Essential Call Center Performance Goals

Why do my contact center agents need goals?

Clear, measurable goals can change the entire game for contact center agents. When agents have a sense of direction, they make better decisions and feel real accomplishment hitting their targets. This boosts individual performance and creates a more exciting and supportive team environment. Call center goals can help agents stay focused, understand expectations, and feel more accountable.

On top of that, when agents see progress and develop new skills, morale improves, and turnover may drop because people feel more satisfied and valued. Plus, when teams thrive, customer service naturally improves, creating happier customers and positive outcomes.

So, if you want to build a motivated, high-performing team, goals for call center employees are a must.

Key performance indicators for call centers

As a call center, you’re the heart of customer interactions, so the goals you track need to go beyond general performance metrics. Call centers should focus on a specific set of key performance indicators (KPIs) like customer satisfaction and call resolution times to keep a pulse on the organization’s health and find areas for improvement regarding customer and overall business outcomes.

Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)

CSAT scores measure customers’ satisfaction with their experience, typically through satisfaction-rating surveys based on a scale of 1 to 10. Businesses should gather regular feedback through post-interaction surveys via email, SMS, IVR, or social media listening tools.

Gathering the feedback isn’t enough, though. It’s important to analyze that feedback for recurring issues, provide targeted agent training, and act on customer suggestions to improve service quality and consistency.

First-call resolution (FCR)

FCR measures the percentage of customer issues resolved during the first interaction without a follow-up. Measuring this metric can reduce repeat calls and boost efficiency.

Businesses can help agents improve FCR by providing comprehensive training on common issues and empowering them to make decisions. Workflows should also be streamlined to help agents easily access customer information and clear escalation paths. Be sure to review processes regularly and address bottlenecks to improve FCR rates further.

Average handle time (AHT)

AHT tracks agents’ average time handling customer interactions, including talk, hold, and follow-up time. This metric helps call centers balance efficiency with quality by identifying ways to resolve issues faster without sacrificing customer satisfaction.

If you want to lower AHTs without affecting your quality of service, we suggest:

• Providing agents with clear scripts and resources for common inquiries.
• Implementing efficient workflows and tools for quick data access.
• Training agents on active listening to resolve issues faster.
• Using call recordings to identify and eliminate process delays.

Service level and response time

Within a call center context, service level measures the percentage of phone calls answered within a designated timeframe. Response time is similar but measures exactly how long it takes to answer a call. Together, these metrics could tell you, for example, that your agents answer 75% of all calls within 15 seconds. These numbers are critical for understanding your call center efficiency and service quality.

Businesses wanting to reduce response times should align staffing with demand forecasts, use automated tools to manage high volumes and prioritize inquiries by urgency. In setting call center goals, be sure your plans include agent efficiency training, streamlined workflows, performance monitoring, and strategic adjustments as needed.

SMART, strategic goals for call centers

The SMART goal-setting framework is widely used throughout the professional world to focus goals on Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives. It brings structure and clarity to performance expectations and helps people at every level of an organization stay motivated and understand what they need to achieve and track.

As a call center, you can ask agents to tie their goals to your broader business goals to improve performance, customer satisfaction, and alignment with business priorities.

Here’s what each element of a SMART goal entails and what it could look like in a contact center:

• Specific: Clearly define what needs to be accomplished (e.g., increase FCR by 10% among agents by the end of Q1).
• Measurable: Set quantifiable goals (e.g., reduce AHT to 5 minutes).
• Achievable: Set realistic targets based on your team’s capacity and resources.
• Relevant: Align goals with business priorities, such as improving operational efficiency.
• Time-bound: Provide deadlines to stay on schedule with your goals (e.g., achieve AHT improvements by the end of Q2).

Now, let’s jump into some specific benefits your contact center could experience by implementing the SMART framework.

Make a good first impression on customers

Did you know your business only has 7 seconds to make a positive first impression? First interactions set a positive tone for the entire customer relationship and reassure customers that they’re valued and have chosen the right company.

The SMART framework helps prepare agents to deliver a great first impression by setting clear, achievable call center performance goals, like resolving issues on the first call or responding within a set time. This can also improve service consistency, boost confidence, and strengthen a business reputation.

Add customization and personalization

Over 80% of today’s consumers want personalized service, and call centers should be prepared to deliver. Contact centers can set clear, measurable goals for personalizing customer interactions using the SMART framework, such as, “By the end of Q2, increase personalized follow-up emails to 50% of customers who purchased in the last two weeks referencing their recent interactions and preferences.”

