How Is Agent Performance Being Redefined In The Post-Digital Transformation Era?

Digital transformation in the call center means the end of simplistic frameworks around defining agent performance. In this sense, according to an internal Gartner survey, more than 40% of customer service agents manage multiple interactions at the same time.

In this sense, the agent experience (AX) can be complex, since contact center employees work in a high-pressure environment with customers with high expectations, all while practicing multiple skills in several digital channels simultaneously. Given this complexity, the definition of agent performance, and the metrics that track it, are also evolving.

The New Contact Center Paradigm Has Created Unprecedented Questions And Scenarios. Here We List Some Of Them:

• Should an agent who now handles simultaneous digital interactions continue to be held to the same standards as one who works solely with voice?
• How are the differences in complexity between one interaction and another established?
• Given that it is known that once a customer has exhausted all attempts on digital channels, their interaction with a voice agent will be much more tense, is it still reasonable to hold that agent to previous performance standards?
• How do you manage the line that divides responsibilities between back office and front office, which is happening as a result of new digital customer journeys?
• At what stage is a query determined to be “closed” and an interaction “terminated”?

How Are Agent Performance Metrics Evolving?

For one thing, traditional performance metrics like First Call Resolution (FCR) and Average Speed of Answer (ASA) remain important. However, in these much more nuanced situations, hard-hitting speed and productivity no longer have the same meaning as before.

On the other hand, Average Handle Time (AHT), once the gold standard of performance management, loses weight now that the value of time has completely changed for the customer who can be interacting with an online agent in tab twelve while you are busy performing other tasks. Even organizations that rely on highly customized, in-house developed business intelligence (BI) tools based on KPIs should ask themselves if there is a better approach to measuring agent performance.

In fact, there is. The one-size-fits-all performance formula must be redefined to capture agent performance as living and dynamic. This needs to include a view of KPIs that are relevant to digital channels that can also be customized as they adapt and change. This more holistic approach to performance management can not only address KPI measurement, but also offer a personalized approach to agent training and needs. With these strategies and tools, call centers can more easily overcome the challenges of digital transformation and its mixed and asynchronous reality.