In a recent Inspiro sponsored survey, contact center executives agreed on the toughest challenge they face as customer experience (CX) management continues to evolve:
- measuring channel effectiveness = 36%
- agent upskilling = 20%
- too many channels to manage = 8%
As we can see, ‘measuring channel effectiveness’ far outstripped the other two concerns. As discussed by participants, the problem is that each channel is traditionally rated through its specific metrics, which makes comparison difficult across omnichannel operations.
To try to simplify this complex issue, customer conversion rate, for instance, can be much harder to track via chat channels. While a CX agent, in a phone conversation, can easily confirm whether a customer has been able to accomplish their desired action, a customer dealing with a chatbot might simply stop communicating, leaving it unclear whether their situation has been satisfactorily resolved.
Having said that, respondents ranked which of the KPIs (key performance indicators) they’re currently using are most important to them, in an omnichannel environment:
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) = 55%
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) = 55%
- Customer Effort Score (CES) = 55%
- First Contact Resolution = 45%
- Customer Lifetime Value = 23%
- Customer Loyalty Index = 5%
- Conversion Rate = 5%
Some participants indicated that they’d achieved satisfactory results by using CSAT after every interaction across every channel. Several agreed that NPS is “the only measure that crosses all channels,” though others expressed the opinion that NPS is better at assessing brand performance rather than specific CX effectiveness.
Still, others showed interest in the relatively-new VES—Value Enhancement Score—which is intended to measure a customer’s feeling of enrichment and empowerment following a service interaction.
So which system of measurement is best for your company and brand goals? As this survey shows—and as CX continues to adapt to these turbulent times—the answer can be something of a moving target. It’s best to partner with experts who can bring you comprehension and capability across a wide range of KPIs to help you appropriately evaluate, anticipate, and satiate your customers’ ever-changing needs and preferences.
