Delivery services have long outgrown the status of a simple convenience. Today, they are an essential part of everyday life for millions of Ukrainians. Orders are placed in seconds, and customer expectations are measured in minutes. In this environment, the contact center is no longer just a support channel. It becomes a critical touchpoint between the service and the customer.
Which metrics truly define support performance in the delivery segment? Has speed really become the new standard of quality? And how can an outsourced contact center guarantee service stability during peak loads and challenging conditions?
We discussed these questions with Anastasiia Polishchuk, Project Manager of an outsourced customer support team serving one of the largest delivery operators in Ukraine.
1. Anastasiia, you’ve grown from a frontline agent to a Project Manager. What from your agent experience still influences your management decisions?
Anastasiia Polishchuk:
“I started my journey in 2021 as a chat support agent on the courier support line. Two years later, I became a Team Leader. That role allowed me to dive much deeper into the project instead of focusing on just one specific stream.
My experience as an agent gives me a clear understanding of what the team faces every day. I know what it feels like to work during peak load periods. I understand the pressure of handling emotional customers and making decisions within minutes.
That’s why, as a manager, I always look for a balance between business results and team resilience. Stable service begins with stable people.”
2. For customers, delivery speed is the top priority. Which operational metrics are most critical for customer support in the delivery segment today?
“In delivery services, response speed is absolutely critical. First of all, we look at SLA, or Service Level Agreement. This metric shows whether we respond within the promised timeframe. It reflects our ability to meet the agreed service standards.
Another key metric is First Response Time. This is the time it takes for a customer to receive the first reply. In delivery, customers expect almost immediate reactions. Minutes truly matter.
The second major indicator is CSAT, or Customer Satisfaction Score. Even if an issue is resolved quickly, it has little value if the customer remains dissatisfied with the experience.
We also closely monitor Contact Rate, which is the percentage of customers who reach out to support, and repeat contacts. These metrics show how effectively we resolve issues on the first interaction.
In the delivery segment, support operates in real time. That’s why the balance between speed, quality, and process stability ultimately defines the overall customer experience.”
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3. Delivery services in Ukraine operate under air raid alerts, severe weather conditions, and power outages. How do these factors affect KPI performance, and how does your team adapt to these challenges?
“Air raid alerts, extreme weather, and power outages can dramatically increase the workload on customer support. We see a spike in Contact Rate, which means a higher percentage of customers reaching out to us. Delivery times get longer. As a result, the number of inquiries grows, along with customer dissatisfaction.
All of this directly impacts our KPIs, especially response speed and customer satisfaction levels.
We continuously review our workload forecast. We take seasonality and potential risks into account. We keep the client fully informed and proactively communicate if additional agent hours are needed to handle the volume.
During sudden traffic spikes, especially during air raid alerts, we quickly bring additional agents online. We also redistribute resources to minimize the impact on SLA compliance and First Response Time.
Business continuity is another major focus for us. We anticipated the risks of power outages in advance. When hiring new agents, it was essential that they had the ability to work autonomously for a certain period of time. For existing team members who did not have that setup, we provided everything necessary to ensure they could work during outages.
So when the country faced renewed power disruptions, it did not become a critical issue for us. Our processes were already adapted. The team was prepared. And service stability was maintained.”
4. Support agents also work in challenging conditions. As a leader, how do you balance high performance metrics with protecting your team’s well-being?
“Speed and results matter. But long-term performance is impossible without protecting the team’s capacity. That’s why we don’t just assign KPIs. We actively support agents in achieving them.
We hold regular meetings and training sessions. We review complex cases together. We continuously update response templates. We also introduce удоб tools for chat communication, including GIFs and visual elements. These help agents communicate faster and more effectively with customers. Our goal is to simplify the workflow, not make it more complicated.
In addition, we run motivational contests. Some are individual, others are team-based. This approach improves results and builds healthy competition. It also strengthens team spirit. When a team works in sync, performance grows naturally, without excessive pressure.
For me, balance means achieving high KPIs through structure, support, and development. Not through burnout.”
5. Automation is rapidly taking over the delivery sector. Looking through the lens of efficiency and KPIs, can a chatbot ever fully replace a human in customer support?
“Currently, replacing humans entirely is impossible. Support deals with too many unpredictable situations: delays, order errors, or emotional customers. In these cases, flexibility, empathy, and real-time decision-making are crucial. For now, that remains a human responsibility.
From a KPI perspective, the optimal model is a hybrid of automation and human interaction. Bots handle simple queries and reduce the overall Contact Rate. This allows the team to focus on complex cases, where the quality of interaction directly impacts CSAT and customer loyalty.”
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6. How have customer expectations changed over recent years? Did you have to rethink the very logic of measuring service quality?
“Customer expectations have skyrocketed lately. A quick response used to be a competitive advantage. Today, it’s the bare minimum. Customers expect instant reactions, process transparency, and proactive communication. Ideally before a problem even arises.
Consequently, the way we measure quality has evolved. We no longer evaluate service solely based on response speed or SLA compliance. Metrics like First Contact Resolution (FCR), repeat inquiries, and the actual impact on customer experience have become vital. Quality is no longer just about answering on time. It’s about ensuring the issue is resolved so the customer doesn’t have to return with the same request.
Communication style has also shifted. Nowadays, overly formal or «robotic» scripted responses often trigger more negativity. Customers want humanity, empathy, and a friendly tone, even in difficult situations. That is why we focus not just on what we say, but how we say it. Modern service is a balance between rapid problem-solving and high-quality, human interaction.”
7. In your opinion, what should outsourced support look like to meet these new market expectations? What distinguishes a strong partner from just a vendor today?
“Today, an outsourced contact center must be more than just a process executor; it has to be a full-fledged business partner. The market demands flexibility, rapid adaptation to change, and a proactive stance. A partner shouldn’t just hit the KPIs. They should understand the broader context and offer solutions.
The real difference between a strong partner and a mere vendor lies in the level of engagement. It’s about a willingness to dive into analytics, initiate improvements, and scale teams instantly during peak loads. It’s about taking responsibility for the final result, not just completing a task.
At Global Bilgi, this is exactly how we operate. We keep our clients informed about the operational situation and signal potential risks ahead of time. We suggest process optimizations and focus on the overall customer experience rather than just support metrics. Our goal is for the client to feel service stability and see long-term value in our collaboration.”
