Making customers happier can be as easy as 1,2,3 if you know where to look and what to change.
Today, customer experience is no longer an auxiliary business function, but should be considered part of your product. A great product-market fit is important, but it is no longer enough. When companies only obsess over their product, they are missing one vital thing: the experience they provide to their customers.
Providing a frictionless customer experience should become a part of everything you do. The following customer service and support metrics are key performance indicators (KPIs) that help you objectively measure and improve the experience you deliver to your customers.
1. Customer satisfaction
It may seem straightforward, but companies can forget to check with the most accurate indicators of customer experience—the customers themselves. Customer satisfaction is typically measured by asking your customers to complete a quick survey post-service, whether by clicking a thumbs up or thumbs down or answering a few questions about their experience.
What customer satisfaction tells you
This metric—which is arguably the most important—tells you how effective, helpful, and friendly your customer service team was, and if your customer’s issue was fully resolved. It could also tell you whether or not they would return with a question or concern, based on the questions you ask.
What to Look For When Measuring Customer Satisfaction
Look for positive responses, which mean great customer experiences and a well-functioning customer service team. Negative responses can also help, too, as they tell you how you can improve.
How to improve customer satisfaction
Listen to what your customers are telling you. If your post-service survey does not ask open-ended questions, consider following up with those who reported a negative (or thumbs down) experience and ask them for specific feedback.
Note: Many businesses include certain customer success and customer satisfaction metrics in their customer service and support scoring. These metrics may include their Net Promoter Score (NPS) or customer retention and churn rates. All of these metrics are important for building the big picture of how customers interact with and experience your business.
2. Average ticket count
Your average ticket count measures the average number of customer service or support tickets your team receives. You can measure these on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis… or all of the above.
What your average ticket count tells you
While more tickets can be a confirmation that your customer service system is accessible and working, it can actually indicate customers are having frequent issues—and that your product or service may be falling short.
What to look for when measuring your average ticket count
Look for fewer tickets, which means fewer problems for your customers.
How to improve your average ticket count
Communicate your customer feedback to your product and marketing teams so they can understand what your customers may be dealing with or asking questions about. Depending on the number of tickets you receive, ensure you have enough representatives on your customer service team to handle the ticket volume. It would also be good to ensure that commonly-raised issues are automatically addressed, such as through a properly designed FAQ section on your website.
3. Average response time
Your average response time tracks how long it takes for your customer service team to respond to a conversation after opening a ticket…
What your average response time tells you
This metric tells you how quickly your customer service team is solving issues and getting back to customers.
What to look for when measuring your average response time
Look for quick response times, which demonstrate to your customers that their issues are your priority, which can lead to positive customer satisfaction measures.
How to improve your average response time
Make sure your team is equipped to solve issues and answer questions. If they are dependent on a manager, trainer, or product specialist, it will likely take longer to get back to customers with answers and solutions. Also, make sure your team is handling and resolving the proper number of tickets at once—whether that is one, five, or 10. Overwhelmed customer service teams lead to poor customer experience and unhappy customers.
4. Average ticket resolution time
Your average ticket resolution time measures how long it takes your team to resolve each customer service or support ticket.
What your average ticket resolution time tells you
This metric tells you about the efficiency of your customer service team and, potentially, the complexity of issues from your customers.
What to look for when measuring your average ticket resolution time
Look for short resolution times, which mean that your customers’ issues are being solved quickly—and more customers are walking away satisfied.
How to improve your average ticket resolution time
Take a look at the initial message your team sends to each customer. Make sure it asks thoughtful questions and encourages the customer to explain their problem in detail. Also, ensure your team is well-versed in your products or services so they can respond and resolve issues quickly without having to reach out to other teams for help—thus lengthening the process.
Track your customer service
The service and support we provide along with the product are often just as important as the product itself. In fact, it is arguably a deciding factor in whether you will win in the market.
Well-performing customer service departments lead to happy customers, and happy customers are your best marketers. So, use these metrics to improve your customer service and support processes—and boost your business’s bottom line.
