Navigating Service Level Targets

Throughout my career in Workforce Management (WFM), I've traversed various contact centers catering to clients across diverse communication channels—phone, chat, tickets, and email. Across this landscape, there's one omnipresent metric: Service Level.

Service Level is the percentage of transactions answered within a stipulated time frame, varying across phone, chat, and ticket/email channels. Typically, phone and chat have lower thresholds, while tickets and emails allow for longer response times. Higher service levels are commonly associated with improved customer satisfaction, although excessively high levels may hint at operational inefficiencies. It's a nuanced aspect of business, as explored in detail in my related article. [https://www.optimalplanning.ca/driving-contact-center-excellence-powering-performance-with-two-key-metrics/]

Initially, contact centers homogeneously adhered to a single service level across all clients. Yet, with the evolution of these centers, multiple service level targets emerged. For instance, during the initial phases of a contact center, with a standardized product and a limited customer base, maintaining a single service level suffices. However, with business growth and diversification in clientele and product lines, segmentation becomes imperative. High-value clients could warrant higher service level targets with lower response time thresholds.

Determining the appropriate number of service level targets poses a significant challenge. Some centers create an excess, while others adopt too few, struggling to strike the right balance. Achieving the optimal number demands an understanding of the customer base and their prioritization of response speed.

The next time you a call a company and wanted to have a quicker response try claiming to be a "new" client instead of an "existing" one in the IVR. You might be pleasantly surprised at how fast your call is answered!