Acting on a personalization plan can make customers feel valued and understood, which could boost satisfaction and retention.

Improve the employee experience

The SMART framework is a great way to improve the employee experience. When agents and managers set clear, achievable goals around performance, development, and recognition, agents are more likely to feel motivated, supported, and empowered to perform their best.

For example, a SMART goal for a manager could be to offer specific training opportunities that develop agent skills or provide a certain number of public employee shoutouts each week. These actions can lead to better customer interactions and a more positive work environment.

Use data and feedback to inform decisions

The SMART framework can help call centers turn customer feedback and performance data into relevant, actionable goals for call center employees. For instance, if feedback shows that customers want faster response times, a SMART goal could be to reduce average handle time by a specific percentage within a realistic and achievable set timeframe.

As you track performance, you can ensure the call center goals you set actually address what customers need and keep teams focused on improvements that matter to your customers.

Strike a balance between human interaction and automation

Balancing automation and human interaction is one of a call center’s greatest challenges. The SMART framework can make this easier by guiding specific, measurable goals for both.

For example, a SMART goal could be to use automation to handle a list of specified routine inquiries while transferring anything more complex to a live agent within a set time frame. This allows automation to enhance the customer experience without replacing the personal touch and can lead to more efficient service and happier customers.

Why include agents in contact center goal setting?

According to McKinsey, 91% of companies with effective performance management link employee goals to business goals. When you include agents in goal-setting and help them understand how their aspirations align with those of the overall business, they feel more engaged, accountable, and invested in achieving them.

It can also be valuable to request agent input on broader business goals, as their day-to-day operational knowledge can yield insights that align call center performance goals with actual business needs.

As you strive to coordinate individual, team, and organizational objectives, consider:

• Involving agents in discussions about what goals should look like so they understand how their personal performance ties into team and company objectives.
• Regularly communicating about milestones and progress so agents stay motivated, understand their next objective, and see how their successes drive the business.
• Linking agents’ goals with achievable rewards to create a sense of accomplishment when agents reach small or large milestones.
• Offering continuous feedback and guiding adjustments when progress is stagnant or goals need to be tweaked based on results.

Performance improvement strategies

Contact centers that fail to plan for ongoing improvement are planning to fail. You need clear, actionable development strategies to keep improving performance and satisfy customers’ changing needs. Here are some strategies that can elevate your team’s effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

Ongoing training and development

Continuous training keeps agents sharp and adaptable to customer needs. In addition to updating your training materials to reflect new products, services, or customer expectations, consider implementing periodic training sessions where agents can improve their skills.

Each session could include role-playing scenarios, peer reviews, and expert-led demonstrations focused on handling demanding customers, upselling, or mastering new software tools. This keeps agents updated on the latest techniques and helps them understand how they apply to real-world situations for better performance and satisfaction.

When you invest in your agents, they’re empowered to improve your customer experience.

Utilizing technology and automation

Improving your contact center performance is much easier when you take advantage of all the time-saving, performance-boosting innovations available. Here are some ways you can use key technologies to facilitate continuous improvement:

• CRM tools: Give agents easy access to customer histories through CRM tools so they can personalize interactions, resolve issues faster, reduce AHT, and improve customer satisfaction.
• Interactive voice response (IVR) systems: Reduce call volume by offering customers self-service options and free up agents to focus on more complex issues. When properly set up, IVR systems can improve efficiency while quickly meeting customer needs.
• Call analytics: Use data-driven insights to identify bottlenecks, trends, and improvement opportunities. This helps optimize decision-making and workflows for better overall performance.

As you start using these tools in your day-to-day operations, you’ll likely enjoy more streamlined operations, reduced costs, and higher quality agent and customer experiences.

Data-driven decision making

Call centers have vast amounts of untapped data at their fingertips that can provide rich insights into performance opportunities. As you continuously monitor metrics, you can:

• Set clear benchmarks: Use data trends to set achievable benchmarks that align with team capabilities and customer expectations.
• Motivate improvements: Instant performance feedback from data can be highly motivating and help agents see where they excel or could improve, which keeps them engaged and focused on their goals.
• Create targeted training: Analyze performance gaps in your data to adjust training and address specific challenges so agents continually improve.
• Refine your strategies: With access to real-time data on KPIs like FCR, AHT, and CSAT, you can quickly adjust strategies that optimize outcomes.

Identifying improvements in data is a continuous, real-time process that can keep performance moving forward.

