What is CSAT? In a call center, this is one of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to customers. Alongside Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Effort Score (CES), this metric directly influences customer loyalty and the willingness to make a purchase. Let’s take a detailed look at what CSAT is in the call center, how to measure it, and how to improve it!
What does CSAT mean for the call center?
We know that CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) is a metric that determines the level of customer satisfaction. For a contact center or call center, CSAT indicates how satisfied the customer is with the experience when reaching out to the call center.
CSAT in the call center: Examples
We are confident that most of you have called a call center at least once in your life. To make the examples more illustrative, just recall how quickly the agent (call center representative) answered your call. The phone was picked up in a few seconds – that’s speed for you! You were probably satisfied. Then the agent listened to you attentively, understood the essence of your inquiry correctly. Of course, you are satisfied. The agent helped resolve your issue, and at the end of the conversation, thanked you for contacting the call center and bid you farewell politely. Are you satisfied? And if you are asked to give a rating?
Why measure Call Center CSAT?
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) is the most crucial metric for a call center to measure and manage customer experience (CX). CSAT is popular because it is widely understood, researched, and easily communicable to stakeholders. Additionally, the CSAT metric is considered the best indicator for quantitatively assessing how satisfied customers are with the call center’s resolution of their issues.
The CSAT metric provides call center management with customer voice feedback (VoC) on how satisfied customers are with the services they received. CSAT also offers insights into areas of improvement for staff, processes, policies, and technologies necessary to deliver quality service.
How to Measure CSAT in a Call Center
CSAT is a measurement of satisfaction at a specific point in time, such as after a customer interacts with a call center. CSAT statistics help precisely identify the strengths and weaknesses during customer interactions with the call center.
The good news is that CSAT is a simple, understandable, and objective metric. It is measured through a direct question to the customer. For example, you can ask, “Are you satisfied with the agent’s communication/service provided to you?” and provide response options:
- Satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neutral
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
Typically, CSAT ratings are collected after the completion of a customer’s interaction with the company, such as the conclusion of a consultation or the resolution of an inquiry. It’s essential to remember that the rating reflects the customer’s satisfaction with that specific interaction, making it convenient to consider in the context of a single engagement.
CSAT Calculation Formula for Call Centers
CSAT is assessed across the entire customer base or for requests handled within a specific period (for example, all customer ratings received in one month).
Customers who rated above neutral are considered satisfied; using a 5-point scale, these would be customers with ratings of “satisfied” and “somewhat satisfied.” To calculate the CSAT index, divide the number of satisfied customers by the total number of respondents.
Typically, the metric is expressed as a percentage, meaning the result should be multiplied by 100%.
CSAT Calculation Formula
What CSAT Score is Considered Satisfactory for a Call Center?
It is challenging to define an optimal CSAT score, but as a benchmark, it is recommended to aim for a satisfaction rate of 90%.
Tools for Conducting CSAT Surveys in a Call Center
As mentioned earlier, measuring CSAT is best done immediately after completing a conversation or chat with the customer. At Global Bilgi’s contact center, CSAT surveys are conducted using digital tools integrated into the Sirius cloud contact center platform. These tools save time for our clients and generate insightful reports based on the results of the interactions.
CSAT can be measured using an interactive voice response (IVR) system. Right after the conversation, the built-in IVR prompts the customer to stay on the line and evaluate the service quality by pressing the corresponding button.
Ways to Improve CSAT in the Contact Center
How can you enhance customer satisfaction levels in the call center? In most cases, and for the majority of call centers, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. However, here are a few things to consider when addressing the issue of improving CSAT:
Qualification Improvement of Agents
Enhancing the qualifications of customer service agents through continuous learning becomes a strategic approach to increasing customer satisfaction (CSAT) levels. In-depth training not only equips agents with the latest tools and techniques but also contributes to a deep understanding of customer needs.
Moreover, emphasizing qualification improvement serves as a catalyst for professional and career growth. Agents with specialized skills have better opportunities to handle complex customer requests, leading to an increase in First Call Resolution (FCR) and a reduction in processing time. As a result, not only CSAT improves, but agents also find themselves on a trajectory for advancement within the organization.
Support Across All Communication Channels
A comprehensive omnichannel strategy means focusing on the customer. This approach ensures that customers can interact with the business through their preferred communication channels (VoIP telephony, chats, social media), promoting convenience and increasing CSAT in the call center.
Make sure you have enough flexibility to meet your customer where they are.
Improving First Call Resolution (FCR)
FCR is one of the most crucial metrics, not only for the call center overall but also in terms of its impact on CSAT. Customers want their issues resolved immediately. What does this mean? Provide your agents with the tools, information, and the ability to do everything necessary to resolve the customer’s issue on the first attempt. If this requires a change or addition of channels in the customer service session, give agents that capability. You will see improvements in your call center’s CSAT not waiting to happen.
Automation and Self-Service
Younger generations of customers are not opposed to self-service or interacting with automated systems. Mobile apps and chatbots allow resolving customer issues without the need for contact with an IVR system or a live call center agent.
One notable feature of automation and chatbots is their ability to provide 24/7 support. Unlike agents with limited working hours, these technologies are available round the clock, meeting the needs of customers in different time zones. This not only improves accessibility for customers but also demonstrates readiness to be there when assistance is needed, making a positive contribution to call center CSAT.
Seamless Integration of Self-Service Tools with Live Agents in the Call Center
Routine and time-consuming tasks such as call routing, data searching, and appointment scheduling, FAQs can now be easily handled by automated systems. This efficiency leads to reduced Average Handle Time (AHT), increased FCR, and an overall improvement in customer interaction. However, automation and chatbots are not intended to replace humans; rather, they complement their capabilities.
Well-integrated systems ensure a smooth transition between self-service systems and interaction with call center agents. In more complex issues or situations requiring empathy, sympathy, and understanding, agents should have the ability to intervene seamlessly, providing a balanced and comprehensive approach to customer service.
Improve CSAT Statistics in the Call Center with Sirius from Global Bilgi
Enhancing CSAT is crucial for business development, and the cloud platform tools for contact centers, Sirius from Global Bilgi, will help you achieve the desired results.
Sirius is an intuitive platform for contact centers that assists you in identifying areas for improvement and recognizing successes.
With Sirius, you can interact more effectively with your customers, better understand their needs, and adapt your services according to their expectations. This transforms each customer interaction into a learning opportunity and ensures a consistently exceptional customer experience.
Don’t just meet customer expectations—exceed them. Learn more about Sirius from Global Bilgi today and take the first step towards improving CSAT in your call center!
