed of answer and handle time. Today, an expanded perspective also includes service satisfaction metrics like the rate at which issues are resolved on the first contact, customers’ satisfaction with the overall experience, and perceptions of agent skills.
The best way to improve any, or all, of these measures is to set a “goal,” or performance target, for each. Our experience shows there are five main steps to setting service satisfaction goals assuming your call center already measures customer perceptions of the service experience through a “voice of the customer” survey tool feedback.
Step 1: Select the Measure to Be Used
There are two options. Either use a single metric, or combine multiple metrics into a composite. If performance management is being introduced for the first time, keep it simple and use a single measure that best represents the desired objective.
The other option is to calculate a composite score, or index, based on a statistical aggregation of multiple survey measures. A composite score would analytically combine two or more key measures into a single number. Some researchers and academics feel this type of composite provides a richer and deeper characterization, in contrast to using a single question alone.
Two caveats in selecting a measure: (1) Be sure to choose a measure that can be controlled, or influenced, by your call center; and (2) Avoid vague or ill-defined metrics. There are few things worse than setting up a team for failure, simply because the scope of impact for driving performance improvements falls outside of their span of control. Vague constructs like “overall satisfaction” are often ill-defined and difficult to put into action since site leaders and agents may fail to grasp its meaning or what exactly needs to be changed.
Step 2: Develop a Measurement Plan
Your measurement plan – covering how the survey measures are worded, which measurement scale is used and how scores are calculated — is obviously critical. When defining how your performance scores will be reported, there are three common approaches.
The first option is to calculate the average score. The problem with averages is that agents may find them hard to relate to. For example, suppose a call center’s average satisfaction score is 3.9 on a 5-point scale, and management has a goal to increase this to 4.2 by year-end. Agents may be confused by what a “0.3-point” gain means to them.
A second possibility is to calculate the proportion of customers that gave the highest rating (top-box percent): Top-box percentages are one of the most commonly used ways in which to report service satisfaction. A top-box score of 80 percent is easily translated to “80 out every 100 customers are highly satisfied” and, conversely, 20 out of every 100 are not highly satisfied.
The final option is to calculate the proportion of customers that gave the lowest rating (bottom-box percent): Similar in nature to top-box percentages, bottom-box percentages work in reverse by representing the proportion of customers giving the lowest rating with their contact experience. These ratings are also easy to understand and readily actionable, making them ideal for goal-setting.
Step 3: Establish the baseline
Baselines provide a benchmark against which to compare efforts at goal-setting and performance trends over time. The aim should be to use a time period that provides a reliable reflection of the current state of performance within the call center operation.
Aggregating the previous year of data is one of the most commonly preferred options when setting a baseline. This approach factors in the last four quarters, and is typically a more reliable representation of performance since it lessens the impact of seasonality and temporary service shocks. Just be sure that each quarter included is representative of current conditions within the center.
Step 4: Set the Performance Target
Once the baseline has been established, the next step is to set the performance goal. There are three things to keep in mind.
First, any performance goal, survey based or otherwise, should be specific with well-defined expectations, providing detail regarding what is to be improved and quantifying the level of achievement needed.
Second, the goal must be meaningful. Granted, the very word “meaningful” can be subjective. It might simply mean to stay on par with current performance, especially for call centers that have demonstrated a downward performance trending across time.
Third, the goal should always be set at a level that challenges the employees tasked with achieving it. If a goal is set too low or is too easily attainable, most agents will lose focus and initiative after the low bar has been hurdled. In contrast, challenging goals often result in ongoing performance increases. Agents are more inclined to put forth effort via active participation in coaching and training, and higher expectations can compel agents to think in a creative and unconventional manner.
Step 5: Trend Performance Across Time
Examining historical trends within the context of a proposed performance target can provide invaluable evidence around the likelihood of the goal being attained.
Now that your goals are set, the real work begins. Goals must be thoroughly explained so that call center site leaders and agents accept and commit to them. Action plans will need to be developed that outline specific steps to attain goals. This could involve new coaching and training programs, adjustment of customer-related policy rules, change in the skill qualifications for newly hired agents, or implementation of new software/hardware. Progress toward the goal should be tracked and regularly shared with the agent population. Done correctly, setting and tracking to your service satisfaction goals can not only lead to an improvement in customer satisfaction but also can positively impact job satisfaction among center agents.