Professional development goals for call center agents

If you or your agents feel unsure about where to focus efforts when setting goals beyond aligning with company priorities, here are some call center goal examples and areas that can boost personal growth and performance:

• Skill-building goals: Encourage agents to improve communication, problem-solving, and technical knowledge. For example, an agent could set a goal to complete a training program on advanced product features to assist customers with complex issues.
• Efficiency goals: Set targets that challenge agents to reduce AHT without sacrificing service quality. This encourages them to master all scripts or learn the ins and outs of CRM tools.
• Customer satisfaction goals: Agents can aspire to a specific monthly CSAT score to stay focused on improving service quality. They’ll be motivated to deliver outstanding service while striving to meet a measurable target.
• Leadership development goals: If you have anyone interested in growth opportunities, set goals for call center employees related to leadership or mentorship, such as becoming a team lead or mentoring new hires. Leadership goals will help them feel more invested in the company and ready to take on more responsibility.

Call center leaders should provide agents with regular feedback so they understand their strengths and weaknesses and have clear guidance on where to focus their professional development goals.

Why team customer service goals matter

Even though agents often work independently, team goals help everyone focus on delivering consistent, high-quality service as an organization. These goals create a sense of unity and accountability, foster collaboration, and encourage agents to support each other in meeting customer expectations. For example, if the team wants to improve FCR, agents can share tips and strategies to solve complex issues more efficiently and create a culture of shared success.

Team goals around service levels and other metrics also provide a clear benchmark so managers can track progress and pinpoint where agents need extra training. When agents see how their individual contributions contribute to the team’s success, it boosts morale and motivates everyone to work together toward a common goal — ultimately improving customer satisfaction and team performance.

Challenges in meeting call center performance goals

Call center performance goals can be difficult to meet when your organization faces high call volumes, turnover, or complex inquiries. Here’s how you can overcome complicated issues and keep agents progressing toward their goals.

• High call volumes: Surges in call volume can overwhelm agents and lengthen wait times while reducing customer satisfaction. Fortunately, workforce management solutions, such as predictive scheduling and real-time monitoring, can balance staffing levels and optimize agent availability to meet demand.
• Turnover: High employee turnover disrupts team performance and customer service consistency. Retaining agents through a positive environment centered on feedback, professional development opportunities, performance incentives, and recognition can reduce turnover.
• Complex inquiries: Complex customer issues can slow call resolution and increase AHT. Training agents with specialized knowledge and using call routing technology to direct these inquiries to skilled agents can ensure quicker, more accurate resolutions.

Implementing workforce management and quality assurance practices effectively addresses these challenges while keeping agents aligned with performance goals.

Best practices for goal monitoring and adjustment

Goal monitoring and adjustments are required to measure and sustain your call center’s momentum and success. Here’s how you can proactively keep your team on track and ensure call center performance goals align with changing needs.

Regular performance reviews

Frequent performance reviews are critical for team alignment and accountability. Whether weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, these reviews help you check in on progress and catch any potential issues early.

If an agent falls behind on FCR targets, a quick review can pinpoint areas for improvement and timely support or training. When agents see their performance is being tracked and supported, they’re more focused, motivated, and likely to hit their targets.

Setting up a feedback loop

Regular agent and customer feedback provide invaluable insights into how your call center goals are working and where further adjustments might be needed.

Customer feedback like post-call surveys or CSAT scores can indicate expectation shifts and prompt goal adjustments. If your team wants to improve CSAT scores — and feedback shows customers are frustrated with long wait times — you can use that data to tweak staffing or implement better self-service options via IVR.

Gathering regular agent feedback can also eliminate the guesswork around operational challenges and help you tweak training or improve workflows.

Continuous improvement culture

When you maintain a healthy culture of continuous improvement, you encourage a growth mindset where every challenge is an opportunity to get better. This mindset fuels agent engagement and performance.

Don’t be afraid to celebrate milestones when agents hit a goal, acknowledge when things need adjustment, and encourage agents to be part of the solution. When your team feels empowered to contribute ideas and see the impact of their efforts, you build a sense of ownership and accountability that leads to a high-performance culture.

Regular training sessions and sharing data insights can further strengthen this culture and encourage a focus on personal and team development.

Turn to ROI CX Solutions to elevate your contact center performance

With the right strategies in place, call centers can overcome common challenges and achieve their goals. If you’re ready to optimize your operations and improve your team’s results, our expert solutions can help streamline your processes and boost overall performance.