Better customer service · Lesson 6 of 6
What to measure in customer service, and what to do with it
You don't need a huge dashboard. A few numbers and a handful of conversations you've actually read usually tell you enough to improve something concrete each month.
8 min
What you'll learn
- Choose the questions your numbers should answer
- Read workload, speed and resolution correctly
- Measure satisfaction without reading too much into it
- Turn numbers into a concrete improvement
Step by step
- 1
Start with your question, not the dashboard
A number is only useful if it helps you decide something. Ask three questions: do we have enough people at the right moments, do customers get an answer on time, and are they really helped? Pick one or two numbers per question and leave the rest for now. A number you'd never act on doesn't need weekly attention.
- 2
Measure workload: how much and when
Count new conversations per week and per channel, and see which days and hours are busy. Put that next to your schedule: what doesn't line up?
- 3
Measure speed, and look beyond the average
Time to first reply says how long customers wait, and one three-day conversation can badly skew an average. So also look at the distribution, or at the median: the time within which half of the replies fall. Compare times inside and outside opening hours separately. Also know what your number measures: Avg. Agent Response Time in Bugalou (Pro) starts when a team member is assigned to the conversation, not at the customer's first message.
- 4
Measure whether the problem was really solved
A closed conversation isn't the same as a solved question. Take a monthly sample and check whether the customer came back about the same topic after closing, and how many messages it took. If that happens often, some answers aren't complete, or your website says too little about certain topics.
- 5
Ask the customer
Shortly afterwards, send one question, for example: “How satisfied are you with how we helped you?” on a scale of 1 to 5, with room for a comment. Read those comments and the low scores in particular, because that's where you'll find what to do. Keep in mind that not everyone responds, so the answers don't give a complete picture. On Pro, you can send surveys automatically on close in Bugalou under Customer Satisfaction, and see the CSAT Score (the share of 4 and 5 ratings) and Response rate.
- 6
Read some conversations
Numbers tell you what's happening, conversations tell you why. Read ten conversations each month and judge whether the answer was right, complete and in the right tone. Do this with your team, because it often gives you more than another chart. Mix good and bad examples.
- 7
Choose one improvement a month
Spend half an hour looking back each month and choose one thing, with who does it and when you'll check it. For example: “Lots of invoice questions in the first week of the month, so we'll change the invoice text and check next month whether that number falls.” Compare with your own numbers from last month or the same season, not with an outside figure.
Common mistakes
Tracking too many numbers at once
If you watch twenty numbers, you usually change nothing. Start with about five that fit your three questions, and only add one if you'll make a decision with it.
Judging people on one number
People judged on speed close quickly and leave difficult conversations alone. Look at numbers with context, and use them to improve the work, not just to rank people.
Drawing conclusions from small numbers
Three survey replies or one quiet week aren't a trend. Look at a longer period before changing anything big, and mention how many conversations or replies a figure is based on.
Making nice numbers instead of better service
Closing conversations faster improves your number, but not necessarily your service. So always look at speed together with whether customers come back and what they say themselves.
Tips
- Note what changed, such as a campaign or a colleague being ill, so you can still explain peaks later.
- Discuss the numbers with the whole team and ask what they would explain or do differently.
- Also count how often customers come with the same question. Often the smartest answer is explaining it better on your website.
You're done when
- You have three questions and a few numbers that go with them
- You look at speed per channel, and not only at the average
- You read ten conversations each month
- Each month one improvement is written down, with an owner
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important customer service KPIs?
That depends on your goal, but a good start is: number of new conversations, time to first reply, how often customers come back about the same topic, and customer satisfaction. Together they show workload, speed and quality.
What is a good CSAT score?
There's no number that holds for everyone, because it depends on your industry, your question and who responds. So mainly compare with your own score in earlier periods, and read the comments with it.
Should I measure per agent?
It can help you see who needs support or how work is shared, but topics and difficult conversations differ by person. Use it as the start of a conversation, not as a ranking to judge someone by.
How often should I look at the numbers?
Briefly each week for workload and backlogs, and in more depth each month for improvements. That's a rule of thumb: if it doesn't suit your volume, choose another rhythm.